I found that writing the three kinds of definitions was very useful. It highlighted the differences between them and the situations when each would be appropriate. I believe that this will help increase the quality of my writing in many areas, as well as my ability to tailor my writing to specific audiences. I noted that when I was writing my expanded definition I used parenthetical definitions several times. I realized that this is something I have frequently done without thinking about it. Due to this assignment, I can now determine whether my use of parenthetical definitions is correct and suitable.
I found the peer editing harder than I expected. Not only because of having to examine someone else’s work, but also because my partner, Samuel, and I had approached the assignment in different ways. When reviewing, I first read the assignment and noted only the errors that interrupted my reading. Then I reread it paying attention to the finer details. This allowed me to consider specific areas for improvements that did not affect the overall readability of the work. This technique actually made me consider attempting this with my own work in the future.
I appreciated having my own work peer-reviewed. This gave me insight into my work in ways that I did not consider myself. I found that I had gotten so caught up in describing my process that I had forgotten to simplify terms that may not be common knowledge. I did not notice this myself, which I think is because I am already used to seeing the terms on a regular basis and communicating with people who know them. I know now that I must be more careful with this issue in the future. Due to Samuel’s comments on my citation style, we ended up having a discussion about different techniques I could use when citing sources. I found it very interesting to hear about how my citation style had affected his reading of my assignment.
I found the peer review more useful than the review I had done of my work. Samuel was able to notice things that I wouldn’t have considered or even noticed. I also have learnt that the way I review the work of others could be very important to consider when editing my own work. I think the techniques I learnt in this unit will help me improve my writing and editing in the future.