English 301, a distance education course, should be of interest to students in a variety of disciplines and also to those in co-op programs. The purpose of this course involves the study of writing principles and online communications in business and professional contexts. It includes discussion of and practice in the preparation of abstracts, proposals, applications, reports, correspondence and online communications. Dr. Erika Paterson of UBC’s English department is the instructor of the course. Students and the instructor will communicate through email, UBC blogs and group Facebook discussions.

The course is divided into four units, each has three lessons.

Unit 1. Principles, Practices and People in English 301. It is about the introduction of the course, and also focuses on the genre of business correspondence. Students will be self- organizing in to writing teams and working collaboratively later in the course.

Unit 2. Designing a Report Proposal; Defining Terms with Audience in Mind. It is the first stage of the formal report project. Students will design the proposal and also peer review works from their writing team. Students will build their online resumes using Linked-in.

Unit 3. Designing a Report outline and Draft; Building your Resume and Job Application Skills. Students will draft a formal outline of their reports, and summarized on feedback from others in the group. Students are also required to locate a potential job from online resources and design and write a full job application package.

Unit 4. Drafting the Formal Report will be drafted; Peer Review and Final Report; Developing Networking Strategies. It will focus on the final re-write of the formal report, with emphasis on matters of organization, evidence, audience, and style distinctive to this form.

This is not my first time taking a fully online course, but it is the first time I have been introduced to creating a blog that will eventually serve as a long lasting record of my progress with this course, my interactions with the instructor and other students. I feel it’s a better way to learn from others’ experiences and how people address writing issues in common. Many topics covered in this course aim at helping students develop essential skills required in future workplaces. Hope that at the end of the course, I will grow more confidence at writing effective applications and formal reports.