Highlights

This is a collection of my best work throughout the term. I wrote many different documents ranging from definitions, resumes, letters and many other useful forms that can be used in the workplace.

 

Revised Definition Assignment

The Situation
A Computer Science student is explaining the concept of Machine Learning to a non-technical audience. Although the audience is composed of fellow university students, they may not have the technical knowledge about this concept. The students are assumed to have basic computer literacy.

Parenthetical Definition
Machine Learning (mathematical models that use sample data) is a tool that allows computers to make new predictions about unseen data.

Sentence Definition
Machine Learning is a type of technology that aims to mimic human cognition by using past data to make models that can form independent conclusions. These models can help to solve problems for unseen data and can be seen to have multiple real-world applications.

Expanded Definition

What makes it different from Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the study of giving intelligent machines the ability to mimic human cognition and problem solving (IBM Cloud Computing, 2020). AI encompasses many different subfields that make connections between the structure of the brain and computers. Ultimately, these connections are used to give computers the ability to learn information. Machine learning is just another subset of AI that is more focused on the development of mathematical models from data to make predictions and conclusions.

Can Machine Learning be Truly Independent?
Although it may seem like these models are self sufficient, human intervention is required for instances when drastic deviations occur. For example, when the pandemic first began, many of the top suggestions for Amazon’s website changed to toilet paper and wet wipes (Vishnoi, 2020). There are instances where machine learning could be biased toward certain ethnicities, or display the wrong results. Close supervision by researchers is necessary for properly functioning models.

 

Figure 1. What’s the Difference Between Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning? (Source: Copeland, M “The Official NVIDIA Blog” 2016).

When did Machine Learning begin?

In its earliest years, a scientist from IBM was experimenting with a program that could play checkers against humans (IBM Cloud Education, 2020). He modeled the way that these programs learned after humans, and coined the term “Machine Learning”. Fast forward several decades later, and this technology is seen in everyday use. As the world becomes more reliant on the analysis of data, Machine Learning can help in decision making for several different industries.

How does it work?
At its core, Machine Learning is heavily dependent on data. Computer scientists wanted to transition from explicitly instructing computers, to giving them the ability to learn from past experience and solve complex problems (Bisong, 2019). In order to make these decisions, the computer takes in “training” data (numbers, photos, faces, etc) and then it creates a predictive model. It is then evaluated by giving it some “unseen” data, and then producing results (Brown, 2021). These results are then further evaluated and the model can be tweaked further.

Figure 2. 6 Jars perspective of Machine Learning. (Source: Ramalingam, V “Medium” 2019)

What is it used for?
Machine Learning has several real-world uses (IBM Cloud Education, 2020). One use is for image recognition in a wide variety of settings from hospital clinics, tagging friends on social media, to recognizing handwriting. It is also used in speech recognition to translate speech to a text. Recommendation engines use Machine Learning to curate your Amazon shopping lists, suggest YouTube videos, and arrange your Instagram feed, among many other things.

References
Bisong, E. (2019). What is machine learning? In E. Bisong (Ed.), Building Machine Learning and Deep Learning Models on Google Cloud Platform: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners (pp. 169–170). Apress. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-4470-8_13

Brown, S. (2021, April 21). Machine learning, explained. MIT Sloan. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/machine-learning-explained
Copeland, M. (2016, July 29). The difference between ai, machine learning, and deep learning?: Nvidia blog. The Official NVIDIA Blog. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2016/07/29/whats-difference-artificial-intelligence-machine-learning-deep-learning-ai/.

IBM Cloud Education. (2020, July 15). Machine Learning. IBM. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://www.ibm.com/cloud/learn/machine-learning#toc-real-world-Lyja9GSr.

IBM Cloud Education. (2020, June 3). What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://www.ibm.com/cloud/learn/what-is-artificial-intelligence

Ramalingam, V. (2019, February 10). 6 Jars perspective of Machine learning – venkatachalam ramalingam. Medium. https://medium.com/@venkatachalamramalingam/6-jars-perspective-of-machine-learning-35ace2c9442f

Vishnoi, L., 2021. Why Do AI Systems Need Human Intervention to Work Well? – KDnuggets. [online] KDnuggets. Retrieved October 8th 2021. https://www.kdnuggets.com/2020/06/ai-systems-need-human-intervention.htm.

 

Revised Peer Review of the Definition Assignment

 

To: Catherine Yu, Student ENGL301 Technical Writing UBC

From: Dave Borrel, Student ENGL301 Technical Writing UBC

Date: October 5th 2021

Subject: Review of Your Assignment: 1.3 Definition of Immune Imprinting.

