Papers will focus on using sources from class to help you to practice using the writing process to write effectively as well as to revise and edit your writing effectively.
In other words, writing papers helps you thoroughly go through the whole writing process and have better revision and editing skills.
If you are uncomfortable with either the technical or personal skills necessary to do well in an online environment, there are lots of resources for help.
What are some resources that you highly recommend, especially for someone that struggles to learn online?
Essays may be about literary or nonliterary texts, or they may rely upon such texts as points of departure for discussion.
What are 'points of departure'?