I recently taught a hybrid honors general education seminar that required a large amount of writing. All of the assignments were submitted online through the university’s learning management system. My students were all extremely bright and had wonderful points of view, although their ability to express themselves through writing varied greatly.
I cannot overemphasize the value of excellent writing skills when taking an online class. Unlike face-to-face classes, which often credit oral participation, online courses generally rely more on written work for grading and assessment purposes.
[Find out how to master needed college writing skills.]
A 2014 Baylor University study on behavioral addiction reports that college students spend eight to 10 hours each day using mobile phones. The majority of usage was texting, social media and email.
As students submit assignments from the same devices they use to communicate for instant messaging, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Yik Yak and countless other social platforms, the trap exists to treat the weekly PHI 101 reflection or SOC 100 paper as an LOL, ROFL, SMH, GR8 hot mess.
Consider these five tips to improve your performance when taking writing-intensive online classes.
1. Understand the writing style expectations for each type of online assignment: For example, discussion forum posts may encourage a conversational tone, reflection or journal assignments may allow sentence fragments and term papers usually require formal academic writing. A student’s ability to write appropriately for the assignment’s context will positively influence their class performance. When in doubt of appropriate style, students should err on the side of formal writing.
2. Remember that professors have advanced degrees for which they had to write a thesis: While faculty do not expect thesis-quality writing on a regular basis, they do appreciate formal, clear, crisp writing that is free of colloquialism, jargon and conversational tone. Correct spelling, punctuation, grammar and excellent word choice should all be present.
[Learn to make a good impression in online classes.]
3. Consider using one device, in one place, exclusively for academic writing: For example, limit social media use to a mobile phone and use a tablet or laptop at the kitchen table or library to write for an online class. Compartmentalizing classwork to a device and location can help a student focus on academic writing.
4. Actively schedule time to write for an online class: Resist the temptation to communicate or view social media during that time. Switching back and forth between academic writing and texting with a BFF is a bad recipe.
5. If the class allows, have someone trusted proofread written work. When having written work proofed, it is key to finish the draft in enough time to receive feedback. At minimum, students should complete their writing with enough time to re-read it multiple times prior to the submission deadline.
The takeaway: As students spend the majority of their waking hours engaged in mobile social communication, they must consciously switch from social media and less formal communications to their work in online classes. Academic writing style, ability and formality in online classes is a paramount skill for students to be successful.
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5 Tips to Improve Writing for Online Classes originally appeared on usnews.com
