Writing in an Academic Context: Improving Argumentation and Style

Full course description

To write effectively in an academic context is to be able to convey ideas in a manner that is clear, concise, and engaging. Writing in an Academic Context gives you the tools and techniques for this by teaching you about topics such as coherence, cohension, conciseness, and hedging. The course is extremely hands-on and mostly focused on what comes after the first draft has been written. It helps you polish your writing skills by 1) teaching you about the underlying mechanisms of effective academic writing, and 2) providing weekly practice sessions with targeted peer (and tutor) support that serve to consolidate theory and writing skills. In doing so, we will look beyond the content of academic articles to examine the fundamental  mechanics of writing to adapt your writing for different audiences across disciplines and concentrations.

Practically speaking, choosing this course means that you will come to each class prepared having 1) read (and watched) relevant writing theory (found on canvas), 2) having completed exercises that require you to apply this theory in a practical manner, and 3) having written a short text that can be used for peer-review purposes. In class we will first discuss the exercises, paying attention to apply theory to the texts, followed by an in-depth discussion of your written text with a fellow student. 

This course is interactive and writing intensive. Although sharing your writing with others can seem intimidating, this writing course is a safe space for you to work, make mistakes, and improve your writing.