Category Archives: Uncategorized

Researching Formal Report

The process of researching for the formal report proved to be more difficult than I had expected. I realized that although I had spent time and effort on crafting an ethical and comprehensive survey, it was equally important that I received sufficient responses. I had expected that posting my survey link in a community Facebook group once would be sufficient to receive adequate data. This assumption proved to be incorrect, as I only received approximately 12 responses after the first posting. I ended up posting the survey multiple times over the week, and in the end managed to accumulate 35 total responses. I learned that obtaining information through surveys is not as easy as it seems. In the future, I would consider implementing a random prize draw for participants to encourage more engagement. I would also post it in more online groups and forums to expand its reach. This would ultimately increase sample size, therefore enhancing the credibility of my results and conclusions.

While it was tough to obtain enough survey results, it was more difficult to get responses to my questionnaire. I emailed the director multiple times over two weeks, and ultimately received a brief response from one of their colleagues with answers to my questions. Although I expected more details, I am still grateful that I was able to receive some information to add to my report. In the future, I would leave more time to allow for questionnaire responses as I recognize these individuals are quite busy.

Organizing/Writing Formal Report

As I did not have my questionnaire data when writing my first draft, it was quite difficult to draw appropriate conclusions and state recommendations. I had to try my best to work with what I had, and I think I did a good job using the survey information to create a thoughtful draft. Having received the questionnaire response just two days ago, I am eager to use this information to complete the unfinished sections of my report.

I was pleased to see how much the previous project-related assignments helped make the writing process easier. Since I had spent considerable time and effort on my outline and memo, I was able to use these documents to organize my report effectively. I also expanded on the outline after submission, adding bullet points and details which I then built upon while writing my draft. I learned the importance of appropriate planning and outlining from this experience and am exceedingly likely to invest more time in this stage of the writing process in the future.

Peer Reviewing Report

Peer reviewing my partner’s report helped me evaluate my own writing and become more familiar with the criteria and guidelines. To provide my partner with the best feedback possible, I had to study the directions in detail. This process helped me uncover some of the areas which I had overlooked in my draft, specifically regarding the tone and style of my writing. Knowing the guidelines better will help me improve my writing for the final draft.

I was impressed by my partner’s draft and found it to be very well written and organized. The revisions that I did suggest were relatively minor, which shows the effort my partner invested in the draft. I am glad I was able to make some suggestions which I hope my partner will find valuable when editing. One strength of my partner’s paper was in their visual choice. They had diverse and engaging graphs and photos which helped draw in the readers’ attention, which is something I discovered was lacking in my report. I look forward to incorporating my learnings from my peer review and my partner’s suggestions to improve my writing.

My Draft: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl30198a2022s12/2022/07/25/project-draft/

LinkedIn Research

The LinkedIn best practices assignment provided me with useful information for expanding my professional presence online. Although I had created a LinkedIn account earlier, I never considered it to be essential and spent little time on it. Through the research I conducted for this assignment, I came to realize that LinkedIn is an excellent platform to build my professional network and find employment. I am now motivated to spend more time on filling out my profile following the direction of my research sources.

In my research, I looked through many sources to find the best information possible. This included blog posts, documents provided by academic institutions, and advice from LinkedIn itself. I found the documents from academic institutions to be the most useful, as they framed their advice with students in mind. As a student with little experience in my field who will be looking for a co-op position, I believe these tips will be relevant in my job search.

Having considered the best practices I researched, there are two main areas that I must focus on to improve my profile. The first is filling out my profile entirely. I am currently missing a summary, profile picture, endorsements, and detailed job history. I would also like to make more posts and establish more connections to expand my network and obtain new opportunities. Overall, I found the process of researching and writing the LinkedIn best practices memo rewarding and useful for improving my LinkedIn profile.

Writing Proposal and Outline

The process of brainstorming an idea and preparing my proposal and outline was difficult. I spent a lot of time thinking over different options and ruling out most of them as inadequate. After having no success for a few days, the idea for creating a report on the check-in procedures at North Delta Recreation Centre came about organically while I was at the gym. I reflected on these thoughts while working out and wrote them down when I got home.

