In the WRD Department, Spring Quarter is well underway—meaning that course registration for next quarter has begun! WRD will be offering several new courses at the undergraduate level, including WRD 327: Content Writing taught by Professor Tim Elliott.
Here, Professor Elliott discusses his plans for the new course, including how it came about, course projects, and major takeaways.
To start on the same page, how do you define “content writing” for your students?
In this context, content writing means writing about a particular or specialized subject matter area, and then making that specialized subject matter accessible and engaging. Good content writing helps readers learn new things while also enjoying that learning process.
How did you decide to teach this class, and how does it relate to your other teaching and scholarship?
When I was teaching Writing in the Workplace, a lot of my students said that they wanted to work as content writers. I knew that Professor Dush taught a very successful Content Strategy class at the graduate level, and I had had success taking my own grad-level Editing class and simplifying it for an undergraduate level. So, to create this Content Writing course I used that same process, taking inspiration from Professor Dush’s course and reworking it into a version that meets the demand of undergraduate students who want to do this kind of work.
It’s possible to get a job with a writing degree out of college, especially if you have experience with different types of writing that are marketable. Content writing is one of those things that many employers need in the business and nonprofits worlds, so teaching these content writing skills will make our students stronger candidates for those types of jobs. The class will be a fun mix of learning practical, in-demand skills and a chance to write about things individual students are already interested in. The goal is to bridge students from the types of writing they may do for fun to different types of writing they may do in professional settings. Content writing is often a mix of the two, and that’s exciting for me as an instructor.
What types of projects will students be completing in the course?
The first thing we’ll do is look at existing copy on different websites and think through our own suggestions and edits as writers. Then, we’ll produce some new copy for a hypothetical audience, which could even include media like audio. These projects will prepare us for the final project of the course, where we’ll create content for an actual community partner and their real audience. Finally, we’ll do a bit of user testing throughout to understand how different users interact with content. All of this allows students to try different types of content writing for different audiences, produce strong pieces for their own portfolios, and practice usability testing skills that can help them in future work.
“One of the misunderstandings of professional writing is that it’s not ‘creative’ compared to other types of writing. But I would say that it can be even more creative, because you’re always given basic strictures and then you get to figure out how to work within those as best you can to create something meaningful.”
Do students need experience in content writing or other professional writing before starting the course?
No, I’ve designed this course to be approachable for really anyone who likes reading and writing. The first assignment is just to produce content for a source students already interact with every day, which is a great way to bridge students from reader to writer with topics they may already know about. The great thing is that all the skills we practice in this class will have great transfer to other types of professional writing.
I think this class will be a great chance to just try out different types of professional writing, and to see that there are so many ways to write content across scenarios and even across media. Students can expect to walk away with pieces that will be a great start or addition to their own writing portfolios, especially since we are working with a real community partner to create content for real audiences.
In Autumn Quarter 2023, students can get major and minor credit for English through this course, which is crosslisted with ENG 209.
Stay tuned for spotlights on additional upcoming courses, and be sure to sign up for Content Writing through Campus Connect if you’re interested!