During the assignment, I gained experience with writing three types of definitions, differentiating their usage and level of detail. Challenged by the task of describing technical terms to non-technical readers, I discovered the importance of writing for the intended purpose and audience. The audience’s needs motivated me to think critically about writing style, revising the definitions for clarity and conciseness.
During the peer review process, I was impressed by Yang Liu’s effective use of expansion techniques to provide a detailed explanation on machine learning. Reviewing Yang’s work was accomplished by critically analyzing the text for details in writing style, content and assignment requirements. Based on specific observations, I learned how to determine overall writing strengths and weaknesses. Writing the peer review was also good practice for delivering constructive feedback in a tactful and positive manner.
Given helpful feedback, I realized that my previous focus on clarity and conciseness led to a simpler expanded definition. During the editing process, revisions were made to provide a more detailed explanation on how a cache works. This includes explaining visuals more clearly and elaborating on the relationship between cache and main memory. Apart from improving content, in-text citations were added for ideas that were paraphrased from outside references.
Key takeaways from this assignment are to focus on the audience and purpose, and to write concisely without compromising content.
Revised Definition: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99a-2021wa/2021/10/07/technical-definitions-of-a-cache/
Peer’s Review: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99a-2021wa/2021/10/04/peer-review-for-definitions-of-a-cache/