Course Overview

This course is designed for non-native speakers of English. It will provide a basic foundation for academic scientific writing. It incorporates the building blocks of good writing in English language scientific journals, especially those based in the United States. Module topics include using appropriate grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, and avoiding plagiarism. 

Digital Badges
You can receive digital badges for participation in this MOOC. Click on Badges on the menu bar on the left for more information on the criteria to earn a badge.

Modules
This course consists of four modules. In each module, you will do the following:

  • Watch an introductory video.
  • Study a lesson.
  • Take a practice quiz.
  • Participate in a discussion. 
  • Take an exit quiz.

Course Materials – Articles from Your Field
Some module assignments will ask you to find examples of concepts in articles from your field. The reason for this is that different academic disciplines employ different writing styles or contain different grammatical, citation, and other stylistic variations. By comparing and contrasting the concepts introduced in each module with articles from your specific field, you can gain a better understanding of the common elements contained in the academic writing style of your field.

Course Topics and Dates

Get Started: (opens February 27) 

Module 1: Building a Foundation (opens February 27 at 9 a.m. Mountain Time)

Module 2: Combining Ideas (opens March 6 at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Time)

Module 3: Conveying Meaning (opens March 13 at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Time)

Module 4: Incorporating Sources (opens March 20 at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Time)

Course Ends: March 27 (closes at midnight Mountain Time)

Check time and date here. Links to an external site. 
Enter the name of your city on the left and Denver, Colorado, in the other box. Denver, Colorado, is on Mountain Time in the U.S., the time zone for which all dates and times in the course are listed.

NOTE: All modules, once open, will remain open until the close of the course on March 24. You can participate in any open module at any time until the end of the course. To receive a digital badge, you must complete module requirements by the end of the course. There are no extensions for any reason. Plan ahead for best results.

Technical Problems
If you have a technical problem, please post in the Report a Problem discussion.

Course Designers/Instructors

Thank you for being part of the course!