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Free UQx grammar course is back in style

16 July 2015
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The response to the course has been "overwhelmingly enthusiastic"

Writing well ‒ learning how and knowing why ‒ is the key skill to be learnt from a free online grammar course that is back by popular demand.

The University of Queensland’s Associate Professor Roslyn Petelin said she developed the edX course WRITE101x: English Grammar and Style in response to the overwhelming demand for strong communication skills in our writing-intensive world.

“This course introduces the key concepts of grammar and style that are essential for producing coherent, economical, and compelling writing,” said Dr Petelin, from the School of Communication and Arts.

”With the rise of social media and the Internet, everyone is writing more than ever, and the demand for high literacy levels has increased enormously.

“This course can improve anyone’s communication skills, if feedback from our 50,000 students last year is any indication.

“Even if it’s just a reminder of things forgotten, learning the ‘rules of the grammar game’ will be of huge benefit.”

The course covers grammatical principles, word usage, writing style, punctuation and sentence and paragraph structure.

It features quizzes, discussions, video interviews and other hands-on activities.

WRITE101x: English Grammar and Style begins on 26 July.

Registrations are now open and more than 50,000 students have signed up already.

The course is offered via the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform edX, a not-for-profit online education venture founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the aim of making high-quality educational experiences more widely available.

Register here or watch Dr Roslyn Petelin’s introduction in a short video here.

Media: Catherine Bennett, UQx Course Project Manager, +61 7 3346 0850, enquiries@uqx.uq.edu.au; Dr Roslyn Petelin, r.petelin@uq.edu.au.  

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