Definition under review: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99a-2021wa/2021/09/30/definition-of-immune-imprinting/

Thank you for sharing your definition of Immune Imprinting. This is an interesting topic that many other students in the class will enjoy reading more about. Below contains my thoughts while reading your definitions along with suggestions for improvement. 

Initial Impressions: This definition meets all the requirements listed in the assignment. The expanded definition was detailed and became most clear once the comparison and contrast was used. The examples mentioned help to show how immune imprinting is studied in the real world for pandemic response.

Situation and Jargon: The purpose of the assignment is well written and succinct. Although the situation assumes that the student has a background in immunology, it may be worth directing the content to a more non-technical audience. Terms like “antigenically-similar” and “hemagglutination” could be accompanied with a short description.

Definitions: The sentence definition was only clear after a few re-reads, perhaps reducing the number of times “immune” is mentioned in the introductory paragraph may increase clarity. The parenthetical definition is well done, and could potentially be used as a guide to make the sentence definition more clear.

Expansion Strategies Used: The Etymolygy of the term was helpful to see how the words related to the phenomenon itself. Learning about the history of immune imprinting highlights the progress made in this field. The comparison and contrast section used lay language to help paint a clear picture of what immune imprinting means. This section is very strong and clearly illustrates how this process works. The examples help to further convince the reader that this is an important term to know about. Overall, these strategies are laid out in a clear and concise manner, meeting the requirements for the assignment.

Visuals: The diagram included at the end of the document clearly demonstrated the body’s immune response to viruses. One suggestion would be to make the image slightly larger, or make the graph larger to make the x and y axis more clear.

Language: The document is well written, along with varied sentence structure. There are little to no technical errors that I could find.

Strengths: The most effective portion of this document was the comparison and contrast, and the real life applications of where this concept can be used, namely vaccine research. The connection that “immune imprinting” has with the ongoing pandemic points to the importance of this topic and keeps it engaging. As a reader, I came away with a better understanding of immune imprinting and how it can be used to advance Medical Science.

Suggestions for Improvement: One element I suggest making a change to, is the assumed level of technical knowledge that the reader has. Although a new co-op student may not have the same technical knowledge as the clinician, this student could still fall under a technical audience. There may be some room to make the document even more readable for a non-technical audience outside the field of immunology. As I mentioned above, a few minor changes to the sentence definition and reducing the use of jargon would be helpful to increase clarity as well. 

 

It was a pleasure to read through your document, and I hope my suggestions are useful as you continue to work on this project. Please let me know if you have any other questions about my review.

 

Revised Formal Report Proposal and Progress Report with Surveys

 

 

Revised LinkedIn Best Practices Memo

 

MEMORANDUM 

To: Dr. Erika Paterson, Instructor ENGL 301 Technical Writing 

From: Dave Borrel, Student ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC

Date: October 29th, 2021

Subject: 301 Progress Report : Centralized Mental Health Support Service in Surrey BC.

Please find the updated progress report below for the formal research proposal. Attached to this memo is a link to the survey questions along with the copy of interview questions.

Intended Audience For Report

Dr. Victoria Lee, President and CEO of the Fraser Health Authority. Dr. Lee is a member of the Senior Executive Team and will work with the Board of Directors to review the findings of this report further.

Purpose and Significance of the Report

The aim of this report is to evaluate the perceived interest in developing a centralized mental health support service for young adults aged 20 to 30 living in Surrey, BC. This investigation of the perceived interest in a centralized service could be the first step towards a more centralized mental health support service in BC. This report can also provide insight for ways to integrate technology with healthcare.

Formal Report Outline

Attached is a link to the outline for the formal report: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99a-2021wa/2021/10/29/23-formal-report-outline/

Research Plan

To fully evaluate the interest in a centralized mental health service within Surrey, the research process will involve:

• Review the existing structure of mental health services within Surrey
  • Identify systemic issues that lead to fragmentation of mental health services.
• Identify the primary research methods
  • Compose online surveys according to ethical survey standards listed on the Instructors Blog.
  • Compose interview questions for the counsellor according to ethical interview guidelines.
  • Conduct interview / survey with a registered clinical counsellor working in Surrey.
• Conduct secondary research
  • Review reports made by Fraser Health, and Statistics Canada for further insight into this issue.
  • Review similar services that have shown success in different Canadian cities.
  • Review cost-effective suggestions that can fit the existing budget within Fraser Health.

Methods

Primary data collection will be done using an online survey targeted towards young adults aged 20 to 30 living in Surrey BC. Attached is the link to the survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9vODq4ekTDdYU9U 

Secondary data sources will be done using literature review and looking at reports from the Fraser Health Authority.

Writing Schedule

Below is the outline for my writing schedule for upcoming weeks.

