Frequently Asked Questions: Online Courses

What are the start dates for courses during the year?

Our upcoming classes begin on the following dates. All classes are 10-12 weeks long except as noted:

Spring Classes: March 26
Summer Classes (4 weeks long): July 9
Fall Classes: September 10
Winter Classes: early January 2013

Do I need to be online during a particular time or day in order to participate in the class? Does it matter what time zone I'm in?

For most of the class you will NOT need to be online at any particular time. Assignments for CNF classes are given on a per-week basis; participants should submit each assignment by a given deadline, but will have at least an entire week to complete the assignment. We realize that our participants live in many different areas and have different work schedules, so classes are designed to be flexible. Classes will have two live chat sessions during the 10 weeks, which do require that you be online at a particular time; however, participation in these sessions is completely optional, and we will make an effort to offer times that will accommodate most students. If you are not able to participate in the live chat you will still be able to read a transcript of it during the remaining weeks of the class.

How many hours per week will the class take?

This depends largely on your own interests and devotion to the class. We ask that all students post a comment for the class discussion at least once each week and read the lecture and assigned readings; this should take about 2 hours per week. In addition, the majority of students wish to submit all three of the major writing assignments for the class in order to receive instructor feedback, and here the time commitment is highly variable. Some students write only on the weekends, while others write or revise for a few hours each day to produce these works. Still others join the class with essays already written. Your writing time is a large part of the time commitment for the class, and it is up to each student to determine how much writing time he or she will need in order to produce three essays or chapters for critique. Other time commitments include time for optional activities such as live chats (one hour each) and Group Review critiques (approximately 3 hours, up to 3 times during the class).

Do I need any particular software or video capabilities to be able to take an online class with CNF? Does it matter if I have a Mac or a PC?

No. CNF classes are taught using Moodle, a web-based class program that does not require any software other than a web browser (such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari). It is compatible with both Mac and Windows systems. There is no video or audio component to the class; class materials will be posted on the class website or will be found on web pages that are linked to the class website. There is no video conferencing.

It is helpful to have a word processing program of some sort on which to compose your writing; if you do not have any type of word processing program currently installed on your computer you can download one here for free.

Do I need any particular computer skills to participate in the class?

The Moodle program used for CNF classes is about as easy to use as a typical email program; if you can send emails that include attachments you should have no difficulty using Moodle. In addition, a week before your class starts you will be given access to the class website so that you can familiarize yourself with the Moodle system. Instructions for using the main features of the site will be provided at that time.

If I take a CNF class, can I submit work I have already written?

Yes. Class assignments are designed so that you can submit work you have already written in fulfillment of the assignment, if you wish to receive feedback on this work. You may need to reformat or revise your work somewhat for the purposes of the class; there is also a word limit on each assignment.

Do I need to have work already written in order to take any of the classes?

No. Beginners are welcome, and beginning writers will be guided through the writing process as the class progresses.

What interaction will I have with other students in the class?

Class participants interact in three ways.

First, they discuss questions about writing and the writing life via our class discussion boards. Students can respond to these questions at any time throughout each week, and can also respond to one another’s posts.

Second, students share their work through our Group Review process. After each of the three major assignments is submitted students have the option of exchanging their writing with two or three classmates for constructive critique (students can also choose not to participate in this exercise).

Third, students can communicate in real time via live chats held twice during each ten-week session.

How many students are in each class?

Our classes have a maximum of 14 students and a minimum of 6. Class sections often fill up before registration ends; registering early ensures that you receive a space in the class of your choice.

How much work can I submit to my instructor for feedback?

In each class you can submit three assignments of up to 3,500 words each for instructor comment. With instructor permission you can split the word count unequally among these assignments (e.g. two assignments of 1,000 words each and one assignment of 8,000 words). All work must be submitted during the course in order for the student to receive instructor feedback--feedback will not be provided for late assignments submitted after the course ends.

I’m only interested in getting the instructor’s feedback on my work—do I have to participate in the online discussions or the Group Review?

While we cannot mandate that students participate in class activities, most students find that being part of an online literary community is one of the enjoyable aspects of the class. If you are more interested in working one-on-one with a professional writer, please consider our mentoring program.

What kind of feedback can I expect from my instructor?

For each of the three major assignments you will receive a detailed written critique from your instructor. In addition, some instructors assign shorter weekly exercises for which they provide a brief response. Instructors choose weekly readings and post their own written lectures. Finally, students are always welcome to email the instructor at any point during the ten-week course with additional questions.

I'm going to be away for part of the time that the class is in session--does this mean I shouldn't take the class?

If you will only miss one or two weeks of class, this does not pose a problem; you can plan ahead and submit the assignments for those weeks before you leave (or, if you choose, omit them). You should let your instructor know at the beginning of the class which weeks you will miss. If you think that you will have to miss more than two weeks of class (meaning that there will be more than two weeks when you will not have email access), it is probably best to wait for another session.

Will the work I write in these classes be published in Creative Nonfiction?

Writing that is submitted to your instructor during a Creative Nonfiction class CANNOT be published in Creative Nonfiction, regardless of quality, because it represents a conflict of interest for us. Students are still welcome to submit to the magazine any of their writing that has NOT been read and commented on by Creative Nonfiction online instructors.

Do you offer any scholarships or discounts?

Unfortunately, we do not offer scholarships at this time. We currently offer two discounts: a $50 early registration discount, in effect until three weeks prior to the beginning of class, and a “refer-a-friend” discount. When a student joins the class with a friend both parties receive a $25 dollar discount (this is in addition to the early registration discount). Each student in the pair should note that he/she wants to receive this discount in the “notes” section of the checkout page when purchasing a class.

What is your refund policy?

Once you have registered, you can withdraw from your course until 5 pm Eastern Standard Time on the Friday before classes start and receive a refund, minus a non-refundable $50 application fee. After this deadline and until 5 pm Eastern Standard Time on Friday of the first week of classes, you can ask to be removed from the course and transfer your course credit to a future course. However, you will still forfeit the $50 application fee, as well as a pro-rated fee for the first week of class equivalent to 10% of your original registration fee. Furthermore, the course credit must be applied to one of the next two 10-week sessions.

For the upcoming fall term the deadlines are as follows:

Refund deadline: 5 pm EST on Friday, July 6th ($50 application fee applies)

Transfer deadline: 5 pm EST on Friday, July 13th ($50 application fee and 10% course fee applies). Transfer credits must be applied to either the Fall term (starting September 10, 2012) or the Winter term (starting early January 2013).

More questions? Please direct them to the online course coordinator, Anjali Sachdeva at sachdeva[at]creativenonfiction.org.