For the heterogeneous class, a self-paced writing course is most effective, as it prevents more able or better-prepared students from becoming bored and slower students from becoming frustrated, and it provides the instructor with additional time to spend on enrichment for some students and extra help for others. A self-paced course which has proved successful at Georgia Institute of Technology consists of a sequence of seven units--the thesis, the pattern of an essay, the development of an argument, writing to a reader, evidence to support a thesis, the use of repetition, and building a conclusion. These units, focused on the reader's needs, contain a description of the concept being taught, explanations of its necessity and its relationship to previous units, an example of the concept properly applied, and a self-test. In addition to completing the self-paced units, each student writes four essays of gradually increasing length, outside of class and upon completion of specific units. Grades on these essays form the basis for the course guide. (JM)