October 29th: Submission of formal report outline and progress report memo.

November 2nd: Conduct primary research through surveys (Assuming survey is approved by then).

November 3rd: Revised report proposal.

November 10th: Initial draft of report.

November 13th: Format page setup (title page, appendix, and works cited list) of formal report.

November 14th: Prepare at least 3 visuals for the report.

November 16th: Submission of formal report draft.

November 19th: Peer review of formal report draft.

November 21st: Incorporate peer comments into the formal report draft.

November 26th : Submission of formal report posted on team forum.

Thank you for taking the time to evaluate the progress of this research report. If there are any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

 

Revised Memo to Evan Crisp

 

MEMORANDUM

 

To: Evan Crisp, Prospective Student ENGL 301 Technical Writing 

From: Dave Borrel, Student ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC

Date: November 8th, 2021

Subject: The Best Practices for Writing with a You Attitude.

 

Hi Evan,

Thank you for reaching out. Here is a list of some best practices when corresponding with Professor Lambert of ENGL 301. These practices are based on the YOU Attitude which can make the professor of the course feel valued. Applying these tips can help to increase your chances of receiving a reply from the instructor.

• Providing a complete subject line, date, salutation and opening paragraph helps the professor identify the writer of the email along with context about the request.
• Starting the email with words other than “I” or “We” helps demonstrate to the instructor that their time is valuable and they are understood.
• Highlighting how the professor can benefit from reading the document or providing clear steps toward enrollment, can help encourage them to do what is requested.
• To protect the ego of the professor, avoiding the word “you” and using impersonal expressions helps to avoid assigning blame. Addressing the university course registration system rather than the professor helps to shift blame away from them.
• Empathizing with the professor can help humanize future emails. For example, acknowledging the time they take out of their day, and providing enough flexibility to reply back can go a long way.
• Refraining from using the pronoun “you” and imperative verbs helps to avoid condescending the reader, and helps to provide information.
• Expressing appreciation for the reader in the conclusion helps to tie ideas together and give the impression to the professor that they are acting honestly.
• Proofreading for grammar, references to emotions, and acronyms helps demonstrate courtesy toward the reader that the document is well written and for their benefit.

I hope that you find these professional writing tips useful and that you may be successful in future correspondence with the course instructor. If you have any questions about these tips, please contact me at dborrel@student.ubc.ca.

 

Revised Complaint Letter and Response Letter

 

Letter #1 – Complaint Letter

Dave Borrel

1022 Davie St

Vancouver, BC V6E 1M3

 

November 11th, 2021

 

Craig Johnson, Owner

Baselines Pub

8233 166 St, Surrey, BC

V4N 5R8

 

Attention: Baselines Pub Customer Service

Subject: Poor Dinner Service at Surrey Location

 

 

Dear Mr. Johnson,

I am this email due to the poor service that I received while dining at the Baselines Pub in the Surrey location.

My friends and I went to your establishment on November 8th, 2021 and were seated at our usual spot. It was a busy night and we could see that the servers were visibly stressed out. I ordered my food at the same time as my friends and we were quite patient. After about an hour only half of our table received their orders. No attempts from the servers to check in on our table after half the food was delivered. The reason that I am writing to you is that we are regular customers and it was disappointing to have this type of service.

When we first approached the waitress, it seemed that she may have completely forgotten about our table as she had to write down our order again. Once the waitress arrived, it was almost time for our group to leave for a different event. We were hoping to get offered free food in exchange for our wait time of nearly an hour. However, she apologized and asked us if we could wait a few minutes to get the order of food under way. 

Another waitress who is more senior to her came to our table and offered free drinks for those who were left out. We accepted and stayed for a few minutes, giving us enough time to finish our drinks. However, for those in our party who paid the entire bill and tipped left with a poor impression of the location. As regular customers, we are disappointed, but hope to find some way to be compensated for our experience a few nights ago. We have attached the receipt of the friends who paid full price including the tip.

Please let me know how we can follow up during our next visit.

 

Sincerely,

Dave Borrel

Enclosure: Dinner Service Receipt,

 

Letter #2 – Bad News Adjustment Letter

Craig Johnson, Owner

Baselines Pub

8233 166 St, Surrey, BC

V4N 5R8

 

November 12th, 2021

 

Dave Borrel

1022 Davie St

Vancouver, BC V6E 1M3

 

 

Dear Mr. Borrel,

Your dining experience with Baselines Pub is important to us and we apologize for the disappointing time that you had. As compensation you will receive three vouchers, each including a free drink and meal.

