Here you can find a collection of my best work throughout ENGL 301 listed in order of completion. Comments are also provided on the purpose and success of each assignment.
Definition Assignment
The definition assignment tasked me to write three technical definitions of a complex term to a non-technical audience. The term I chose to write about was a complex biological process called ‘meiosis’. Initially my writing for this assignment was too technical and contained unnecessary information, however, the peer review process helped me fix these issues.
Peer Review of the Definition Assignment
For this assignment I was tasked with reviewing the definition assignment draft of a writing team member, Dylan Flach, who chose to write about the term, ‘celiac disease’. Writing this peer review gave me valuable knowledge on the use of subheadings for organization and on the importance of clarifying jargon.
Revised Peer Review of the Definition Assignment
Formal Report Proposal
This assignment tasked me with proposing a formal research report centered around a chosen deficiency from an organization with which I am associated, to analyze and help improve by providing recommendations. Although I initially struggled with finding a report topic, I eventually came up with the idea to investigate the feasibility of transitioning biology lab courses at UBC to an ungraded approach. This assignment taught me the significance of rounding out investigations with multiple sources of primary data, and reminded me to always provide citations for non-general knowledge.
Revised Formal Report Proposal
Proposal Memo
The proposal memorandum assignment allowed me to practice writing professional emails that communicate information concisely and completely. Specifically, I practiced how to summarize the different components of my formal report proposal.
LinkedIn Best Practices Memo
This assignment tasked me to compile a list of helpful practices for using LinkedIn as a professional networking website. I learned many useful tips such as using keywords to improve search placement and organizing the ‘About’ section into short paragraphs to improve readability. Through this assignment, I became less intimidated and more excited towards creating my own LinkedIn profile.
Revised LinkedIn Best Practices Memo
Progress Report
For this assignment I wrote a memorandum detailing the progress of my formal report, and provided links to my survey questions. The progress report assignment was helpful during the actual writing process, as I had created an outline on how to organize the various sections of my report. Furthermore, as my initial survey contained too many questions and had too many choices for each question, I learned the importance of creating concise surveys.
Memo to Evan Crisp
The memo to Evan Crisp assignment involved writing a memorandum that provides advice on how to write professional emails to professors. This assignment introduced me to the professional writing technique known as ‘YOU attitude’ and allowed me to apply it when constructing the memorandum.
Complaint and Response Letters
This assignment tasked me with writing a complaint letter and a bad news response letter in a professional manner. I chose to write about an undelivered package of clothing; a situation that I drew from my own experience. Through the assignment I received further practice writing with YOU attitude.
Revised Complaint and Response Letters
Peer Review of a Formal Report
For this assignment I was tasked with reviewing the formal report draft of a writing team member, Alexander Clements, who wrote a report investigating the feasibility of hybrid course delivery for computer science at UBC. This peer review process exposed me to different writing approaches, and allowed me to receive helpful feedback for my own report draft regarding awkwardly written sentences.
Revised Peer Review of a Formal Report
Formal Report
For the formal report assignment, I investigated, analyzed, and provided recommendations for a chosen deficiency from an organization with which I am associated. Gathering data from biology lab instructors and students, along with an accompanying literature review, I examined the feasibility of transitioning biology lab courses at UBC to an ungraded approach. This assignment allowed me to combine what I learned from the previous assignments to produce a professional, interesting, and well-organized document.