ENGL 301 – Tianxiang Deng

Creating the Web Folio not only was interesting, but it allowed me to explore my past works and summarize how my writing has improved throughout the summer.

The process reminded me of all my past assignments. Revisiting past writing assignments for this assignment has made me realize that I got many opportunities to discover new kinds of technical documents, and allowed me to practice my writing skills with these documents. This practice will prepare me for writing in my future career because software developers are required to write design documents, emails, and reports for various reasons. Also, I believe that writing short concise descriptions for each section in the Web Folio will help users navigate through the Web Folio more effectivelu. One frustrating aspect for me was learning how to use WordPress UI to showcase my Web Folio. It was a bit difficult when it comes to adding visuals and adjusting typography.

Dear readers,

As we are approaching the end of the course, I would like to share with you some thoughts about this great course. In a short note, I’ve learned the importance of social networks in professional networking as well as the importance of effective cooperation in a team. With useful guidelines from our instructors and feedback throughout the course from my writing team colleagues, I have greatly improved my writing capabilities in technical communication.

The work of writing the formal report was strenuous, I find it the most challenging task to handle in this course. After brainstorming and tips from Dr. Paterson,  I chose to make a report on improving housing affordability on campus. It is no shame to admit that  I had some difficulties looking for the topic of the report and creating survey and interview questions. However, the prior assignments of progress report and memo made writing much easier and more optimized. Additionally, I also should say that this course was challenging as I have not had a previous strong background and experience in writing in a professional tone. Therefore, preparing some of the work took me more time and effort than expected, but the feeling of pleasure after submitting counterbalanced all previous struggles.

One of the rewarding features of the class is getting consistent peer reviews from other members. Peer reviewing done by team members and the final professor`s suggestions helped me to understand what aspects of my writing I should improve. One of them is Unit 3:1, where I learned to write with less use of imperative verbs. Another aspect that I improved throughout the course is reducing the number of unnecessary pronouns in texts.

After the course, I feel more confident writing professional emails and memorandums. These documents are crucial components of day-to-day communication at the workplace.  Nevertheless, I still need to work on expressions and practice my professional language as I unpleasantly often used awkward phrases.

Overall, taking ENGL 301 is beneficial for my professional progress, and how it facilitated my communication with colleagues. I would like to once again thank our instructor and my team “error 404 not found” for the fruitful collaborations and effort that you brought to my progress.

Dennis Deng 

(647) 870-1895 | dennisd9@student.ubc.ca   

Technical Skills  

Proficient: Java, Python, PHP Intermediate: JavaScript/TypeScript Familiar: Bash/Shell scripting 

FRAMEWORK AND TECHNOLOGIES 

Web Development: Symfony, Spring, ReactJS, jQuery, NodeJS Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Firebase Other: Unix, Git, Jenkins, Maven 

Work Experience  

GeneSys | Front End Developer, Web Maintenance 

JS, PYTHON, MAVEN Toronto, Ontario Jan. 2019 – April. 2019 

• Designed and implemented user interface for internal applications 
• Extended product to incorporate Oxford Optical Character Recognition API 
• Familiarized myself with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript 

Town of Oakville | Software Engineer Intern, Payment Software Oakville, Ontario 

JAVA, PYTHON, MOCKITO, JUNIT, JPA, MYSQL May. 2019 – Dec.2019 

• Reduced API response times over 50% by optimizing JPA database transactions and better caching techniques 
• Developed a python automation framework which automates the setup for Tesla retail store POS devices 

one45 Software | Software Developer Co-op Toronto, Ontario 

PHP, SYMFONY, MYSQL, JAVASCRIPT, SHELL SCRIPTING Sep. 2018 – Dec. 2018 

• Reduced report loading times by more than 80% by refactoring database queries and implementing more caching techniques 
• Developed and re-designed our bulk profile photo importing tool which reduced photo uploading time by more than 50% 

Extracurricular Activity  

nwHacks (Hackathon) https://www.nwhacks.io/ 

SPONSORSHIP & MARKETING EXECUTIVE Sept. 2018 – April 2018 

• As the sponsorship coordinator I closed 3 sponsors with over $5000 funding for nwHacks 2017 
• I drove over 2000 applications for nwHacks 2018, also coordinated making our recap video https://bit.ly/2ms03WY 

Education  

The University of British Columbia [Vancouver, Canada]

BCS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, Candidate of Bachelor of Science Exp. Dec. 2023 

• Relevant Coursework: Data Structures & Algorithms, Software Engineering, Computer Systems, Operating Systems 

The University of Waterloo [Waterloo, Canada]

Bachelor of Environmental Science. Major in Geomatics

• Bad News Letter and Complaint Letter: Surprisingly, I found learning this part very enjoyable and useful. Composing the complaint letter with a professional style and tone was not easy, because the dissatisfaction and frustration do affect my word choice and the overall tone of the letter. I find it helpful when I put my emotions aside and simply state the facts and events.