Once I had the idea in mind, I found it challenging to devise a well thought out plan for my proposal and outline. The idea of a 12-to-15-page report felt daunting, but I was able to manage that anxiety by breaking up my work into manageable chunks and constantly revising my ideas. One of the most difficult parts of the process was creating appropriate survey and interview questions. For the survey, to ensure my respondents completed the survey I had to design the least number of questions while extracting as much information as possible. For the interview questions, I had to ensure my questions had a positive tone which the director would feel comfortable responding to with adequate detail.

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. The main question I have currently is if I will get enough information from the survey respondents and facility director to create a detailed report. I am hopeful that I will receive quality information, as it will form the basis of my research. 

Peer Review  

Peer reviewing my partner’s proposal helped me see how my peers have approached the assignment and led me to consider my own report in a different way. My partner had created an excellent proposal that was well organized and complete. Their topic was appropriately narrowed down and focused on one issue. This led me to reflect on my own assignment, which had a broader scope. My partner also raised this point in their review of my work, which I found helpful for improving my proposal. I appreciated their suggestion of making more clear distinctions between the two main points addressed in my report, and I revised my proposal to reflect that. This suggestion also helped me organize my outline with separate sections for each idea, as suggested by my peer.

Having reviewed my partner’s proposal and reading through my writing team’s work, I learned that my writing could be better organized. My group members did an excellent job separating ideas and explaining them with appropriate detail. This helped make the documents easy to read and understand. This led me to reflect on my writing process and consider how I edit my work. Although my writing and organization appeared to be clear in my mind, it was somewhat confusing for my reviewer. I think that going forward I should try to consider my work from different perspectives when reviewing and editing. The role of technical writing is to communicate ideas concisely and effectively, so it is crucial to always consider your audience. This insight will be beneficial for creating a final report which is organized, clear, and approachable for the reader.

Peer Review Link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl30198a2022s12/2022/06/29/dales-review-of-harveys-proposal/

Revised Proposal: 301 Harvey Dhaliwal Report Proposal Revised

Writing

The process of writing the definitions assignment was difficult yet rewarding. I had considered many different terms, but ultimately settled on angioplasty due to its widespread usage in healthcare settings and relevance for many people. I enjoyed researching the origins of the word and found the links to ancient Latin and Greek words fascinating. My literature search also uncovered some interesting historical information, specifically how angioplasty is not an entirely modern practice. The information I gathered was useful when incorporating expansion methods into my writing. Although I had used expansion methods like providing examples before, it was useful to see them all presented in a systematic way. These strategies can be utilized in many different forms of writing and will be helpful knowledge going forward.

My background in writing research papers aided in gathering information from outside sources, citing, and writing succinctly. However, I quickly learned that this writing task involved much more than that. I had to explain the process in a way that a non-specialized audience could understand, while most of my research sources used many specialized terms and medical jargon. I also had to adequately explain the term without overwhelming the reader who had little to no background in the subject. My initial attempt at writing was too complex, lengthy, and read too much like a research paper. I used the technical writing tips outlined in the textbook to improve my tone, revise my sentence structure, and reduce the length and complexity dramatically.

Peer-review

Peer-reviewing my group member’s submission provided me with insight on how others approached the assignment and raised questions about my own writing. I was impressed with the organization, flow, and abundance of information that my peer included. I noticed that the tone of our writing was similar, but their writing included more detail. This helped me reflect on my work and see that there was a need for additional clarification. This insight was further validated by my peer’s review of my work, as they mentioned some confusion with my expanded definition and figure. Finally, I found it rewarding to suggest some changes for my peer’s assignment. Although I did not need to suggest any major changes, I hope that my efforts to provide constructive feedback based on my strengths and views was useful.

