Monthly Archives: November 2021

The third unit of Technical Writing 301 provided students with the opportunity to conduct research and analyze information in order to write the draft of their formal report. For me, this included the distribution of surveys through the UBC survey tool and interviews with the staff of the dental office the Tooth Gallery. I found follow-up interview questions were necessary due to not having gathered all the necessary information from survey responses. I realized I should have included more questions regarding paper products and single-use plastics used during dental treatment. However, I tried to remain broad as only the staff who work directly with clients truly witness the bulk of how much trash is disposed of directly from the treatment rooms.

I did not feel very confident upon organizing my formal report draft as the bulk of the data collection wasn’t complete by the due date. I received much fewer responses to the survey than I had expected, retrieving only 5 surveys out of a potential of 20 staff members. I don’t believe I set my sights high enough for this assignment. I had also written my questions in a way to facilitate distributing the questions to other offices and not just the Tooth Gallery, as I planned that the proposal could be implemented in other dental offices following success in this one. By interviewing staff members of the dental office, I was able to gather further insight into the waste management practices of the dental office. I believe that the purpose of this assignment is to develop our formal writing abilities and that the research I was able to gather will be adequate for completing the report.

A recurrent theme I’ve noticed through this course is that the peer review process is the most enriching aspect of the assignment. My partner Helene provided me with support that I’m on the right track as well as some tips and guidance on areas to improve. I enjoyed reading her draft and as I am also a dental hygienist, I truly related to the problem she chose. I felt much more confident in my most recent peer review than those submitted earlier on in the course and wonder if it was my personal involvement with the subject matter that enhanced my comfort. I do also feel more confident as a writer as the course progresses. Reading Helene’s draft helped me feel more at ease about the speed at which I had my work completed, as she had yet to complete certain areas such as her interview questions and works cited page. However, upon receiving feedback from this recent peer review, I see that there are still many areas in my own work that need attention. I plan on finishing this term off strong and hope to see a significant improvement in works submitted for the final WebFolio assignment. I wonder how I can enrichen other aspects of my professional life with help from my peers.

Formal Report First Draft

Helene’s Peer Review

The second unit of Technical Writing 301 tasked students with researching how to create a networking platform through the LinkedIn website. Students also began working on formal reports which will be handed in at the end of the term. I am already very familiar with LinkedIn but this exercise had us look up the best practices of creating a profile on the website. This was enriching for me as I was then able to take these practices and utilize them on my own professional networking profile. In this digital age there is an overwhelming amount of information at our disposal, but by practicing obtaining truly helpful information I am sharpening my critical thinking and communication skills.

I am a bit apprehensive about how my formal report will come together in the end. Upon reading the instructions for the report proposal, I knew I wanted to work on something that I feel would improve not only my life, but also those of my colleagues. My employer supports green initiatives, so I believe that my proposal is appropriate, yet I still find it intimidating to approach a superior with a request for change. That’s also why I included a question on my survey regarding the participant’s willingness to advocate for change. It is one thing to describe the need for change, but completely another to take the necessary steps towards change. This is my first experience building a research report from the ground up and I hope that I am able to create graphics from my survey questions as I planned.

I found this unit more challenging than unit one, but it has allowed me to identify weak points in my work. I struggle to write to my peer in a professional tone that is direct and to the point, but not too vague. First, I worked on avoiding the use of pronouns in my work. I thought I had found a loophole by writing about “the reader/the author” but have learned that these are still pronouns. I understand that I am not critiquing the author, but rather their work. More recently, I attempted to avoid making these mistakes but was much too brief in my suggestion to my peer. I revised my own proposal following my peer Zoe’s suggestions and described in better detail what dental materials I’m referring to, and what alternatives can be taken. As I gained such valuable insight from my peer’s review of my work, I see how valuable my thoughts can be for them. I’m learning how to separate personable tone from professional tone. I have no doubt that this course is teaching me valuable written communication skills.

Revised Proposal for Improving Green Initiatives at The Tooth Gallery Dental Office

Zoe’s Peer Review