Writing and Editing: Revising (Coursera)

Writing and Editing: Revising (Coursera)

This fourth and final course in the “Good with Words: Writing and Editing” series will help you master perhaps the most important step in the writing process: revising. You’ll learn about the difference between editing and proofreading. You’ll practice “un-numbing the numbers” so that data and statistics you use are clear and compelling. And you’ll be introduced to a framework for giving and receiving feedback that helpfully systematizes what should be cut and what should be kept from each draft.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

As with the other three courses in this series, you will also get access to a wide range of books and other resources you can use even after you finish the course. These include:
—the readings and exercises provided to the students who have taken the in-person version of this course at the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago
—two digital libraries of excellent writing from a diverse collection of journalists, scientists, novelists, poets, historians, and entrepreneurs.
—a monthly “Good Sentences” email
Course 4 of 4 in the Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization.
What You Will Learn

  • Learn how to become a better reader of your own writing
  • Apply the E-D-I-T framework
  • Identify uselessly accurate information
  • Create multiple ways to communicate the same data

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Editing and Empathy
This week, we will focus on becoming better readers of our own writing.

WEEK 2
Uselessly Accurate
This week, we will focus on eliminating uselessly accurate information.

WEEK 3
Writer→Reader
This week, we will focus on how to better communicate statistics.

WEEK 4
Feedback Loops
This week, we will focus on improving the reading inputs that affect our writing output.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Exploring Emerging Technologies for Lifelong Learning and Success (Coursera) Coursera
University at Buffalo,The State University of New York

Exploring Emerging Technologies for Lifelong Learning and Success (Coursera)

This learning opportunity is an open-access resource for lifelong learning. The aim is to identify the value and implications of using established and emerging technology tools for personal and professional growth and acquire strategies to develop lifelong learning habits to keep pace with technology change.

Jun 29th 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Science of Training Young Athletes (Coursera) Coursera
University of Florida

The Science of Training Young Athletes (Coursera)

Seventy percent of kids drop out of sports before their high school graduation. Only 15% leave because they feel they are not good enough. Almost 70% leave because they were not having fun, or due to problems with the coach. Injuries cause 30% to give up sports. This course is packed full of practical sports science information that provide youth coaches and parents with the practical pediatric sports science insights to successfully retain young athletes and develop their sport potential while avoiding injury and overtraining.

Jun 29th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Transmedia Writing (Coursera) Coursera
Michigan State University

Transmedia Writing (Coursera)

Do you have a desire to write a novel, write a screenplay, design a video game? In this project-centered course you will develop your own, original, intellectual property (IP) into a transmedia project containing written versions of your IP on various platforms. You will begin your novel, adapt the first chapters of your novel into the opening scenes of a film or TV show and create a game design concept of your IP.

Jun 29th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order (Coursera)

This course will teach you how to use your written words to become more persuasive. You’ll learn creative ways to use syntax, effective techniques for telling stories, and a clever method for arranging a complex series of information. You’ll also get a chance to both professionalize your use of punctuation and add a bit of style and sophistication to how you craft everything from sentences to slogans.

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization (Coursera)

This second course in the Good with Words: Writing and Editing series will help you become an effective architect of information, both with your sentences and with your paragraphs. You’ll learn that the traditional advice to “Show, don’t tell” is incomplete and that skilled writers actually switch back and forth between showing and telling.

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Better Business Writing in English (Coursera) Coursera
Georgia Institute of Technology

Better Business Writing in English (Coursera)

Do you need to write more easily and effectively in English? This course will provide the tools to help you do just that. You will develop your personal voice in your writing. You will develop strategies to plan and produce clear, understandable text. You will learn and practice specific writing skills to use in different types of business communications including cover letters, mission and vision statements, proposals , instructions and reports. You will organize, design and write clear text for Power Point Productions. Writing skills include how to choose correct noun and noun modifiers; how to choose correct verb forms and tenses; how to write a variety of clauses and sentences.

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Entrepreneurship Strategy: From Ideation to Exit (Coursera) Coursera
HEC Paris

Entrepreneurship Strategy: From Ideation to Exit (Coursera)

This course covers in the chronological order each defining step of an entrepreneurial project. It begins with very personal considerations related to getting to better know yourself better so as to decide if you are ready for the multiple challenges of entrepreneurship. It then deals with creativity in order to provide the right set of tools to find an idea with the right potential to disrupt an existing business.

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Forecasting Skills: See the Future Before it Happens (Coursera) Coursera
Institute for the Future

Forecasting Skills: See the Future Before it Happens (Coursera)

For many people, the future comes as a surprise – or even a shock. But with strong forecasting skills, YOU can avoid future shock. You can adapt faster, and become better prepared to benefit from change. In this course, you’ll build your future forecasting skills. You'll learn how to turn groups of "signals" (clues about the future) and "drivers" (global forces that influence the direction of change) into compelling future forecasts. Forecasts help you discover new possibilities and opportunities for yourself, your company, or any community you want to inspire to make a better future.

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Questionnaire Design for Social Surveys (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Questionnaire Design for Social Surveys (Coursera)

This course will cover the basic elements of designing and evaluating questionnaires. We will review the process of responding to questions, challenges and options for asking questions about behavioral frequencies, practical techniques for evaluating questions, mode specific questionnaire characteristics, and review methods of standardized and conversational interviewing.

Jun 29th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Learning How To Learn for Youth (Coursera) Coursera
Arizona State University

Learning How To Learn for Youth (Coursera)

Based on the most popular open online course in the world, this course gives you easy access to the learning techniques used by experts in art, music, literature, math, science, sports, and many other disciplines. No matter what your current skill level, using these approaches can help you master new topics, change your thinking and improve your life.

Jul 3rd 2026
3 Weeks