Author Archives: matthew fung

This is a blog about my reflections on the assignment work for ENGL 301 Technical Writing.

Reading the past reflection posts have made me realize how much I have learned this past few months. In particular, I am reminded of the importance of practicing writing. This is most evident to me when I realize the things I struggled with in the first couple weeks through repetition and practice,  becomes a routine towards the end of the course.

ENGL 301 is an interesting experience as it challenges me to write for different circumstances, ranging from conveying technical information in third person to communicating personal opinion and demands. Since the range of topics is so broad, I am able to gain a good understanding of my strengths and weaknesses.

Peer reviews are one area where I thrive in because I learn well when providing constructive criticism. Reading the work of my peers allow me to see how my class mates tackle issues I find challenging. As well, reviewing assignments allow me to gain a better understanding of what it is like being an audience. This enables me to structure my writing in a way that is relatable and relevant to the reader.

One aspect of study that I can improve in is the process of following instructions. I have a tendency to skim through the instructions and skip parts that appear to be familiar. This is problematic is it causes me to miss important details. A strategy to address this is to take notes when reading the assignment description so I both receive, and retain the information. I began using this strategy for the latter half of the course and it has worked well.

As well, I find the skills learned in this course to be beneficial to my goal of working in the field of software development. Namely, work related to the field often involves team work and interpersonal communication. Learning about strategies such as the YOU attitude are practical methods to be a more effective and respectful team member. Moreover, the assignments related to career search will be beneficial when I look for jobs after graduation.

All in all, the course has met my expectations as it allows me to build on my strengths of peer reviewing, and to grow in my weakness such as instruction reading. Plus, the assignments are not only helpful towards making me a more valuable and workable employee, but also assist me in becoming employed.

The Web Folio assignment has overall been a positive experience. I especially like how the assignment makes use of previous work as content, which allows me to focus on the organization and presentation of the pages.

Designing electronic portfolios have some things in common with traditional resumes. In particular, I find that both formats require elements that catch the attention of the reader. Just as how the header of a resume can decide whether the application will pass screening, a well designed first page of a Web Folio that is to the point, and visually engaging can persuade readers to visit subsequent pages.

As well, there are some aspects of the assignment that differ from print portfolios. Namely, because web formats require users to navigate between pages, all links and directories must be clear and predictable. In order to achieve this, the guidelines provided by the instructions are particularly useful as it suggests captions and concise naming conventions for files. Working on this assignment has grown my appreciation for intuitive interface designs.

Hence, the Web Folio assignments has taught me the importance of organizing content. This is beneficial as I plan on creating a showcase of my computer science work in the near future.

Writing assignments are never my favourite because writing fatigues my mind quicker than things like coding or math. Hence, creating the outline early on helped me a lot as it allows me to break the report up into smaller, more manageable chunks. In fact, this is one of the least stressful reports I have done throughout my degree.

Information gathering and research is interesting because it made me realize that there are many considerations that I have neglected. For example, there is a question in my survey where participants can choose their most preferred platform to access forecasts. Little do I know many participants prefer two choices equally. In hindsight, I would have made the question a ‘select all that may apply’ rather than ‘select one’ question.

As for writing and organizing of the report, I was pleasantly surprised that I over-estimated the content required for a 10-12 page double spaced report. Moreover, I find that the report utilized a lot of the techniques learned earlier this course such as definitions, and citations.

Lastly, what I have learned from peer review is that I can improve in the way I present numbers in my report. My reviewer gave me helpful suggestions such as being consistent in presenting information (fractions, or percentages).

All in all, the process of writing the report draft taught me the value of creating outlines (and following them), the importance of anticipating to the best of my ability the possible responses when designing surveys, and some techniques to clearly articulate numerical results.

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For the longest time, I have put off the task of providing content for my LinkedIn profile because I did not feel like I have enough credentials. One of the reasons I chose to take this course is to give myself motivation to fill in my profile in preparation for graduation. I find the best practice assignment to be particularly helpful as it encourages shared knowledge. As well, the peer review comments are effective to point out things I have neglected. All in all, completing the professional networking assignment is a fruitful experience. Plus, I never knew that the slab of drywall beside my laundry machine can also serve as a portrait background.

Moreover, the formal report assignments are new to me because most of the reports I have done tend to only summarize information whereas this assignment seeks to provide recommendations. I appreciate the progress report as it forced me to examine and plan ahead for the coming deadlines. In particular, it makes me aware of the fact that I really need to get things started in order to free up the Canada Day long weekend.

Lastly, through the peer review process, I have learned that I have a tendency to omit details because I falsely presume that the audience is familiar with the context. This highlights to me the importance of putting effort in considering the needs of recipients. As well, I appreciate that a classmate with a background in computer science reviewed my LinkedIn profile because he is able to give me industry-specific comments.

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Link to peer review

One of the points in the reading that stood out to me is context and audience. Definitions are often written with an intended audience in mind. This assignment is challenging to me because I have not previously written descriptions of meteorological terms to people outside of the field. This assignment taught me to anticipate questions and adjust the content accordingly. For example, rather than explaining terms in detail, I am tasked with answering questions regarding how the term is relevant to the average person. Hence, the practice of addressing the needs of intended audience is both challenging, and beneficial to my writing as it focuses my attention to the needs of the readers.

The opportunity to peer review my team mate’s work is valuable because it allowed me to see how my peers tackled problems I encountered when I wrote the definition. In particular, I like how my team mate addressed the issue of relevance using examples that tie in with things we use in our daily life such as popular social media platforms.

Moreover, the review process also allowed me to receive feedback on my writing. The additional perspective is very helpful in identifying areas of improvement that I otherwise would not have discovered. One example would be to be careful with the use of jargon. I realized that when jargon is used without context, it can distract the reader and cause confusion that can otherwise be avoided. Plus, I agree with the recommendation to comment on figures as weather maps are often very cluttered. Consequently, additional guidance is needed to direct the focus of the reader to the important features. All in all, writing the definition has given me greater appreciation for definitions that are brief and engaging.

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Peer Review