Past workshops
Writing style for academic writers: Saying what you want to, well
In this four-day online group workshop, 11 participants in the History and Theatre Arts faculties at LMU learned how to write academic texts that expressed their meaning clearly in English, their non-native language.
From learning to identify what makes academic writing "heavy" and difficult to read, to principles to apply when revising their own texts, this workshop left participants with a firm foundation for getting their articles published in their target journal.
As one participant wrote in the feedback, "I really liked the fact that Marc identified a few key problem areas and worked on them with us using text examples. It was very clear to me which tools I could use to improve my text and what actual steps I could take to do so."
The design of this workshop reinforced learning and gave the participants the individual feedback they needed: Following the group workshop, each participant had 90 minutes of 1:1 coaching. Before each participants' coaching session, I reviewed their texts and identified problematic patterns, while during the session I gave them specific recommendations on how to strengthen their writing.
As in all my workshops with 1:1 sessions, participants found the individual coaching immensely helpful. One participant wrote in the feedback, "I found the second personal training part wonderful, as we now worked intensively on my own text for 90 minutes. Marc responded to all my questions and we focused and worked on the text passages together. I am very impressed with the final result of the revised text passages and I am very happy that I was able to take part in this seminar!"
Nearly 10 years of workshops at TH Köln
As Lead Academic Writing Instructor and Workshop Facilitator, I conducted intensive four-day outcomes-oriented workshops twice a semester, supporting professors, lecturers, and academic staff enhance their academic writing skills. Using participants' own work and other published articles as training materials, along with my developmental editing experience, I trained participants to write compelling research articles for their target journals.
Photo: Costa Belibasakis/TH Köln
Key Achievements:
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Developed and led interactive workshop sessions focused on fundamental and advanced aspects of academic writing, including constructing an argument, improving sentence clarity, structuring paragraphs and sections, integrating evidence and examples, and comprehensively revising a text.
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Created a collaborative learning environment where participants honed their skills in giving, receiving, and effectively using peer feedback to enhance their writing.
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Consistently adapted my content and teaching strategies to meet the evolving needs of academic professionals and students in a global academic context.
The workshop modules covered critical aspects of academic writing, including:
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Crafting compelling arguments and using them to write clear sentences and solid paragraphs
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Utilizing evidence to support arguments and emphasize key points
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Applying techniques to structure and restructure texts
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Learning strategies for effective self-revision
Workshop highlights
Academic Writing for University Staff: Writing and Revising Research Articles
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Tailored for university staff to refine research articles for publication (May 2022)
Academic Writing
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Annual series focusing on core writing skills for academic success (Multiple sessions from January 2020 to July 2022)
Academic Writing for Research Associates—Institute for Resources Management in the Tropics and Subtropics
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Specialized training for researchers managing resources in critical ecological zones (March 2021)
“Read the Room: Adapting Your Pitch, Argument, and Other Business Communication”
This workshop, for a diverse group of staff, professors, and students, focused on mastering the art of tailoring communications across various mediums and audiences to maximize impact and understanding.
I trained participants in how to adapt their messages for different audiences within organizations, including sales and marketing, research and development, students, and staff. We explored a range of communication mediums, from presentations and social media to emails and proposals, ensuring participants could confidently adapt their communication style to any platform.
This experience in training individuals in how to adapt their messages is relevant for my current work, helping researchers navigate the complex world of academic publishing. Whether it’s transforming a research article into a publishable piece or crafting a compelling grant proposal, I provide the necessary guidance and support to increase the chances of success, and this workshop showcased my ability to help communicate messages to diverse audiences.