TO AUTHOR: Dave Borrel, Student
FROM REVIEWER: Catherine Yu, Student
DATE: October 4, 2021
SUBJECT: Peer Review of: Definition of Machine Learning
I have reviewed your definition of Machine Learning. Thank you for completing the task in a timely manner and writing a well-organized, logical definition. I was left with a solid understanding of this term despite having no computer science background. I would like to offer the following suggestions:
Situation and Jargon
The technical level of the assignment is slightly more advanced than the intended audience. Consider adjusting your situation to address a first or second year computer science student, or expanding on jargon such as ‘predictive model’, ‘Deep Learning’, and ‘Neural Networks’ so non-technical readers can better understand.
Parenthetical and Sentence Definition
The parenthetical definition is very straight-forward and easy to understand. The sentence definition uses jargon such as ‘training data’ and ‘predictive models’ that may be unfamiliar to non-technical audiences. Although you do elaborate on the term ‘Artificial Intelligence’, the use of parenthetical brackets makes it confusing as to whether a parenthetical definition for Artificial Intelligence or a sentence definition for Machine Learning is provided.
Additionally, your “What is Machine Learning?” section sounds slightly redundant as you touch on the definition of Machine Learning and its functions in the sentence definition as well. One suggestion would be to remove that section all together.
The following expansion methods were used:
Comparison and Contrast (What makes it different from Artificial Intelligence?)
Nice explanation on the differences between Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Consider expanding on the use of jargon such as ‘Deep Learning’ and ‘Neural Networks’ so readers have a better understanding. The image would be of greater benefit if it could be expanded or enlarged to read the text. The visual should be properly labelled according to the textbook.
History (When did Machine Learning begin?)
Very interesting and informative section. Informing the audience of the reason for its development makes the function of Machine Learning easier to understand.
Operating Principles (How does it work?)
Informative description. Once again, the visual would have been more useful if it could be enlarged to read the text. The visual should be properly labelled according to the textbook.
Examples (What is it used for?)
Great explanation of the possible use cases. Non-technical audiences will have a more clear understanding of Machine Learning once they recognize its applications and how deeply integrated it is in our daily interactions with technology. In terms of grammar, I am not sure why the terms ‘Image recognition’ and ‘Speech recognition’ are capitalized. Additionally, consider adding an ‘s’ to ‘hospital clinic’.
Final Thoughts
Overall, your assignment is very well written and organized. The choice of expansion methods are appropriate and contributed to a clear and concise explanation of a highly technical term. The strongest aspects of the assignment are the operating principles and the examples of real-world applications. Although the visuals are difficult to closely analyze, they were helpful in supporting your explanations, especially the visual illustrating the Machine Learning workflow. The weakest part of this assignment is the sentence definition. I hope my recommendations are helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions about my comments.
Definition reviewed: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99a-2021wa/2021/09/30/three-definitions-of-machine-learning/
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