JENNIFER SHUM

Exploring the Essay

 

Throughout the semester, I had the opportunity to practice and develop my skills as a writer through the Advanced Writing in the Disciplines course. From exploring new mediums to engaging in diverse literature that spanned across multiple avenues of scientific and engineering achievement, I had a chance to become acquainted with and critique a wide variety of writing techniques and styles.

 

Through the observation of field sources, application of writing techniques and reflection during and after the writing process, I was able to strengthen and widen my writing abilities.  In particular, I learned to develop my own unique stances and contributions to the engineering discipline through my writing, collaborate efficiently and thoughtfully through peer revision clubs, and appropriately adjust my writing style to effectively communicate with diverse audiences.

 

 

Formulating, Developing, and Supporting My Own Claims as a Writer

 

One of the primary areas in which I feel I addressed the course learning objectives and strengthened my writing was through my ability to formulate, develop, and support my own claims and stances through my writing. While my initial writing may have introduced ideas on different topics, taking a firm stance that revealed to readers a new way of understanding these general ideas was something that I learned to do more effectively over the course of the semester. For example, my first paper Analysis of Structure and Style in the Journal of Biomechanics  described the basic style and set up of the paper, and suggested that the formatting helped readers to understand more about the topic. As it reads in the thesis statement:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While certainly a valid point, the claim was hardly revolutionary or necessarily even something that needed proving in the first place. In contrast, my last paper Advantages and Challenges of 3D Printing Based Tissue Engineering championed 3D printing as a viable and essential means of tissue engineering, as it clearly states:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only was this main stance more prevalent throughout abstract, intro, and conclusions sections as well as backed up in intermediate sections, the side taken was also certainly much less widely accepted and acknowledged, at least for the present time. In addition to incorporating more daring and controversial points of discussion, an inclusion of acknowledgement of other sides/viewpoints as well as a cultivation of more daring and personal word choice suggested in revisions aided in my ability to produce convincing and persuasive writing. Between streamlining my points into concrete arguments, improvement of word choice and effective rebuttal of opposing viewpoints, I feel that my ability to share meaningful stances that contribute to the field has improved.

 

 

Tailoring Writing to Adress Different Target Audiences

 

Another area in which I feel I improved was in my ability to tailor different writing styles to effectively match the expectations of my target reader audience. As an engineering student, I have an interest in a wide variety of scientific and engineering technologies, but I very quickly learned that there are different ways to present the same topics of information when addressing them to different audiences. Though all of the documents in my portfolio showcase some avenue of technological advancement – with an emphasis on biological engineering fields (biomechanics, biomimetics, tissue engineering) and a splash of programming/game development – the way each piece reads ended up being completely different.

 

For example, the first piece is on the field of biomechanics, and bouts of lengthy text, complex discourse language vocabulary, and monotonous essay formatting litter the paper. In contrast, while Could Butterfly's Improve Your Digital Devices? is on the similarly interdisciplinary area of biomimetics, the paper features catchy titles/quotes, bright graphics, easy diagrams and explanations, and a much more readable nature – all for the sake of effectively reaching a different more general audience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(infographic of buttefly article designed for public audience to engage readers in an informational yet visually appealing manner).

 

 

From learning to format reference documents with highly visual material (in Game Development: Beginner's Guide) to learning to write abstracts and properly cite vast quantities of references in technical journal writing (in Advantages and Challenges of 3D Printing Based TIssue Engineering), I had the chance to explore the ins and outs of many document types which I can hopefully utilize in the future.

 

 

Critiquing and Collaborating with Peers

 

Finally, I feel that I had the opportunity to grow in my ability to critique and collaborate with peers to achieve better writing in both my own pieces and others. Through revision club sessions during each unit, I had a chance to write specific points of critique on the pieces of others and determine the best ways that I could be helpful in the writing process of others.  Additionally, many of the improvements I made over the course of the semester, such as curating my word choice or attempting to reduce complicated syntax, were suggestions from peers. Without being able to discuss and collaborate with them to understand where the weaknesses in my writing appeared from an outsider perspective, I may never have noticed them in the first place. Therefore, this skill of being able to communicate and learn collaboratively amongst peers is one that will likely serve me well as I continue on my journey of learning and writing improvement.

 

As I explored all the various ways the basic concept of an "essay" could transform into engaging and daring writing, I was able to gain an appreciation for new writing mediums and experiment with my writing in ways I had never previously considered. From solidifying arguably bold stances, to adjusting my skillset to better reach specific audiences, to improving my ability to learn, improve, and collaborate amongst fellow peers, I feel that my ENGW 3302 class has been a transformative experience for my writing.