From my years working as a behavioural support worker and many other positions throughout my life, I understand the necessity of technical communication. In the workplace, there is a variety of situations you need to write workplace documents such as reviews, memos, and even just “informal” messages over Slack. Professionals may need to create more complex forms of communication such as oral and video presentations, proposals, instruction manuals, technical descriptions and web pages. The ability to research effectively, discuss current events, negotiate in a global marketplace and consider the implications of the words you say in a professional setting are vital in the workplace of today.
English 301 aims to improve the technical communication skills of the students taking it through improving their writing in business, professional, and technical contexts. There is a certain emphasis on peer review and how to provide constructive criticism in a way that will be well-received. Students will be keeping a blog with all of their assignments posted on it, and will also be working on an online portfolio that is comprised of two parts. Ultimately, this course strives to encourage the student to improve their writing and self-editing skills in an effort to improve all aspects of their technical communication skills. As an added bonus, we now have our resume, cover letter, and letters requesting reference that have been reviewed and are ready to go for when we need them!
I have compiled a list of my best work as a student and as a member of English 301. Below there is a short description of each one below and a link to view them directly.
Definitions Assignment
This assignment was to teach students different methods of defining a single topic, with an emphasis on making it easily readable to non-technical readers. Often times individuals with great knowledge on a subject are unable to explain difficult concepts in layman’s terms, and this assignment reinforced the concept that mastery of a subject only comes when one is able to explain it simply. I drew success from this assignment because now I can go over my work and realize that a non-technical reader won’t be able to understand it, and make appropriate corrections for readability.
301 Kathryn Simone Revised Definitions
Formal Report Proposal
The formal report proposal was not intended to simply inform the reader of the purpose of the report, but to persuade the reader that the suggested topic is both necessary and impactful. This proposal allowed me to generate an an analysis into the health of food in hospitals in Canada, and suggest feasible methods of improving the hospital food at Lions Gate Hospital.
301 Kathryn Simone Revised Report Proposal
Progress Report for Formal Report
This progress report provided experience with writing a memo and how to inform the reader of progress made. The most useful aspect of this assignment was breaking the report up into a manageable list of dates and tasks.
301 Kathryn Simone Revised Progress Report for Formal Report
Complaint and Adjustment Letters
This assignment, while appearing to be written by two parties, was just written by myself, describing a mock-scenario where I received poor treatment from Boathouse Clothing regarding an incorrect and untimely package delivery. I put myself in the place of both parties, trying to create an amicable resolution for a difficult situation. This was very helpful to help me in the future with conflict resolution over written media.
301 Kathryn Simone Revised Complaint Adjustment Letters
Peer Review of Formal Report Draft
After writing the first draft of the formal report, we performed peer reviews on our teammate’s drafts. This assignment helped me refine my peer-review skills and showed me how to create a list of helpful advice without being condescending or overly critical.
301 Kathryn Simone Revised Peer Review Formal Report
Peer Review of LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn profiles are necessary for gaining employment in a media-centric world, and this assignment helped us create a better profile by peer reviewing each others profiles and offering notes and advice on how to improve them. This has helped my profile become a stronger, more readable, and easier accessible page.