Writing Skills for University Success

University of California, Irvine via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/writing-skills-for-success

Introduction

**Course Review: Writing Skills for University Success on Coursera** In the realm of higher education, effective writing is not merely a skill; it is a foundational tool that can significantly influence academic success. Coursera's course, "Writing Skills for University Success," is designed to equip students with the essential writing proficiencies needed to thrive in university settings, regardless of their major. This course serves as an invaluable resource for anyone looking to enhance their writing abilities, from understanding academic expectations to mastering the nuances of essay and research paper writing. ### Overview The course begins by emphasizing the importance of writing, no matter the discipline. The curriculum is thoughtfully structured into four key components, each focusing on a critical aspect of academic writing. By the end of this course, students will be able to write effectively in various academic formats, enhancing their ability to communicate ideas clearly and persuasively. ### Syllabus Breakdown **1. Getting Ready for Academic Writing** In the opening week, participants will delve into the writing process, learning the steps that effective writers take in planning, drafting, and revising their work. This week also covers the basics of crafting clear paragraphs and understanding the distinctive style of academic writing compared to informal writing. A crucial section focuses on plagiarism—what it is, why it matters, and how to avoid it. This foundational knowledge sets the stage for academic integrity and the expectations of professors. **2. Writing an Essay** The second week focuses on essay writing, introducing learners to the structure and components of a well-crafted essay. Students learn the importance of engaging introduction paragraphs that capture attention and clarify the essay's purpose. This section also discusses the significance of supportive evidence in the body paragraphs and crafting a conclusion that effectively summarizes the main idea. Course participants will put their learning into practice by evaluating sample essays against established criteria. **3. Getting Ready to Write a Research Paper** Transitioning into longer forms of writing, the third week introduces the concept of research papers. It expands on the essay format, teaching students how to effectively incorporate source materials, such as quotations and paraphrases, into their writing. Guidance on topic selection and outlining establishes a robust framework for tackling research assignments. This week culminates in an activity where students summarize an article, allowing peer feedback for enhancement. **4. Writing a Research Paper** The final week guides students deeper into research paper writing, spotlighting the creation of compelling thesis statements. Participants learn to identify and evaluate scholarly sources, emphasizing the importance of high-quality references. Moreover, the course demonstrates how to properly cite sources and introduces common formatting styles for academic papers. This week ends with engaging exercises that involve analyzing the effectiveness of various thesis statements. ### Recommendation I would highly recommend "Writing Skills for University Success" to any student—whether you are starting your college journey or are returning for advanced studies. What stands out about this course is its comprehensive approach to addressing both the fundamentals of writing and more advanced topics like research paper composition. The practical exercises, peer evaluations, and clear explanations make it accessible and effective. Completing this course will not only bolster your writing skills but also instill a deeper understanding of academic writing conventions, crucial for any university setting. Additionally, the course's online format allows for flexibility, making it easier to fit into an already busy student schedule. In summary, if you're looking to improve your writing skills and ensure academic success at university, "Writing Skills for University Success" on Coursera is an investment that will serve you well. Dive in and take the first step towards mastering the art of academic writing.

Syllabus

Getting Ready for Academic Writing

In this first week of the course, we’ll be going over some very basic aspects of academic writing. You’ll learn about the writing process—the steps skilled writers go through in planning, writing, and revising their work—and review the basics of writing clear, effective paragraphs. You’ll learn about academic writing style and how it differs from more informal writing. Finally, you’ll learn about the problem of plagiarism—using someone else’s words and letting the reader think that you’ve written them yourself—and some strategies for avoiding it in your own work. Being able to observe all these basic aspects of academic writing will help you meet your professors’ expectations for what academic writing should look like. So let’s get started!

Writing an Essay

This week you’ll hear about a very important type of academic writing—the essay. You’ll hear about what an essay is and what its expected parts are. You’ll learn about writing strong introduction paragraphs that catch the reader’s interest and state the topic of the essay. You’ll hear about different kinds of support to include in the body of the essay, and how to write a strong conclusion paragraph that brings the essay full circle by reminding the reader of your main idea. Finally, you’ll practice by reading and evaluating short essays to see how well they match the requirements of a good essay. Let’s begin!

Getting Ready to Write a Research Paper

This week you’ll learn about a longer type of writing assignment—a research paper. First, we’ll think about how to begin to write longer assignments by expanding the basic format of an academic essay. You’ll learn how to use quotations, paraphrases, and summaries to incorporate source material to make your essay longer and more persuasive. You’ll also hear about choosing an appropriate topic for a research paper and outlining the ideas you want to include in your paper. Finally, you’ll write a summary of an article and share your writing with classmates to get their opinion. So let’s get ready to write!

Writing a Research Paper

In this final week of the course, you’ll learn more about research papers, starting with how to write an good thesis statement. We’ll talk about finding and evaluating sources of information for your paper and identifying valid, scholarly sources that will strengthen your paper. You’ll see how to incorporate ideas from your sources into your paper and how to cite the source of facts or quoted words . You’ll learn some basic facts about common formats for research papers and works cited pages. Finally, you’ll practice by analyzing thesis statements and deciding which meet the criteria for good academic writing. Let’s get to it!