Your continued support to our Pub is invaluable and we hope that this voucher can be acceptable moving forward . Beyond the vouchers, we will speak with our service team to ensure that new policies are met to avoid a future instance of this happening again. Attached are the three vouchers and you may print these out and use them the next time you are at Baselines Pub. There is no expiry date on these, but please be sure to provide this voucher to the waitress upon ordering.

Thank you for choosing to eat with Baselines Pub. Your feedback is essential for the growth of our service and hope that you will continue to join us for future events. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions.

 

Sincerely,

Craig Johnson, Owner

Baselines Pub

Enclosure: Free Meal Voucher (3x)

 

 

Revised Peer Review of a Formal Report

 

To: Jenny Li, Student ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC

From: Dave Borrel, Student ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC

Date: November 19th, 2021

Subject: Assignment 3:3 Peer Review of Formal Report Draft

 

Thank you for submitting the report, “Feasibility of Hands-On Workshop Courses for Psychology Undergraduate Students At UBC”. It is well-written and highlights the importance of developing employable skills for those selecting a major in Psychology. Below you will find suggestions for improvement to consider for the final draft of the research report.

 

First Impression

After an initial read through of this draft, there are many well-written elements that help to make the case for more hands-on learning which can lead to better employment outcomes for psychology majors. There is an in-depth analysis of how it benefits learning, how it may be established, along with a realistic acknowledgement of the limitations. Increasing the size of graphs for surveys can help the reader determine the result quickly, without needing to slow down and look closer at the figures.

Content

• The level of detail is appropriate for the intended audience (Psychology Department Head).
• The Introduction of the problem is well written and highlights the contrast between Psychology and other majors at UBC. The clear description of the connection between the teaching style and job prospects helps highlight the urgency of these changes.
• Although the concept of hands-on learning is described later in the research draft, an earlier definition even within the introduction, would help give readers a clear understanding.
  • Additional revisions could focus on integrating the definition of hands-on experience into the introduction while also clarifying the objective.
• There is a detailed explanation of how these hands-on courses can be implemented which gives the reader a clear understanding of what steps need to be taken to implement this program.
• The secondary research highlighting the effectiveness of hands-on learning is interesting and helps convince the reader of the effectiveness of this type of experience for psychology students.
  • Further elaboration on how these benefits lead to better employability would help strengthen the argument and make the connection between this teaching style more clear. 
• The discussion of limitations near the end is well written and clear.

Organization

• The draft is well-organized and contains most of the components required in a formal report draft.
  • The inclusion of the appendix along with the survey at the end can give the reader the option to review the questions asked to the participants.
• There is a logical flow to the content and goes from more general to specific in the introduction. The headings clearly indicate the content underneath.
  • The addition of another heading indicating when the data analysis ends and when the secondary research begins can improve the transition between the two sections.

Style

• Overall the reports maintain a professional and positive tone.
• Some sections could be modified to make the content better match the heading
  • For example, in the objective, there could be some discussion about who the report is made out to and what that person could do to help move this solution forward.
• The removal of pronouns can be helpful to maintain an objective tone.
  • “Based on this, we will now examine secondary sources to offer further support and insight on hands-on courses.”
  • Suggested edit: “The results of the survey require further analysis with… “.

Design

• The report uses a variety of diagrams such as the one that demonstrates the implementation of hands-on learning. 
• The figures of the survey results are labelled correctly along with a clear indication of what each axis represents.
• Adjusting the following parts of the graphic can help increase the clarity of the message that readers take from each figure.
  • Increasing the size of the survey results helps prevent the reader from feeling too jarred when reviewing those results.
  • Using a bold font for the survey labels can help to increase contrast of the document and improve readability.
•  Overall, the graphics in the document serve the intended purpose and some modifications to format can help improve its effectiveness.

Technical

• The title page is well designed and there is a proper running head through the document
  • Inclusion of a different running head for the title page can help to indicate where the rest of the document begins.
• The table of contents is formatted properly and contains the appropriate headings found in the accompanying text.
• Some of the figure text contains different colors and there is even an example of different colours found in the table of contents.
  • Replacing these different colors with just black can help to keep the document consistent.

 

Concluding Comments:

Overall, this draft provides a detailed structure of what the final report will eventually turn into for the final draft. There was excellent discussion of the need for more hands-on learning combined with the acknowledgement of barriers that could inhibit its implementation. The following adjustments can help to improve the effectiveness of the report.

• Increasing the clarity of the figures can help improve readability
• Elaborating on the connection between secondary research and outcomes can help
• Additional subheadings can help to improve readability of the document.
• Adjustment of the text and its color in the figures can help improve consistency.
• Addition of the appendix along with works cited can help the reader do their own additional research as well.

 

I hope that this peer review is helpful and that it can assist in your final draft of the formal research report.

Best,

Dave Borrel