Question:
I teach writing and technical communication at Coventry University, England. Up
to now, most of my teaching has been to technical communication students, but
I am currently developing writing courses which will be available to students
from other subjects. It is most unusual for universities in the UK to offer
writing courses, so in order to develop my own skills in both teaching and cours
e
design I would like to find out as much as possible about writing courses in
the US.
I would be pleased to receive any kind of information about your writing
courses: course descriptions, student guides, notes for teachers, or just a few
words to indicate what courses are held at your university. For hardcopy items,
my postal address is given below. (By the way, do all undergraduates have to
take freshman composition?)
I would also like to hear about any articles or papers which give an overview
of university writing courses.
Answer:
You asked about other types of writing courses in American universities.
Most schools offer one or more courses in *Advanced Writing,* usually for
junior or seniors (3rd or 4th year students). The content of such courses
varies widely, from courses in essay writing, to writing arguments for
specific public or academic audiences, to more journalistic forms. Some of
these courses focus on subtleties of style or rhetorical strategy.
Other common writing courses are *technical writing* (writing reports,
manuals, documentation for computer software, and so on) and *business
writing* (focusing on the situations and forms one might encounter in
business settings. Many English departments now, thanks to the computer,
also offer courses in *desktop publishing,* combining writing with
instruction on design.
Beyond that are courses in creative writing, usually broken down as *poetry
writing, fiction writing*, and more recently *creative nonfiction* (as in
the literary essay or memoir or biography).
Increasingly outside the English department are *writing intensive courses
in the discipline.* Some of these, such as senior seminars may go beyond
merely assigning writing to provide instruction in writing.
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