Interactive Presentation: Improving Writing Skills

Students arrive in their higher education courses with writing abilities they learned in their previous years. There can be a range of writing skills among students, even in the same class, due to a variety of factors. Some students may have taken a break from writing between their high school and college courses, and need a refresher. Some may be less confident than others of their writing skills and could use tips to improve their writing. Others may be learning English as an additional language, aside from their native language.

Nearly everyone can benefit from ideas and practice to improve writing skills. College studies provide not just an opportunity but also a need to hone and improve one’s writing skills.

Lesson Plan: Improving Writing Skills

Learning Objectives

• Describe the steps in the writing process.
• Use pre-writing and invention skills in a writing assignment.
• Use writing and drafting skills in a writing assignment.
• Use revising, editing, and proofreading skills in a writing assignment.
• Publish or submit a writing assignment.

Specific Procedures Expected of Students

• Read the online lecture for this lesson. Watch the presentation, Improving Writing Skills, including the video tutorials.
• Visit the links to the resources in the presentation about improving writing skills, and read the tips and suggestions on those pages.
• In a Google Doc, write a 1-page (450-500 word) draft of an essay describing your writing process up to this point, how you developed your writing skills, and how you want to improve them.
• Revise, edit, and proofread your draft, indicating your changes in Google Doc’s suggesting mode.
• Share your Google Doc containing your suggestions for revisions with your instructor for feedback.
• When you receive feedback, implement changes, then send your instructor a message that your document is ready for grading.
• Participate in the discussion in the Discussion Board about describing the steps in the writing process, and describing the pre-writing and invention writing skills you used to write your essay.

Student Resources

• Blackboard LMS
• Google Slides Presentation, Improving Writing Skills
• Google Drive and Google Docs

Assessment

• Written Google Docs essay submitted to Google Drive
• Participation in the Discussion Board

Grading Rubric

• Steps described in the writing process: 5 pts
• Pre-writing and invention writing skills described: 10 pts
• Writing and drafting skills used in your essay: 15 pts
• Revising, editing, and proofreading skills used in your essay: 15 pts
• Essay correctly submitted to Google Drive and instructor: 5 pts
• Total Possible Points: 50 pts