Scanlon 1

Janae Scanlon
Sandy Alden
102 English
14 May 2014

Reflective Argument
I can honestly say that taking English 102 class this semester has allowed me to become a
much more expressive and well-rounded writer. I may not be a perfect writer but I know that I
have definitely improved since my first day in class. Throughout high school, writing was not
my strong point but I enjoyed it. Having taken this class, along with English 101 last semester, I
feel that I can enjoy writing even more now that my skills have improved. Since the beginning of
the semester, I have learned how to analyze well-known speeches and understand the rhetorical
devices that were used to make these speeches famous. I have learned how to use various
methods in order to make arguments stronger and more effective. I have also learned the
importance of knowing how to analyze a variety of genres in order to choose the most effective
source of information. Having completed these assignments that have pushed me to explore and
research, I have also advanced towards several Student Learning Outcomes, or SLOs. After
reading through the SLOs, I have decided that SLOs E, F, G, I, and J are the ones that I have
advanced toward the most throughout the semester.
Student Learning Outcome E
One day in class we were encouraged to read each SLO and put them into our own words
that we can understand and are comfortable with. My classmates and I said that we will Be able
to fluently analyze and use a variety of literary works to better the relationship between the
writer and the audience
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for SLO E. Out of all the assignments, I feel that Major Writing
Assignment 3 made me advance towards SLO E the most. In MWA 3, I analyzed two different
genres and compared them in order to find out which genre was the better source of information.
Through this assignment, I feel that I have substantially advanced towards the fluently analyze
portion of SLO 3.
Student Learning Outcome F
My classmates and I came to the conclusion that SLO F urged to Track your
development as a writer and reflect how your new skills can impact your future endeavors.
After almost every assignment that was completed we were advised and encouraged to reflect on
what we had just accomplished by writing a 2-3 page reflection and turning it in with our
assignment. Because of this, I became quite familiar with the SLOs and what they meant. We
were also instructed to reflect on how the assignment would impact future endeavors, as SLO

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Rewritten Student Learning Outcome definitions by group members of classmate Shepard Moore, of which I was
a member.
Scanlon 2

F says. In one reflection I had written, By practicing my abilities in this assignment, I will be
able to take on other writing challenges with a bit more confidence. I now have the knowledge
that I will need to write a proposal addressing other problems here at UNM or my future career.
The ability to write a successful proposal will surely come in handy as I enter into the
professional world after college (Scanlon). This is evidence of my advancement towards SLO
F. I learned that completing assignments that may not seem important now, may definitely be
important in the future.
Student Learning Outcome G
My classmates and I put SLO G into our own words by saying, Through writing and
research engage in multiple views of the topic and rhetorical situation in order to gain better
personal perspective on a specific topic. I feel that I have advanced towards this SLO through
the completion of MWA 3. In this assignment I analyzed two genres that provided information
on nursing: a documentary and a blog entry. This allowed me to engage in multiple views of the
topic as it says in SLO G because I compared a documentary which viewed the topic from a
camera lens, and a blog entry which viewed the topic from a numerical point of view.
Student Learning Outcome I
SLO I says to Gather researchprimary and secondaryto strengthen an argument in
your academic writing. I feel that I have advanced toward this SLO through completion of
MWA 2. In this assignment we were instructed to write a proposal addressing an issue here on
campus that we felt strongly about. I chose to write a proposal addressing the affordability of
college textbooks because it is an issue that I and every other student at UNM have to deal with
every semester. An example of my advancement toward SLO I is a portion of my proposal where
I wrote During my first semester of college I was astonished at how expensive my required
books were. All of my textbooks ranged from $50 to $150, most being around $75. This shows
my use of primary research. I also wrote, Students spend an average of $1,200 on books and
supplies every school year. Because of this, from out of more than 2,000 students surveyed, 65%
said they did not buy a textbook at some point during college because of the cost. Of those, 94%
said this choice made them concerned about their grade (Collins). This is an example of my use
of secondary research.
Student Learning Outcome J
We came to the conclusion that SLO J says, By studying the conventions of an academic
field create a better understanding of communication. I feel that I have advanced toward SLO J
through the completion of Sequence 3. In the assignments of this sequence, we were instructed to
choose academic field to research. I chose to research my major, which is nursing. I spent time
finding several credible sources that I felt were effective in informing others about the nursing
field. Through this research, I was able to advance toward SLO J by analyzing the register and
conventions of each genre and choosing the most effective source. This created a better
understanding of the communication in the nursing field.
Scanlon 3

Though I have not yet mastered SLOs E, F, G, I, and J, I definitely can say that I have
moved a whole lot closer to these outcomes throughout the semester. When I began this class in
January I was not all that confident in my writing abilities. I knew that I still had numerous areas
to work on. However, after having completed this class, I feel confident that I will be able to take
on any writing challenge that may come my way in the future. I know that the skills that I have
learned this semester will only prepare me for future academic and professional endeavors.