Argumentative Essays: Templates to Strengthen your Writing 

Effective argumentation is a core requirement of many writing assignments across the disciplines. Yet it isn't always clear what an academic argument is or how you should write one. In this 50-minute session, you'll learn the particular rules governing academic argumentation. This workshop will also introduce a number of templates that you can use to clearly and effectively structure and defend your written arguments.

Educational Goals: 

• Gain insight into the components of an effective academic argument;
• Learn how to develop an academic argument; 
• Learn templates to structure an affective academic argument; 
• Understand the requirement to defend an academic argument with information gleaned from research sources; 
• Distinguish between academic argumentation and other genres of academic writing.

Academic Writing Refresher

This workshop offers a quick overview of strategies and skills for successful writing, with returning/ transfer/ mature students in mind. 

Educational Goals: 

• Gain an understanding of strategies and skills that support successful academic writing;
• Be encouraged to ask questions to demystify expectations around academic writing;
• Reconnect with writing best practices;
• Learn where to find support throughout the writing process. 

Academic Writing Q&A... or Top Things to Know About Academic Writing

This session reviews the top 5 things most useful to know about academic writing. The rest of the session is dedicated to answering your burning questions (no matter how basic or complex) about academic writing and writing in the disciplines. You’ll take away some answers, including where to find more help when you need it!

Educational Goals: 

• Learn about the qualities unique to academic writing as a genre;
• Have the opportunity to dispel some misunderstandings about academic writing;
• Feel more confident about what academic writing is and what it isn't; 
• Know where to find more help when you need it.

Analyze This! From Summary to Critical Writing

Have you been asked to write a critical analysis but aren't sure how to approach it? Each discipline has its own requirements, but some common strategies can help. This workshop begins with a refresher about effective reading and summarizing, then shows you how to employ critical questions to help you transition from summary to analysis.

Educational Goals: 

• Gain an understanding of common strategies for approaching critical analysis which are transferable across disciplines;
• Learn to differentiate between summarizing, paraphrasing, and critical analysis and understand the value of each in academic writing;
• Understand how critical questions can be employed to transition from summary to analysis. 

Better Paragraphs: Strengthening Argument and Organization

Clear, well-developed paragraphs generally have a certain set of characteristics, and you can learn what those characteristics are as a way to strengthen your writing! In this workshop, learn more effective ways to begin your paragraphs, create better flow, and avoid common paragraph errors. Strengthening your paragraphs also helps to provide an overall sense of organization in your writing and ensure that your arguments are clear and well-supported.

Educational Goals: 

• Gain an understanding of the characteristics shared by clear, well-developed paragraphs;
• Learn about the relationship between strong paragraphs and overall flow, clarity, and argumentation; 
• Understand the role of paragraphs as the "building blocks" of academic writing;
• Be able to draft and revise paragraphs more effectively for clarity. 

Claiming your Voice as an Academic Writer 

This workshop was originally developed for the Indigenous Student Centre and focuses on two of the principles outlined in Dr. Gregory Younging's book Elements of Indigenous Style (2018). This workshop begins by recognizing that academic institutions operate within colonial frameworks and asks how students can claim their own voices -- and their own knowledge -- within those frameworks. While these questions are particularly relevant for Indigenous students, they also arise for non-Indigenous students whose lives and experiences push against the white, Settler, colonial perspective. 

Educational Goals: 

• Discuss and challenge assumptions about the "academic genre" of writing;
• Gain an understanding of the principles in Elements of Indigenous Style; 
• Learn ways to frame your writing for your audience, without giving up your voice; 
• Think about ways to approach writing assignments in an academic context, including ways that may challenge assumptions made within the assignment. 

De-cluttering your Prose

"Too wordy. Redundant. Be concise." If you've ever received these kinds of comments on your papers--or if you just want to take your style to the next level--this workshop is for you! Learn techniques you can use right away to help you pare your prose and write with greater clarity, succinctness, and power. Who knows, you may just find that your writing starts to bring you more joy as a result! 

