Frequently asked questions

Learn more about our online self-paced business writing courses.

View a breakdown of our instructor feedback:

 

How do I access the course?

All you need is a computer with internet access. The course is hosted on our end, so you simply log in to our course site with your assigned username and password. 

There are no software downloads or plugins required. We’ve delivered online courses to scientists conducting research on ships at sea! You’ll have no trouble accessing the course, but technical support is available to assist if you have any questions.

What is the time frame?

The official time frame for the course is two months of access, which is far more time than you will need. Client Care will check in with you periodically, and extend course access if you need, with no charge, for one more month. Courses cannot be open indefinitely.

You may start the course at any time. And, you may log in and out of the course as often as you wish, following your preferred schedule.

How long does it take to complete the course?

One advantage of an online self-paced course is that you can skim the materials you know and delve deeply into your challenge areas, therefore individual completion time varies widely. The best way to envision course scope might be to compare it to an onsite class. If we were to deliver the same content to you in a classroom, we would need one full day of training and a half-day of individual coaching to get through all of the content.

Online training will always be less total time than onsite. The average time on task to complete an online course across all participants is approximately seven hours, but it varies widely.

You may complete the course at your preferred speed and schedule.

How does the instructor feedback work?

You will submit several writing exercises during your course, which are based on scenarios. (For example, we will ask you to write an email based on a specific scenario we created.) Your instructor will provide extremely detailed, individualized feedback on your writing. This may include links to additional resources, examples, and clarification. You will understand what you are doing well, and what areas of opportunity to focus upon.

Our instructor feedback is based on scenarios, not documents you’ve written previously because you are receiving a holistic evaluation of your business writing, not mere editing or verification of writing exercises.

Scenarios allow us to evaluate how well you target your audience, match content to the audience, categorize and sequence information, as well as review your language, style, and grammar. A true review of your business writing should include all requisite elements.

A college writing professor founded our company, and the best writing pedagogy shapes all our work to this day. All instructors have college-level teaching and tutoring experience, in addition to business writing experience, so you will receive high-level, expert feedback.

Any time you have a question, you may reach out to your instructor for clarification.

See our page with FAQ about just instructor feedback

Is the feedback specific to my challenges and position?

Feedback is very specific for you. The first lesson in the course asks you to submit your course goals, and tell us about the writing requirements for your position and your current challenges.

Your instructor will review your course goals very carefully, and provide any additional resources relevant for you. For example, if you write reports regularly for work, we would provide a key resource that is very helpful for planning. If you tell us you are overloaded with email, your instructor will provide a strategy document to manage the volume.

Feedback is very individualized and provides specific instructions to enhance your writing immediately.

What is the timeframe for receiving feedback?

While all other aspects of the course are available to you online 24/7, feedback is provided by your assigned instructor who follows standard business hours in ET. We try very hard to return all exercises within one business day from when we receive them, but you will always receive feedback within 48 business hours. 

How do I submit an exercise?

You simply upload your document into the course. Your instructor will be instantly notified that you have submitted an assignment. When your instructor submits his or her feedback on your writing, you will receive an email notification, and the document will be posted in your course.

Will I receive a certificate attesting that I completed the course?

Yes, you will be able to print out a certificate of completion at the very last lesson of the course, once you have completed all lessons and activities.

We are happy to discuss or verify your training with your company management if you wish.

Do you have a refund policy?

Yes. All individual courses come with a refund policy. You can read the entire policy here

Can I contact someone during the course if I need help?

Yes! In your course access information, you will receive the full contact information for our office and your instructor. You can call or email us at any time. We'll get back to you within 24 hours. 

 

If you have any other questions, please contact us. We’re here to help.