Reflective Statement
Over the course of three and a half months I learned a considerable amount of information related to many things in literature and research. The things I learned include topics like the structure of a research paper, rhetorical elements, how to describe those elements, and various genres that can help push a narrative and argument. I not only learned about things within literature, but various skills that I needed to develop to be successful within the class. I know that all of the lessons and skills that I learned and developed will help me with my future goals and endeavors within my writing and beyond.
The first project that was created within the class was the annotated bibliography in which the students had to research a topic of their choosing, create a research question on that topic, find sources that were credible and could help answer the research question, and lastly elaborate on the source’s usefulness within the bibliography. In the process of preparing for this assignment I was introduced to the format of a research paper and how it’s structured. Its format varies from subject to subject as art and humanity related papers are usually written with Modern Language Association (MLA) formatting while science-related papers are usually written in American Psychological Association (APA) format. APA research papers usually consist of the abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and reference sections. All of these sections address different parts of the research or simply have different purposes that work together to fulfill the overall purpose of sharing the information that the research has to offer. All of the things that I learned in the first project were put to use in project 1b, the investigative essay, in which I made my own research paper.
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After focusing solely on research in the first and second parts of project one, other students and I were able to broaden our horizons by focusing on literature overall as we prepared for project two. This project, the rhetorical rationale, allowed us students to look at various forms of media (aka modes) and assess how these different modes/genres were of rhetorical value. While writing this project I was able to open my eyes to see how many forms of media effectively convince people to believe in a message that the author wants to express. For example, a video ad may be more effective than a short newspaper blurb when attempting to appeal to an audience through pathos, as a video can use sound, editing, imagery, and dialogue all in a short time span while a short blurb can’t describe much with a simple paragraph or two. I was able to understand the concept of exigence and how it applies to different forms of writing. I also learned how to identify various parts of pathos, logos, and ethos appeals within a genre. I applied all of the knowledge of rhetoric and genres to my third project in which I made three documents of three separate formats/genres and had them all work towards a set purpose for two separate audiences.
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Beyond all of the wonderful things that I learned to improve my writing I learned skills that will help me accomplish my own personal goals. All of the projects involved a multistep process where a proposal was made, the professor goes over the proposal with the student, a second draft was created, and then a peer review happened before the final draft was due. The amount of advice and help I received from this project showed me that reaching out and asking for help and helping others is very important and valuable in all aspects of life. I also learned about how great planning is and some practical ways I can implement it in my life to help me reach my goals. Overall, I think this course was amazing and I would encourage all to take it!