Education News South Africa

UCT launches MOOC focusing on practical academic writing skills

‘Writing Your World' is the latest massive open online course (MOOC) launched by the University of Cape Town (UCT). The MOOC was designed by the Language Development Group, which is part of the Academic Development Programme (ADP), in collaboration with the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT). Both are part of the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED) at UCT. The MOOC aligns with CHED's mission of widening access to higher education.
UCT launches MOOC focusing on practical academic writing skills
© pixelbliss – 123RF.com

‘Writing Your World’ is aimed at anyone exploring their options to study at a university. It encourages students from around the world to enter this online space and to critically engage and write about the key themes of identity and mobility. These themes have international currency. Enrolment starts on 9 October.

Dr Aditi Hunma, one of the course lecturers, says: “With this new MOOC, students can draw on their own life experiences as they learn to write alongside the international learning community.”

Practical aspects of academic writing

This course features practical aspects of academic writing and offers a variety of interactive texts, lecture videos, and discussions. The MOOC runs over four weeks and allows students to give feedback to each other, thereby creating their first academic essay.

“By emphasising that writing is a messy process, we intend to take away the ‘angst’ of writing academic essays,” Dr Hunma adds.

‘Writing Your World’ is part of a series of 12 MOOCs developed at UCT, and aims to give exposure to African scholarship. UCT MOOCs are supported by the Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Fund. Three of the previously released UCT MOOCs are ranked among the Top 50 MOOCs of all time - according to Class Central.

Let's do Biz