• Writing formal report draft: I have drafted my formal report based on my previous outline and the proposal. The research process of the formal report was indeed a big challenge for me in establishing the core idea of the formal report. For my report on “Determine the cause and impact of UBC’s housing affordability challenges”, secondary resources were difficult to find. Most of UBC’s housing statics results were outdated and not related to the overall rising rental cost these years. As a result, this made primary sources for the research extremely critical. Notably, I also found the gathering of survey responses a challenge in the research process. Specifically, response rates were low for the number of residents to whom the surveys were sent. Despite this limitation to the research process, I proceeded to navigate through this obstacle by exploring other feasible methods of gathering meaningful data. It was more difficult than I expected because my current summary and solution are still pending completion for more insightful thinking.

• Peer review of formal report draft: I had a chance to partner up with Benson for the formal report draft peer review exercise. I enjoyed reading his formal report draft. After knowing the importance of utilizing library future career resources, Benson’s proposed solution will likely bring a positive outcome for us UBC students. I hope Benson’s suggestions will be accepted and implemented in the future.

Link to formal draft: Formal Report – Dennis

In Unit 2, we had the chance to explore new forms of technical writing, such as  LinkedIn profile writing, and the process of outlining a formal report using guidance from the textbook. Similar to Unit One, a peer-reviewing of my partner’s proposal was performed.

I find Unit 2 very creative and informative. The process has helped me to connect to more professionals in the field. learned quite a bit about creating a LinkedIn profile, creating a professional social media network, and the process of brainstorming and preparing my report proposals. Prior to this unit, I already had created a profile prior to the assignment of setting a LinkedIn profile up, however, I never fully explored the many options or expanded beyond the very basics nor did I think about how to create a compelling profile as much. The research component for professional networking on LinkedIn immediately changed how I viewed the profile-making process which had a direct effect on my profile.

On top of doing research on LinkedIn and professional networking, I also get to learn how to write a proposal and an outline. The guidance of the Formal Report Topics and explanation provided in Unit 2:1 by Dr. Paterson were helpful in understanding what kind of topics were appropriate or could be expanded upon through the primary source of research- interviews and surveys. I believe that expanding on the “proposed solution” aspect was somewhat challenging for me, it was also hard to devise a well-thought-out plan for my proposal and outline in the beginning. Having completed the outline and survey/interview questions, I feel much better than I did at the start of the process. However, I do begin to feel overwhelmed with seeing the due dates fast approaching. Thankfully, I have my writing plan to ensure I am progressing at an appropriate pace. I am excited to continue with the next steps. I have also enjoyed reading about the introduction to interviews and surveys on the Instructor’s Blog. The guidelines and examples especially have been informative when creating the different questions between interviews and surveys. I hope these insights I gained will be beneficial for creating a final report which is organized, clear, and approachable for the reader.

Finally, the peer review of the Formal Report was valuable. An excellent proposal from my partner that was well organized and complete has also helped me reflect on my own assignment. His topic was appropriately narrowed down and focused on one issue. Furthermore,  I really appreciated my peers’ suggestions of making more clear distinctions on the target audience, as well as correcting my understanding of the two methods used to collect data. One of the main things in technical writing that I am currently learning and developing is the inclusion of details, and more details. From something seemingly more casual such as building a LinkedIn profile to Formal Report Proposals and Outlines, much of the processes require clear communication. Through the peer-reviewing process as well as the Instructor’s Blog, I have been able to realize this and hope to improve going forward.

Overall, this unit 2 was a unique experience for me.

