ClearWriter selected by American University's School of Communications for the second straight year

Fall 2003
Washington, D.C. -- ClearWriter's system of web-based training, tools, and resources has been selected as required course material for the second straight year by the School of Communications at American University. ClearWriter's library of 25 courses (about 15 hours of instruction) teaches concrete and practical techniques for planning reports and papers, organizing paragraphs, structuring sentences, and editing for clarity and impact. ClearWriter's tools give instant tips, help structure writing logically, and assist in editing at the click of a mouse. They also reinforce the skills taught in ClearWriter's courses.

Grammar and good writing have always been essential parts of Writing for Mass Communication, a required course for School of Communications students. The course provides a foundation in effective writing skills for print and broadcast journalism, public relations, and public service. Many students taking the course did not write well when they started, though they had taken college writing courses in preparation. So before ClearWriter was adopted for the course, faculty were spending too much time teaching basic writing skills and reviewing basic grammar and sentence structure, leaving them less time to teach writing.

To help students improve their writing skills, the school selected ClearWriter as a resource, using it as a required "text." During the 2002-03 academic year, about 450 students used ClearWriter—their test scores improving dramatically as ClearWriter's online content was integrated with classroom work.

A case study detailing the ClearWriter program at American University is available at http://www.clearwriter.com/casestudy.htm.