Developmental Writing
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Developmental Writing examines the fundamental process, theories, and methods that enhance a student’s overall writing ability, and introduces strategies for writing within multiple disciplines and professions. You will draft and revise sentences, paragraphs, and essays, with the aim of achieving effective college-level writing skills. You will learn how to improve sentence structure and clarity using grammar, punctuation, and word choice. The course introduces proper research techniques, and various writing genres, including narration, as well as exploring the concepts of cause and effect, compare and contrast, definition, and argumentation.
Course Objectives
After completing this course students will be able to:
Appreciate the skill of writing as a form of critical thinking.
Describe the steps in the writing process.
Define “draft†and identify key differences between writing a first and final draft.
Revise paragraphs and essays to be clear and concise.
Edit sentences to improve clarity and eliminate errors.
Use appropriate and vivid word choices to express ideas.
Develop and explain the differences between a topic sentence and a thesis statement.
Develop sensory details and write a descriptive narrative paragraph.
Create a relationship between causes and effects; write a cause and effect paragraph.
Develop a strong definition paragraph through contrast, explanation, and other techniques.
Write a comparison and contrast essay using subject-by-subject or point-by-point methods.
Compose an original argument essay that acknowledges and appeals to the audience’s viewpoint.
Identify and describe the main factors for developing a good résumé and cover letter.
Respond to essay exam prompts clearly and concisely.
Explain the research process and conduct research to explore a specific topic.
