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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization by University of Michigan

4.8
stars
517 ratings

About the Course

This second course in the Good with Words: Writing and Editing series will help you become an effective architect of information, both with your sentences and with your paragraphs. You’ll learn that the traditional advice to “Show, don’t tell” is incomplete and that skilled writers actually switch back and forth between showing and telling. You’ll also learn more about the menu of time management techniques introduced in the first course of the series, including “deep work,” “studio time,” and “the Animal Farm Principle.” And as with the other three courses in this series, you will get access to a wide range of books and other resources you can use even after you finish the course. These include: (1) the readings and exercises provided to the students who have taken the in-person version of this course at the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago; (2) two digital libraries of excellent writing from a diverse collection of journalists, scientists, novelists, poets, historians, and entrepreneurs; and (3) a monthly “Good Sentences” email....

Top reviews

AJ

Nov 9, 2022

This course was easy to follow and included fun and diverse activities. Professor Barry presents ideas and topics in a style that allows the learner to retain knowledge and to achieve goals easily!

AD

Nov 21, 2020

Great course! There's plenty of materials and opportunities for practice. There's a sense of continuation from one topic to the next; coherence is impeccable.

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1 - 25 of 105 Reviews for Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization

By Brandon L S

Jun 2, 2020

I enjoyed the videos and the content within them, but I felt they were often too short and needlessly broken into shorter videos. I understand that this was probably done to break things into more digestible content, but it became rather annoying having to sit through several < 1 minute videos in a row.

I felt a bit overwhelmed with all the reading, not because of the content, but rather the number of options offered.

I would have liked to have seen more practice offered. The quizzes weren’t terribly helpful because they seemed to test your ability to recall information such as author names; this wasn’t particularly helpful for reinforcing the ideas in the videos and reading and provided a source of frustration, rather than information.

There’s even errors in some of these quizzes (Battle and the Ballot); not a good look on a writing course.

By John D

Aug 18, 2021

Patrick Barry is a phenomenal teacher and guide. His passion for writing is infectious. His stories are captivating. One of the best MOOCs I have taken.

By Ardak K

Jun 18, 2020

expected something more than was given. moreover, nevertheless it is said you can do courses in any order there are too much references to the 1st course.

By Analeil D

Nov 22, 2020

Great course! There's plenty of materials and opportunities for practice. There's a sense of continuation from one topic to the next; coherence is impeccable.

By Si

Dec 21, 2020

Excellent class. Very clear and interesting instruction that is supported by videos and additional reading material.

By Jorge G

Aug 13, 2020

Everything I expected—and a little bit more. Excellent, consistent structure.

By Sam B

Apr 15, 2021

It is often remarked as a general rule that the only way to learn something is to do it. Writing is no exception. If you do wish to improve your writing then write.

With that said, Professor Barry outlines ways in which to analyze your own writing, as well as others. This is invaluable to someone who wishes to improve their communication in the written form. Moreover, Professor Barry teaches how to get better at getting better in the most general sense.

For these two reasons, I have found this course to be immensely impactful on the way I approach writing and learning. I suppose there is no greater takeaway one can wish for in a writing course.

By Kat Z

Jul 10, 2020

This course taught by Professor Barry gave me many new ideas and perspectives on how to write better-structured writing. He communicated this information in an engaging and entertaining way. Thank you for creating this course!

By Shoaib M

Aug 31, 2021

Excellent in excellence!

I highly recommend this course for those who aspire to be a writer or an excellent professional in their niches.

By Deborah S

Sep 11, 2020

Excellent and inspiring and at the same time very informative and beneficial. Great teacher. Beautifully presented and organised.

By Naw J E H

Oct 25, 2021

I have learned a lot of new things from this course and I am excited to try the next course of this specialization.

By Ewurajei

Sep 30, 2020

This is one of the best self-paced online courses I've taken. Thank you for sharing top-notch learning materials.

By Zulfiqar A

Oct 7, 2022

Professor Barry has a very unique way of teaching. Overall course is good and one needs to do a lot of readings.

By Eduardo J K

Nov 29, 2020

O curso é incrível. Conteúdo interessante, apresentado de forma didática e leve. O professor é didático e engajado. Apesar de ser dedicado a alunos do curso de Direito da Universidade de Michigan, pode ser aplicado a qualquer área do conhecimento. As dicas sobre o uso da língua inglesa são muito boas e proveitosas. Recomendo este curso para todos(as) que desejam escrever de forma persuasiva.

By Madison M

Dec 26, 2022

This course is a smooth continuation from the first, and the same merits apply; it's well-paced, succinct, and provides a diverse amount of resources for the student to pick and choose between. The workload can be sometimes light. Overall, highly recommended for further development of one's writing skills. The time management techniques are a massive plus.

By Bernice A

Dec 15, 2020

This course has been super helpful. It gave me a variety of readings. My instructor is very smart. He knows the concept at his fingertips and he really takes time to teach. I like how he invites his students to share at the end of the class what they remember from the class. He is a gem.

By Jennifer E

Nov 30, 2020

Professor Barry excels in organizing and communicating ideas in ways that are engaging and revelatory. This course will give you the tools and resources to improve your writing in every area of your life, and the ability to express your ideas effectively and persuasively.

By Ha D

Sep 9, 2021

The course is very helpful for both my professional and personal life. I get to improve my productivity, enjoy more readings and writings, and make a meaningful impact on my society just with the power of writing and editing. Big thanks to Professor Barry and Coursera!

By Maina W

Apr 5, 2022

I truly enjoyed taking this course and Prof. Barry is a great teacher. I love his enthusiam and how knowledgable he is in regards to writing. I am inspired not only to write but to write really well. Thank you Coursera for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

By ajenkins67@hotmail.com

Dec 30, 2020

This course was very good. I am learning a lot of good writing skills from both of the first courses that i have taken. The only thing I would do DIFFERNTLY IS MAKE MORRE ASSIGMENTS AND LESS PRATICE QUIZZES.

Allan JENKINS

By Gloria J M

Apr 12, 2021

Excellent review of past learning with many ideas for improving communication through writing. I recommend this course to anyone who wants to be clearly understood as well as interesting and entertaining to the reader.

By Andrea J

Nov 10, 2022

This course was easy to follow and included fun and diverse activities. Professor Barry presents ideas and topics in a style that allows the learner to retain knowledge and to achieve goals easily!

By Pamela P

Feb 5, 2021

This course helped me understand how to write good sentences. I knew writing good sentences is important but, being shown how to write was very helpful.

By Sharon J

Jul 20, 2021

I love this course! It offers an escape into a whole new world! Thank you for curating the content and for creating such compelling courses!

By Yannick K

Feb 2, 2023

Professor Barry is at once insightful and clear, providing nifty nuggets of information that have helped improve my writing tremendously.