online writers course

online writers course

The Ultimate Guide to Succeeding in an Online Writers Course

1. Introduction to Online Writers Courses

Challenges faced by an online writer course are a testament to the need for a student’s guide to being successful. Otherwise, the whole idea of keeping a flexible non-restrictive schedule is thrown out. The everyday routine of the lives of most students is strenuous. The biggest factor which discourages most people from continuing school is the tight schedules many have. Classes are easier to attend due to the flexibility of attending a class. Pre-readings are presented prior to class discussions, and students come prepared to express viewpoints about the topic. The online writer student must have confidence in themselves. Even though class discussions do not take place daily like in a face-to-face course, they still have a voice to communicate with their professors and fellow writers through various electronic forums. Be prepared ahead of time and make sure to work before the students can get the feel of the instructor and the instructor can gauge how he’s helping.

Online courses have become all the rage for various reasons. This is because instead of having to relocate to another place in order to attend a class, a person can comfortably have classes seated behind a computer. Online courses are often termed as email courses or e-courses which are offered by email. In the class, every registered participant is able to view the course syllabus and then complete the assignments at their own pace. The classes are held in a private dedicated website with the instructor assigning work to be done and the students completing that work and returning it to the instructor. The environment is just as stimulating and informative as a traditional class.

2. Key Skills and Techniques for Online Writing Success

These computer-mediated activities can no longer be relegated to the fringes of writing assignments because students are working in environments where these new writing genres and conventions are quickly becoming commonplace. In essence, this is no longer about learning to use the computer – it’s about integrating computer use with writing that is part and parcel of the practice of writing. If, as the popular adage holds, “writing is rewriting,” the impressive array of digital resources available promises to deliver a renaissance of writing practice. The past fifty years have witnessed a media-driven change in our culture – electronic access to words has replaced the typewriter, dictation, situ, and pencil as the central means of written word creation. Little evidence suggests this shift has resulted in an increase in proficiency or creativity in written composition.

Given that the majority of online writing is presented on platforms such as blogs, websites, wikis, and discussion lists, basic computer skills are needed – word processing, file transfer, the use of a web browser, the ability to copy and paste text from a web page, and upload text to the web. Editing and hypertext are also key topics for writers of online text. While many writing courses emphasize low-stakes writing activities culminating in multimedia experimentation, writing teachers new to the digital library increasingly feel the need for assignments that include opportunities to write online. Activities such as working with search engines, reading and summarizing internet texts, posting original writing, participating in electronic discussions, and maintaining an eFolio create a new focus. Finally, planning long-term participation in the digital library by, for example, joining a web community on a specific topic, can provide service learning while supporting course writing with a real audience.

3. Navigating the Digital Writing Environment

First, enable pop-ups for the course. Look in the upper right-hand corner of your screen for a little box that says “allows pop-ups for Scribble”. Click on the box and always allow pop-ups from Scribble. This is your textbook, your word processor for doing the work of this course. Not only will you be able to sign up for an account, you will use the program to write or paste drafts for peer review, you will use Scribble’s markup feature in the reviews of your group members’ drafts, and you will use the program to review your peers’ work. You will also use SCE for writing in your journal.

You will access our course through the university’s learning management system – either Canvas or Blackboard – where you will link to our course. Once you have linked to our course, make sure to bookmark it in your browser. In every course, but especially in an online course, many little tasks and exercises must be completed for full benefit each week. Some of these learning opportunities are set to occur at different places on the internet including the threaded discussion activities and sharing drafts of your writing with group members.

4. Effective Feedback and Revision Strategies

How can a teacher and students learn to use feedback, discussion, and interaction to improve writing? In a successful writing course, the teacher’s comments, critiques, and questions must lead to discussions and/or improvements. Because few people have the eye of an editor or a librettist, the value of the interaction between reader and writer as a teacher is very high. Therefore, whenever possible, teacher commentary should be accompanied by an opportunity for follow-up by and continued interaction between the writer and the teacher. The learning process generated by these activities may help to convince students of the value of revision. In providing guidance, the teacher must teach the writer how to revise the writing. Then, the teacher must encourage and support the writer during the revision process.

Two of the primary goals of most college composition courses are to improve students’ writing and to increase their knowledge about the requirements of writing. Since one of its major purposes is to provide these learning experiences, it is only natural that a college composition course should contain lengthy informal and formal feedback about the strengths and problems found in the students’ writing. If students do not know who will read their writing, will receive no comments, or will receive only a letter grade, it is doubtful that they will be motivated to revise their writing or to extend themselves in future writing. Because this book is about creating, using, grading, and improving writing assignments in an online composition course, I shall take for granted that informal and formal feedback on the writing is an integral part of the course.

5. Building an Online Writing Portfolio

Some of the content you might want to include are articles that you’ve had published on the internet, a blog you are regularly updating, a podcast you’ve recorded, or a speech you’ve given. The web-based portfolio gives potential employers instant access to your best work in the best format possible, the original format. For papers and other work that were not produced in electronic format, simply scan the article and take a picture of it. This will allow readers to see the original format, while also ensuring your most polished work is accessible and readable.

An online writing portfolio is critical if you are taking an online writer’s course because it offers immediate evidence of the skills you are developing. Choose a platform like Clippings.me that allows you to easily and quickly upload and edit any project that you wish. It is essential that the URL to the portfolio you build is shortened to include your own name.