Most links below take you to a post made up of a brief motivation for learning about a writing topic, a video tutorial, a sample document, and related research. The video tutorials are between 9 and 15 minutes long. I would like to find time to update/shorten them, but that won’t happen any time soon.
The topics are based on the chapters in the 3rd and 4th editions of my co-authored workbook, Revising Professional Writing in Science and Technology, Business, and the Social Sciences (RPW). To hear the teaching philosophy behind these tutorials, check out Lectures in a writing class. Oh my! and Amateurs need explicit knowledge — not platitudes.
Sample Rubric for Evaluating a Document
- General nonsensitive-document-rubric-with-video-links (MS Word file)
- General sensitive-document-rubric-with-video-links (MS Word file)
Putting It All Together
- 3 Lessons from Great Performers for Workplace Writers (or “Why do practice exercises?”)
Analyzing Rhetorical Context
- Get clear about your purpose before you write for workplace readers (Ch 1 of RPW)
- Learn to analyze a workplace audience to deliver an effective message (Ch 2 of RPW)
Developing Content
- Insure readers understand your message with the right content (Ch 3 of RPW)
- Persuade readers with an appeal to logos (Ch 4 of RPW)
- Help your readers see what you mean with informative graphics (Ch 5 of RPW)
Organizing Content
- Improve your reader’s efficiency — and win their gratitude — with bottom line placement (Ch 6 of RPW)
- Manage what your readers think you mean with effective paragraphs (Ch 7 of RPW)
- Create logical flow between sentences to promote accurate and efficient reading (Ch 8 of RPW)
- Lead your reader through your content with transitions (Ch 9 of RPW)
- Think long-term and be kind to readers with well-formatted documents (Ch 10 of RPW)
Managing Style
- Learn to identify needless words and promote clarity (Ch 11 of RPW)
- Use parallel structure in lists to increase reading efficiency (Ch 12 of RPW)
- Choose active vs. passive voice strategically (Ch 13 of RPW)
- Choose your words carefully — when it counts (Ch 14 of RPW)
- Control your tone to avoid negative attention from your reader (Ch 15 of RPW)
Mastering Mechanics
- Punctuation (Comma Splices & Sentence Fragments), referring to an Internship Application Letter
- Subject-verb Agreement, referring to an Internship Application Letter
- Spelling
Do you have transcripts available so that the tutorials would be accessible to deaf students?
Yes, Diane. I can send the scripts to you. Contact me via email: kcampbel(at)cba(dot)ua(dot)edu
Hello Kim,
May I also request transcripts please? So glad I found this site today (another snow day in New Jersey!)
Thanks in advance,
Suzanne
Thanks for visiting Pros Write, Suzanne. I just emailed a file with scripts to you. Let me know if they don’t arrive!