Revision

My peer provided me with specific, detailed feedback that helped me recognize areas of improvement that I had missed. After reading the feedback it was clear that while trying to reduce information overload, I had omitted too much content. This shortcoming seemed obvious after reading my peer’s suggestions, which shows how useful the peer review process can be. To address this, I included another figure and added to my previous statements in the expanded definition. This process helped me improve in my ability to determine how much information is appropriate, and ultimately strengthened my writing abilities. The insights I gained from the peer review and revision process will be beneficial when approaching future assignments.

Peer-review: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl30198a2022s12/2022/06/10/dales-review-of-harveys-definitions/

Revised Definitions: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl30198a2022s12/2022/06/13/revised-definitions-harvey-dhaliwal/

Hello Dale,

Thank you for your message.  I have reviewed your application letter and would certainly like to form a writing team with you.

I think our shared experiences as BCS students would be favourable for the success of our writing group. Further, I am also committed to meeting deadlines and striving to produce excellent work. Like you, I value effective communication and mutual support between group members.

I look forward to working with you throughout this course, please let me know if you have any questions.

Kind regards,

Harvey Dhaliwal

MEMORANDUM

To: Dr. Erika Paterson, ENGL 301 Instructor
From: Harvey Dhaliwal, ENGL 301 Student
Date: May 30, 2022
Subject: Notification of Application Letter Posting

I would like to inform you that I have posted my letter of application to my blog page as requested. The contents of the letter are summarized as follows:

• I am currently completing a Bachelor of Computer Science degree and have previously completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology with Distinction.
• My main professional interest is creating and improving upon existing software to empower people with disabilities.
• Over more than five years of university education I have developed excellent writing skills including organization and attention to detail.
• My communication skills were strengthened through communicating professionally to clients and volunteers at my previous workplace.
• I struggle at times to balance school and life, and take longer to complete assignments.
• My learning philosophy is focused on consistent practice and adopting a growth mindset.

Thank you for taking note of my memorandum, I look forward to reading other students’ letters and forming a writing group.

Enclosure: 301 Harvey Dhaliwal Application Letter

301 Harvey Dhaliwal Application Letter

May 30, 2022

Dear English 301 Student:

Thank you for considering my application for a group member position in your writing team, which was advertised on the English 301 course page. I am an English 301 student currently in the process of completing a Bachelor of Computer Science degree. I also hold a Bachelor of Science in Biology with Distinction from the University of British Columbia.

Outside of school, I have worked and volunteered in various tech roles. As a volunteer computer tutor, I taught a diverse group of learners basic computer skills such as sending emails and online safety. This experience led me to obtaining a Special Education Assistant position at a local non-profit society, where I helped Canadians with disabilities learn how to use assistive technology to improve their lives. My experiences in these positions showed me the potential that software has for empowering people, and this has formed the core of my professional interests. I hope to use my computer science education to develop and improve upon existing assistive technologies.

My academic and professional experiences have strengthened my abilities in communication, planning, organization, and teamwork. Over more than five years in university, I have taken many courses in which writing was a central focus. These courses helped developed my writing skills which include precise organization and a strong attention to detail. Using these skills helped me achieve a final grade of 100 percent in a course where my group was tasked with writing a full-length academic paper. Further, my professional communication skills were developed through my job as I was responsible for scheduling classes between clients and volunteers. I believe that these strengths will be valuable for your writing group.

In terms of weaknesses, I can improve on balancing work and personal life in addition to working at a faster pace. It is important that I continue to remind myself to take breaks from work, as I tend to neglect that aspect at times. Further, being highly detail oriented I can take longer to complete work which I address by starting well before the due date.

My learning philosophy centres around having a growth-mindset and practicing regularly. I appreciate critical feedback and use it to improve my habits and skills. I strive to maintain a strong work ethic, using practice opportunities to refine my skills and address deficiencies.

Finally, I am motivated to continue learning and developing the skills necessary to succeed as a writing team member. I greatly appreciate your consideration of my interest in the available position. If you have any questions or would like to discuss my application further, please send me an email at any time (harbirsd@student.ubc.ca) and I will respond within 24 hours.

Sincerely,

Harvey Dhaliwal

301 Harvey Dhaliwal Application Letter