This post is a reflection of Assignment 1:3, where students were asked to define a discipline-specific term for a non-technical audience. In choosing the term “polymerase chain reaction”, I wrote definitions in parenthetical, sentence, and expanded form. I reflect on the writing, peer review, and self-editing steps below.
It was challenging to write a definition for a non-technical audience. I am accustomed to writing for a technical audience, which usually understands terms like “nucleotide” and “reagents”. While writing, I had to take audience knowledge into consideration. This made writing difficult, as I had to carefully translate terms to not overwhelm the reader with information. Yet in being conscious of my audience, I was able to condense PCR into a short and informative definition. This was challenging, yet I learned how to eliminate unnecessary information. Overall, writing for a non-technical audience taught me how to explain jargon effectively and practice concision.
During the peer review, I practiced critical reading skills. When reviewing others’ work, I usually focus on organization, grammar, and tone. This assignment allowed me to practice skills, like assessing the purpose of the writing and style. I learnt which writing strategies were effective for a non-technical audience. These included visuals, question-style subheaders, and the parts of a process or item. Peer review was an informative process that improved my skills in critical analysis.
The self-editing step was another challenge. While my reviewer noted that I addressed the assignment goal, they felt my definition was still too technical. It was difficult to translate terms like “reagents” into non-technical versions, without being inaccurate. My reviewer also noted that my sentences could be more varied. I had trouble changing some sentences, because I was used to a short and oftentimes choppy structure. Regardless, I was able to incorporate conjuctions and complex sentences to add some variety to my writing.
In sum, Assignment 1:3 was a challenging but beneficial task. I learnt how to communicate to a non-technical audience, and improve on my writing skill set. I look forward to using these new skills in future modules.