For this assignment, I was required to conduct research on how I have developed as a writer, using my writing as additional evidence. My writing was guided by two key questions: how well had I met the course learning objectives, and how had my perspectives of writing changed throughout the semester? This essay gave me the opportunity to demonstrate how I had grown as a writer during the semester. I reflected on my experiences and growth, highlighting my accomplishments. I also assessed how well I had accomplished the course’s learning objectives by analyzing them, and I talked about how my perspective on writing had changed.
Throughout this course, I have had the chance to hone my writing abilities and broaden my comprehension of different writing ideas. The learning objectives for the course have been quite helpful in directing me on my path. In this essay, I will go through how I met the course’s learning objectives and how they helped me develop as a better writer. I will give a thorough examination of how my writing has evolved over the course of the semester by looking back on my progress and discussing how this course has helped me prepare for my future academic goals.
In the lab report analysis, I had to look for and evaluate lab reports related to their area of research. By analyzing these reports, I was exposed to various types of writing styles, vocabulary, and language standards utilized in their field. Due to this exposure, I was better able to appreciate the precise terminology and rhetorical strategies used by scientists and researchers in their respective fields. Additionally, I had to annotate and analyze the reports for this assignment, which improved my reading comprehension and helped me recognize and evaluate persuasive language and argumentation. In order to write the technical description, I had to pick a straightforward technological item, break it down into its component parts, and then thoroughly describe each part and subpart. As a result, I had to employ vocabulary and terminology unique to the product I selected, which improved my technical writing abilities. Furthermore, I had to incorporate graphics and photographs and correctly acknowledge them, which helped me enhance my visual communication skills. Finally, the technical description can be viewed as a persuasive text that seeks to persuade the reader of the item’s value and effectiveness, which assisted me in developing my ability to write persuasively. My group and I were tasked in the engineering proposal to identify a void or a need for a specific engineering innovation and to present a design and production plan for it. In doing so, we were able to persuade the audience of the viability and effectiveness of our idea by using technical terminologies and persuasive language. Through this task, we were able to improve our capacity for argumentative writing and the appropriate use of vocabulary. Additionally, the oral presentation component forced us to employ visual aids to support our arguments, such as graphs, charts, and photographs, which enhanced our visual communication abilities. The presentation component also gave us the chance to improve our public speaking skills and practice answering questions and challenges from our peers, which improved our capacity for critical thinking and problem-solving.
This course also helped me improve my strategies for reading, drafting, revising, editing, and self-assessment by giving me opportunity to practice these abilities in a variety of settings. In the lab report analysis project, I read and analyzed two lab reports and annotated them. This needed attentive reading and critical thinking abilities to identify the important components of the reports and examine how they are structured and presented. Additionally, I had to proofread and edit my own writing to make sure it adhered to APA formatting guidelines. As part of the Technical Description project, I read and researched about a technological item, separated it into its components, and provided a thorough description of each part. This necessitated careful study and attention to detail in order to accurately characterize the item’s parts and subparts. I also had to proofread and edit my own writing to make sure it was concise, clear, and correctly cited. In the engineering proposal assignment, my group had to draft and revise a proposal for a new engineering innovation. This needed thoughtful analysis of both the technical specifics of the suggested solution and the issue the innovation will address. In order to make our writing persuasive and well-supported, we also needed to revise and edit it.
This course also required me to negotiate my writing goals and audience expectations in different ways. For the Engineering Proposal project, I had to work with others to develop and present an engineering innovation. I took into account the objectives of my group, which may be to convince possible investors or stakeholders to support the innovation. This prompted me to carefully analyze proposal writing practices, such as the use of persuasion and visual aids to support my point.
Additionally, this course required some level of group work and participation in the writing process. For example, the engineering proposal required me to collaborate with others to identify a need or void in the sector, then create and offer a creative solution to fill that need. In order to effectively communicate our group’s ideas to an audience, we needed to work together to investigate and analyze existing engineering solutions, generate new ideas through brainstorming, and finally construct a coherent proposal. Even the technical description project, which might seem more individualistic at first, required teamwork because I had to find and speak with my father, a watch collector and a specialist on the technological item I chose, to ensure accuracy and thoroughness of my description.
In order to investigate effective writing across disciplinary contexts and beyond, this course required me to engage in genre analysis and multimodal composition. For example, as part of the lab report analysis project, I gathered and analyzed lab reports from their particular field and examined their eight components. Therefore, I used genre analysis to learn about the particular norms and standards that apply to lab reports in their field. Annotation was a component of the project as well, which is a multimodal composing technique that enabled me to interact visually with the text. Furthermore, I had to compare and contrast the lab reports, which necessitated that I comprehend how different academic contexts affect writing norms. Similarly, for the Technical Description assignment, I took a small technological item and explained it in detail, including splitting it into components and utilizing photographs. By doing so, I engaged in multimodal composing to effectively communicate information about the item. I also engaged in genre analysis to understand the conventions and expectations of technical descriptions, which can vary depending on the intended audience and purpose. In the Engineering Proposal project, my group worked together to propose an innovative engineering breakthrough. This required conducting a genre analysis to comprehend the conventions of engineering proposals as well as taking the target audience and goal into account. To properly express our concept, we also had to put together a presentation with graphs, charts, and images, which utilized multimodal composition.
This course pushed me to write a position statement and express it. In the Lab Report Analysis, I had to examine and annotate two lab reports, as well as address each of their eight elements. To accomplish this, I adopted a critical position and voiced my own ideas regarding the lab reports. In the Engineering Proposal, my group identified a need for a specific engineering innovation, and conceived and proposed its design and production. To accomplish this, we developed and defined a clear position on an issue and how our proposed solution will address it.
For the lab report analysis, technical description, and engineering proposal tasks, I needed to use the CCNY library database and the internet. These tasks gave me the opportunity to experience using various library resources and search engines to obtain relevant content for my projects. This aided in the development of my research skills as well as my ability to navigate numerous databases and search engines. All these abilities are transferable and can be applied to future academic and professional writing projects. Using the CCNY library database, I found two lab reports for the lab report analysis assignment. I had to search for credible sources and evaluate their relevance to the project. This activity helped me become more familiar with the process of searching for and obtaining academic publications from the library’s electronic database. I used the APA style for all assignments, properly integrating and citing my sources. This helped me to better grasp citation and referencing, as well as to assure that I would not plagiarize and would give due credit to the writers of the sources I used. Use of photos and proper labeling of them also helped me to better grasp how to successfully cite and include visual sources in my work.
Over the course of a semester, I have generally changed how I understand writing. I initially thought of writing as a task to complete for a grade or as a means of information transfer. As the semester went on, I began to see writing as a necessary process in our daily lives, and a tool to communicate with others effectively and meaningfully. I also learned how important it is to keep in mind your audience and the rhetorical situation when writing, as well as the norms of various genres. Overall, I began to view writing less as a chore and more as a useful and important tool for communication.
Being able to meet the course’s learning goals has been a rewarding experience that has improved my writing. I’ve learned how to apply a variety of writing styles, participate in effective collaborative writing, analyze diverse genres, and use sources wisely through numerous projects and assignments. These abilities will unquestionably be helpful as I advance in my academic and professional careers. I’m appreciative of the chance to improve my writing, and I am eager to use what I’ve learned in the future.
