First Draft of the Technical Definition
In unit 1:3, we were asked to produce a definition writing based on a term in a technical field. The purpose was to explain this term to audiences who are not familiar with that field. The textbook was very helpful with definitions and examples. I learned how to write three different definitions. If a term that is not too complicated where I can use a couple of words to describe, I would use parenthetical definition. If the term is more complex and need a longer explanation, I would use a sentence definition. However, if the term requires an in-depth explanation, expanded definition would be used. Furthermore, I also learned various expansion strategies to use when writing an expanded definition. For example, history, originality, negation, visual, or examples can all be a strategy to further present the technical term to the audiences.
Peer Review Process
During the peer review process, I had the chance to review Hansol Yang’s definition on “recursion”. It was very interesting to read his writing and learn how he present the definition while giving criticism. One of the recommendations was to avoid using pronouns, and I was able to use that suggestion on his writing. This also helped me in terms of paraphrasing my own writing without using pronouns. On the other hand, Hansol also reviewed my writing and provided me honest and positive feedback. This was helpful because I get to know what others think about my writing and where I can make improvements on my writings. Ultimately, I appreciated this opportunity to give and receive feedbacks with my partner and I believe this process made both of us a better writer.
Revision Process
After the peer review process, I received helpful tips on how to further improve my writing. This process gave me the chance to see my writing from another perspective. I learned that my explanation needs to be clearer, and I could use more complex vocabularies in my writing. However, I thought I did a decent job in avoiding pronouns and I realized that it makes the writing more professional overall after reading it out loud. Technical writing was never my strong suit and I have always struggled to produce an effective writing, but I believe this assignment helped me improve in this area.