Educational Goals: 

• Gain an understanding of concise writing; 
• Learn practical strategies for revising your own writing, with a particular emphasis on concision;
• Make connections between concision and clarity in your writing. 

Ethical Source Integration 

You know you are supposed to avoid plagiarism. And you also know that you need to use evidence in your paper to support your arguments. You just aren't entirely sure how to accomplish both things. This is the workshop for you! 

Come learn how to ethically summarize, quote, and paraphrase from your sources. Sure, this workshop will help you to avoid plagiarism, but more importantly, it will also help you to deepen your understanding of your source materials, and demonstrate that understanding in your own writing. 

Educational Goals: 

• Gain an understanding of ways to effectively and ethically use source-materials in academic writing;
• Learn strategies to clearly attribute materials that you are quoting or paraphrasing;
• Gain insight into options for integrating source materials within paragraphs;
• Be able to find resources for using a range of citation styles. 

Hot Tips for Revising

Congratulations--you've drafted your paper! What's next? This workshop overviews a technique of revising higher-order concerns, then looking at the finer details of your piece. You'll also learn more about common errors that can trip up even strong writers. 

Educational Goals: 

• Distinguish between Higher and Lower Order writing concerns;

• Learn revision strategies that help you focus on higher order concerns first;

• Gain insight into common types of writing errors and learn to spot them in your own writing. 

Inclusive and Antiracist Writing 

This session is intended to introduce the principles of inclusive and antiracist writing shared in the SLC's suite of writing guides on the same topic. The session is interactive and designed to engage participants in thinking and discussion about the complexities of inclusive and antiracist writing and thinking. 

Educational Goals:

• Reflect on our own lived experiences and previous knowledge and how these impact us as thinkers and writers;
• Consider the ways that written texts impact different audiences in different ways;
• Sensitize ourselves to the ways that language and writing can create harm, even when harm is not intended;
• Critically engage with sample texts and case studies and discuss options for revision and the ways that those options will be received by different audiences of readers;
• Feel curious and empowered to learn more about strategies for inclusivity in research and writing. 

Multimodal Writing 

This session will introduce you to a number of different writing modes including blogging, podcasting, and webcasting. We will focus on the principles that are unique to writing for each of these modalities, as well as on the aspects of writing that apply across the board. 

Educational Goals: 

• Gain an understanding of the writing principles and practices behind different modes of communication;
• Appreciate that writing skills can support and improve any form of communication, even ones that are primarily aural or visual;
• Learn best practices for a number of different writing modalities. 

Structuring Ideas Through Grammar

Improve your writing by learning how different grammatical choices can help you present and develop your ideas. Students are encouraged to bring copy of a paper they are currently working on to apply the techniques to their own writing.

Cross-listed with English as Additional Langauge workshop offerings. 

Welcome to Writing @ University!

This workshop offers you a chance to get a head start on what's expected for successful academic writing. Learn about resources to plan your assignment, create sound arguments, organize your ideas, edit your own writing more effectively--and find more help when you need it.

Educational Goals: 

• Gain an understanding of the expectations for successful academic writing;
• Learn about the process of writing from planning, through argument development, organization and drafting, all the way to self-editing;
• Be encouraged to establish good writing habits;
• Be introduced to additional resources to support you in your writing at university. 

Writing a Research Paper 

So, you have to write a research paper. This session will introduce you to steps to help you effectively organize and communicate the research you have conducted. It will also introduce tips for writing a clear thesis for a research-based paper. 

• Gain an understanding of the writing process for effectively communicating research;

• Learn tips for structuring a clear research paper;

• Learn to write a clear and argumentative thesis statement, based in research. 

Writing Without Procrastination 

This session takes a time management approach to the writing process. It is intended to help you break your writing up into steps and get started. It will also introduce useful writing tools such as the assignment calculator and the Pomodoro Technique. 

Educational Goals: 

• Gain an understanding of the connection between time management and effective writing;
• Learn about writing as a process, including the steps that writing can effectively be broken down into:
• Be encouraged to get started on your writing, even when you only have small chunks of time;
• Be introduced to time management tools for writing.