This unit is a good in-depth introduction of writing to a specific audience with a determined purpose. In this unit, we have several tasks:
- Set up a LinkedIn profile;
- Start a formal report proposal and the report outline;
- Peer review on teammate’s LinkedIn profile and report proposal.
In the first task, we were asked to create a professional social media network, which was an online resume with clear layout and highlights of past experiences. In this task, our specific audience was the employer and our goal was to get the position we want. With the specific audience and the determined goal in mind, we got a chance to go through our past experiences and selected the highlights in it. These processes helped us to summarize our past and take a full glance on the real world.
In the second task, we proposed a formal report and a schedule of this report. In this task, we had a chance to research on a topic we were interested in. In the process of brainstorming and preparing the formal report proposal, I found that a report was quite different from a research, which is something that I always do. In my field, researches come in two formats: site analysis and literature review. Both formats contribute to the understanding of a site/policy/phenomenon. In other words, we will not know the outcomes until we finish the research. However, in a report, we have a goal. This goal of my report is to persuade the school board of greening the school ground. In other words, I foresee the outcome of the report, which are the reasons to support my statement (the school ground needs greening). This new style of writing is new to me, because you do have a specific purpose of it.
In the third task, we had several peer reviews on teammate’s work. It is always a delight reading other people’s work. Because instead of glancing through, I read Nicky’s work very carefully to give constructive suggestions. I found myself absorbing a lot after carefully reading.
In the peer review process, I put myself as a reader and I found that a clear structure was quite important for a reader to understand. To elaborate, a clear structure means that each paragraph should support each other. Normally, I think a sequence of building up is quite helpful. For example, in the report proposal, the first paragraph can be an introduction to the background, and the second paragraph can be an introduction to the terms. In this way, each paragraph has its job in explaining the purpose of this report proposal. With this layering-up structure, it will be easier for the readers to understand the new terms and new subjects.
Shunjie Huang_Revised Report Proposal