I found the definitions assignment to be very relevant to my academic studies. I feel that it is important that computer scientists are able to communicate their science to people with little background knowledge more so than in other fields. When a software developer needs to make a piece of software for a client, they often need to explain technical aspects of the project so clients know why certain features can or cannot be added. It is especially useful when clients are angry because a feature is difficult to fix. The definitions assignment was a good exercise in how to clearly and concisely define a technical word in terms that anyone should be able to understand.

I chose ‘cache’ as my word to define because I felt that it is a term that many people hear about but they do not actually know what it is. In reality, caching is more confusing than how I defined it in my definition. The definition only gave the general idea of what a cache is and how caching works in computers. I particularly liked the expanded definition part of the assignment. I thought it was interesting to think of specific techniques that can be used to help clarify what a term is.

I found peer reviewing Eric’s paper to be somewhat difficult. Although I think that it may just have been difficult because it was very well-written to begin with. I found that I was hunting for mistakes or places that needed improvement that I otherwise would not have noticed. For this reason, I felt that it was an important exercise in my ability to be critical and attentive to detail.

I found that Eric’s review was very helpful for creating a better final copy of my definitions. The suggestions he made did not take a very long time to make. I felt that he was clear in his criticisms and supportive in his suggestions.

Overall, this unit has been an interesting experience for me. I have not taken an English class since I was in first year (I am in seventh year now) so it has been a while since I have needed to specifically focus on my writing ability. I think that my writing style is sufficient for most purposes but often needs cleaning up. For this reason I think that I will benefit a lot from the peer reviews in this course. Since starting the BCS program I have found that I rarely need to do essays or other written assignments. I think that this class will be a good place for me to work on my communication skills. A skill that is important in software development but not emphasized in the computer science courses here at UBC.

JoshMacDonald_definitions_revised

http://engl301.arts.ubc.ca/2017/02/01/assignment-13-peer-review-for-joshua-macdonald/