| "Facebook: Friend or Foe?" and "OMG! Drama | | | | can learn to be persuasive enough to win awards |
| Llama" are among the personal, critical essays | | | | and prepare proposals that might be used within |
| composed in 2008 by students in a first year | | | | the organizations where they work. Kaplan |
| college-level writing course. The course, offered | | | | University includes effective writing instruction as |
| by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), | | | | part of a course on Academic Strategies for the |
| is known as Writing on Contemporary Issues: | | | | IT Professional. |
| Culture Shock! It's one of hundreds of free online | | | | In the creative arena, online courses for free |
| writing courses that are open to the public. | | | | cover everything from poetry to playwriting. |
| The MIT writing course specifically might help | | | | There are courses for beginners as well as |
| even experienced writers compose, edit and | | | | professionals. Students taking this type of online |
| publish pieces that can engage readers in | | | | course can participate in studies and exercises |
| cyberspace. The Facebook article, published in the | | | | between family and work responsibilities, saving |
| institution's online Culture Shock! Magazine, | | | | time and money on commuting as well as money |
| addresses such issues as Facebook addicts, the | | | | for tuition and fees. |
| implications of making private lives public and | | | | Many free online courses are from colleges, |
| opportunities to keep in contact with friends and | | | | universities and technical schools. For-profit and |
| family members. "OMG! Drama Llama," a piece | | | | non-profit organizations as well as specialized |
| about what happens when people blow things out | | | | schools also offer online courses for free. The |
| of proportion, in part speaks of the influence of | | | | Poynter Institute, a school and resource for |
| television shows such as "Gossip Girl" and "Zoey | | | | journalists for instance, offers online writing |
| 101" can have on young girls. | | | | courses for a fee and for free. As part of one |
| Writing has never been more important than in | | | | free online course, a University of Colorado |
| this digital age, according to a recent report on | | | | Center for Environmental Journalism professor |
| using technology for writing from the College | | | | provides insight into covering climate change. |
| Board, the National Writing Project and Phi Delta | | | | Online writing courses might include instruction and |
| Kappa International. The basics of writing remain | | | | seminars that are provided in multimedia formats, |
| the same, even as words are more often | | | | such as through YouTube video and podcasts. |
| combined with images and videos, the report | | | | Educators contend that multimedia elements such |
| contends. In the workplace, writing is the | | | | as these can more greatly engage students in |
| "threshold skill" for hiring and promoting | | | | their studies. There are also websites and apps, |
| professional, salaried employees, a 2004 National | | | | including free dictionary.com, and Science Glossary |
| Commission on Writing survey of major American | | | | for iPad, that writers might find helpful. |
| businesses reports. Fixing writing deficiencies on | | | | As early as the elementary school level, the digital |
| the job costs American corporations as much as | | | | age writing report contends, students make use |
| $3.1 billion annually, the report noted. | | | | of software programs and websites such as |
| Online writing courses offer opportunities to learn | | | | Windows Movie Maker, Comic Life, Apple's Garage |
| or brush up on everything from basic writing skills | | | | Band and Google Docs to create slide shows, |
| to technical and grant writing. MIT, a leader in free | | | | music recordings, comic book style photo albums |
| online courses, offers opportunities to participate | | | | and presentations. "We are preparing kids for a |
| in studies that involve writing about nature and | | | | different world - a world where they need to |
| environmental issues and communicating in | | | | know how to tell compelling stories," high school |
| technology organization. Institutions such as the | | | | English instructor Joel Malley was quoted in the |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology offer a free | | | | report as saying. "The types of stories that are |
| online course on proposal writing, where students | | | | compelling these days are not just print stories. |