I thought that this unit taught me how to write for a variety of audiences. The three definitions assignment specifically helped me to write a constructive letter to a peer. I chose to write about the term “cache memory” since it is not a well-known term outside of computer science, but it is based on a concept that most people are familiar with. I thought that choosing a term that relates to a well-known concept would make it easier to explain it to an audience that is unfamiliar with the technical term. I also chose to include operating principle, history, visual, and compare/contrast sections in the expanded definition section. I started with the operating principle section because I thought that it was best to first explain what the principle of the term was about before explaining anything else. After that I thought that the history of cache memory should go next because by understanding why cache memory was invented, it would be easier to understand its role within modern computers. After that, I chose to have a visual because I thought that it would bring ideas together from both the history and the operating principles. Lastly, I included a compare and contrast section because I needed to explain the differences between main memory and cache memory. I used a well-known concept to help describe the term earlier in the assignment, but it is also important to explain the differences as well. I really enjoyed this assignment and getting to learn about so many other terms that I did not know about before.
When I got to peer review another student’s assignment, I learned that there are many different ways to approach an assignment. I peer reviewed Jenny Zhu’s assignment on cystic fibrosis and I was impressed by her creativity on choosing which sections to include in her expanded definition. I thought that she chose the sections that best fit her topic, rather than trying to make a pre-defined list of sections fit with her topic. I noticed that her use of visuals was particularly helpful and helped to further explain her topic. I found that reviewing another student’s assignment helped me to reflect on my own assignment, and to think about what a reader might be thinking when they read my assignment.
The feedback that I got on my assignment focused mostly on the bigger questions of my definition. While I was good at explaining the details of the concept, I did not always relate it to the bigger picture. Using Jenny’s advice, I elaborated on what an optimal strategy might be for cache memory and hinted at how modern computers actually solve the problem. I also elaborated more on the history of cache memory since the transition to using cache memory was not explicitly clear. I also added a longer description for the visual as Jenny suggested, which explained some of the components of the diagram. There were a few terms in the photo that I did not originally describe. Lastly, Jenny also pointed out that my compare/contrast section did not look ahead into the future as to whether computers could use only cache memory or not. I chose not to change this section because I already explained why we do not currently use only cache memory in computers.
In summary, I learned many ways in which I can make my writing better. I also learned that I do not always need to change every detail that a reviewer suggests. This process helped me see things from the point of view of the reader and to use this to fix weak spots in my own writing.