The definitions assignment I completed last week was an excellent experience, as it taught me how to critically examine and thoroughly outline a definition for a term. Prior to completing this assignment, I was not really aware that there are different methods and forms available for defining a term in a “technical” manner. This skill will be very useful in the future, if I am preparing a technical report which involves complex vocabulary and jargon. For example, many contracts and legal documents contain a list of definitions for certain words/terms in order to reduce ambiguity.
I really appreciated having an opportunity to peer review Claire’s work. The peer review process is helpful not just for the purpose of improving our own work, but also for giving us a chance to read through someone else’s work to learn what unique ideas they have. One aspect of Claire’s work which I appreciated was the how the definitions were articulated in a tone which was easy to follow while reading. Despite the complex nature of the term Claire was defining, I felt like the definitions she provided provided the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
The feedback which Claire provided was vital for improving the quality of my work and ensuring that I met all expectations for this assignment. I revised the visual and figure caption, fixed some grammar errors and added some additional elaboration for the expanded definition. As per the instructors feedback, I also reformatted the citations to the proper format (MLA) and reformatted the figure caption as well. One important lesson I learned during this process is that I should double-check assignment guidelines prior to completing my work.
One additional improvement I made to my writing was making it more concise and removing any unnecessary words. Sometimes my writing is excessively verbose, which is an issue as it can be confusing and distracting for the reader. Especially when writing a technical definition, it is important to write in a clear, direct and unambiguous manner.
Revised definition assignment: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-98a-2021sa/2021/06/09/revised-lesson-13-definitions-latent-extinction-risk/
Feedback by Claire (peer review): https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-98a-2021sa/2021/06/05/peer-review-of-definitions-assignment-for-alirod/