Revised Proposal:

Formal Report Proposal : Tianxiang D (Revised)

Peer review:

Dennis’s Peer Review of “Electronic Queuing System for Popular Gym Equipment” By Chris

Self-writing Assignments

From self-introduction to peer-reviewing, unit one has effectively introduced the concept of what technical communication is and we have put our knowledge into practice with small assignments. More importantly, I get to learn the principles of technical writing in business/professional contexts and organize a writing team to collaboratively work on drafting a formal report. From the ‘definition assignment’, I explored the three different types of definitions, and what to keep in mind when the writing is directed to non-technical readers.

Peer review

Writing a well-structured peer review was a challenging part for me as I do not have extensive experience when it comes to reviewing others’ work. Yet I found the peer review assignment valuable and interesting. I enjoy reading Chris’s work and managed to give some suggestions in terms of the organization and integrity of the concept. Moreover, from reading other teams’ peer reviews, I now understand that the formula for writing a peer review is an organized process, there are also common mistakes people can make. This helps me to develop useful comments and critiques of the subject in an encouraging way.

Revising Definitions

Upon reading the feedback from my peer Benson, he provides me constructive and fair comments that reveal my strength and weaknesses. He pointed out several of my unnecessary grammar mistakes that could have been improved for better comprehension. The edits made me believe that I can now provide readers clear communication. I also realized that my first parenthetical definition was not correctly applied and used, it does not need a lengthy explanation. I also corrected a few citation errors and revised my article with better integrity.

Following by the Revised definition assignment:

Peer Review of Definition: Global Positioning System (GPS)

Good Morning Benson,

Thank you for reaching out to me. I am delighted to accept this great opportunity to partner up with you. I enjoyed reading your bio, and I honor your excellent work as CPSC 210 TA, and the effort you put in leading your previous co-op tasks and projects, I believe that our prospective team members will have the uttermost confidence in your skills.

With all due respect, I noticed that you have reached out to 2 other fellow classmates and I was wondering if you could give me an update on their responses.

Once again, thank you very much for the opportunity, and I look forward to working with the team.

Kind regards,

Dennis Tianxiang Deng

Dear Chris,

I’m reaching out to you in hopes to be your writing teammate.  After reading the highlights on your bio, I would like to express my admiration for your sheer hard work and dedication you put in pursuing a second degree, your capabilities have convinced me that you will make an excellent addition to the team.

I believe our similar work experiences in the technical field would be complementary to achieving success in the future. I look forward to working with you, please let me know if you have any questions.

301 Tian Application letter

Best regards,

Dennis Tianxiang Deng

Dear Garrett,

I’m reaching out to you in hopes to be your writing teammate. I greatly enjoy reading your application letter and other highlights posted in your blogs. Your commitment and enthusiasm for pursuing a career in the trading field resonate with me, and I believe your expertise in technical writing would be a great asset to any team.

Similarly, I think my work habits can be complementary to you as I also like to actively retain tasks and adhere to a strict schedule.

I look forward to hearing from you.

301 Tian Application letter

Sincerely,

41^st & Hudson St, Vancouver

BC, Canada

May 30^th, 2022

ENGL 301, University of British Columbia,

University Endowment Lands, BC V6T 1Z1

Dear Peers in English 301:

I am reaching out to you regarding the partnership for the future writing team as discussed in the course. I believe that my experience and education make me a suitable candidate for the position. I can complete required work with efficiency to achieve success in the future.

Currently, I am a third-year student majoring in computing science as my second degree. During my first degree, I usually proposed technology-related topics for my mass communication module projects to build on my own self interest and knowledge. The courses I have taken gave me much exposure to real-world problems, and the freedom to be more technical in my solutions. In one of the courses, I proposed a group project to track public opinion on healthcare legislation in specific parts of Canada. I took the initiative to learn new technologies and implement the group’s plan. On the other hand, one weakness trait I struggle with is not asking for help and staying quiet, so it would be beneficial for me to improve on that.

Outside of the curriculum, I held an internship position as a web developer for a telecom company in Ontario. There, I learned about the importance of teamwork and time management, good interpersonal communication skills and managing intensive workloads all of which I am sure are applicable to academic life too.

By taking ENGL 301 and forming teams with peers, my goal is to gain the proper grounding in technical writing and communication, as well as to aid my peers to mutually solving problems.

Thank you for taking the time to read through my proposal. If you feel that my proposal will be complimentary to you, please contact me at dennisd9@student.ubc.ca.

Sincerely,

Dennis Deng