Reflection On The Capella University Writing Course

I would like to take this opportunity to express my thoughts, observations, and reflections on the academic writing that was presented within the Capella University writing course. The enclosed portfolio will provide additional detail to what I have learned throughout this course, and showcase my strengths and weaknesses.

During the course, I have evolved within my writing due to the specific way this course compartmentalized each step of the writing process. For example, the first three units provided a way to analyze research on a specific topic and critique the data presented in the scholarly article. I have always felt that my research skills were good, however, the feedback received made me realize that I need to critique the studies more to be able to apply the results to my topic of interest. When researching the topic of stress management in the workplace, I used the methods of the MEAL Plan and Reverse outlining to break down the articles and to begin organizing the main points of my writing assignments. These three units of the course helped prepare me for the next two units.

For instance, within unit four, there was an outline and plan that had to be developed for the remaining assignments. I am good at planning ahead, but it is not documented in an outline format that maps out the goals. I recognized that one of my weaknesses was that I do not create a plan before I begin writing. Therefore, when I began unit five, I was more open to see how beneficial it is to freewrite. Again, this was another element that I did not include in the writing process that I developed for myself over the years. Being able to create an outline and freewrite made the remaining units of the course much easier to