Reader-Based Business Writing 1
Course Description
KCI's "Reader-Based Business Writing 1" is designed to help beginning writers and non-native English speakers improve their basic writing skills.
The specific objectives for this course are to:
- Use templates to design informative documents
- Apply principles of grammar
- Apply principles of punctuation
- Use a systematic review process to proofread and edit documents
Students of this course have the option of submitting up to five documents (or 10 pages of material) for editorial review by KCI. For a reduced price, the course can be taken without feedback.
Content
Based on KCI's proprietary POWR (Planning, Organizing, Writing, Revising) writing process, this course offers a grammar review and introduces the fundamentals of planning, editing, and proofreading. This course balances a high volume of information with unusually good support materials like KCI's Online Style Guide.
Some learners will react better to the POWR writing process than others, but it is a fundamentally sound method for teaching writing skills. KCI starts at the beginning, reviewing standard grammar such as punctuation, capitalization, and subject-verb agreement. In addition, KCI identifies common writing mistakes. Non-native English speakers should find this review particularly helpful.
The course then progresses to planning documents. Because this is an introductory course, KCI places heavy emphasis on the use of templates in guiding the creation of business documents such as letters, e-mails, and memos. KCI wraps up the course with a systematic approach to proofreading and editing documents--important steps that are often overlooked in business writing.
Platform
KCI employs a project-based design that has users develop a business document through each stage of the course. Students take the skills they've gained from the course and apply them to plan, write, and revise a document of their choosing. This activity helps reinforce the material, and also gives users a concrete example to take away from their experience.
To successfully complete the course, learners must submit sample documents to KCI for review and feedback. Students have the option of submitting up to five documents (or 10 pages of material) for review. For a reduced price, users can take the course without receiving feedback on their writing, but we feel that this substantially decreases the value of the course.
In addition to writing projects, KCI includes unit quizzes and writing templates. The course also makes frequent use of diagrams and graphics to illustrate steps in the POWR process and supplement the course text.
Value
This course is a strong value for beginning writers and non-native English speakers. It offers comprehensive instruction and employs an effective, project-based design that allows users to practice writing and receive feedback.
