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Reflective course outcome letter

December 10, 2015


Elizabeth Benedict, Professor
University of New Mexico (UNM)
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Dear Professor Benedict,
Ive learned many things by taking this ENGL 219 course. Ive written some professional and
technical documents in my academic career before, but overall, I wasnt too experienced. This
course has provided me with the necessary tools and experience I will need to continue creating
effective technical and professional documents in my future academic and professional career.
All of the course outcomes for this class were apparent in each of the assignments we completed
this semester, and I believe I have been successful in understanding and utilizing them.
The first course outcome was to analyze the rhetorical situation. Considering the rhetorical
situation is very important when creating a document, or even any kind of work or project. It
encompasses many things that the writer must think about before drafting, such as: the subject of
the document, purpose, and audience. These factors will determine the tone, style, design, and
essentially, the genre of the document.
Each Major Writing Assignment (MWA) had a different rhetorical situation. For example, MWA
#1 (Electronic Portfolio) required us to make a website showcasing ourselves to potential
employers. We were to include a biography of ourselves, describing personal interests and
providing background information, a resume and cover letter, as well as samples of our academic
work. Being that this is an electronic medium and is intended for potential employers, the
content, style, and tone of the portfolio was tailored to fit the rhetorical situation. The content
and tone was meant to be professional, but at the same time, a little bit informal in order to show
that we are well balanced. This rhetorical situation is different than the other assignments. For
MWA #2, the document was written, and the genre was totally different, thus affecting the
content, structure, and design. Special attention must be paid to the rhetorical situation, and
failure to do so can result in an ineffective document.
The second outcome was to find and evaluate information. Nobody knows everything, so doing
research beforehand is very important for the success of the document. It can help the writer
form opinions, generate content, and decided how to proceed with drafting. There are a lot of
sources out there, and one has to make sure that the sources they are using are reliable and the
information is up to date. Sources can be anything from written documents, to videos, podcasts,
in person interviews, and everything in between. Additionally, it is recommended that one uses a
variety of sources; as long as they are credible. Government websites and publications, as well as
peer reviewed academic papers and works are almost always credible, so they are definitely good
sources to start with.

MWA #3 (Recommendation Report) requires us to do the most research. My topic for the
assignment was applying Universal Design to the U.S. Income Tax documents and filing process
for returns, as I believe these documents were relatively inaccessible to many taxpayers because
of their complexity and the difficulty associated with filling them out. Before I could come up
with a solution to the problem, I had to conduct research first. I decided to start by simply
researching the U.S. Income Tax. I decided to mostly use government websites, such as IRS.gov,
because I knew the information on there would be current and accurate. Additionally, I also set
up a survey for my classmates in order to get real opinions about the accessibility of tax
documents and statistics about how they file their annual returns. Although the empirical
research I conducted through the survey wasnt large, I believe it provided with some very useful
information. Also, when researching, especially from credible sources, if you find information
from various sources stating the same thing, it usually means that it is true. One of the other
assignments, MWA #2 (Proposal), also required some research, but not as much. Lacking proper
research and using unreliable sources can cause the document to be weak and misleading.
The third outcome was to compose documents. Composing documents not only includes actually
writing the text, but planning the content, structure, and design. There are many techniques one
can use to generate ideas and content, such as: brain mapping, outlining, and free writing. These
techniques can help the writer develop the structure, tone, and style of the document. I used
practically all of these techniques when developing my assignments in this course. For example,
I did brain mapping when I was drafting the Solution portion of the Proposal by writing out the
major and minor steps needed to enact the solution.
Documents are usually written independently, but in some cases, such as MWA #2 (Proposal),
they are written in groups. Creating documents in a group is an interesting dynamic because it
requires the understanding and participation of all group members to compose an effective
document. This was actually the first time I ever wrote an actual full length document in a group.
Luckily for me, my experience with the group was very positive and even kind of fun because
everyone participated and contributed. We divided the work up proportionately by sections, and
worked on some of the sections, and the overall structuring and design together. In the end, I
believe we came up with a very solid and persuasive document. Composing documents is
basically where writers are expected to show their skills.
The fourth and final outcome was to present documents. This outcome is basically about putting
the final touches on the document and creating visuals and presentations to help support the text.
In many cases, writers will be required to not only create documents about their ideas, but also
present them to potential readers and help them understand the content. This is where it can be
very beneficial to incorporate visuals, such as: charts, pictures, and graphs. Not only do these
help the audience better understand the subject, but it can also add appeal and improve the design
of the document.
We were required to create original visuals for both of our written major assignments. For our
MWA #2 (Proposal), we created a simple chart showing the causes and effects of homelessness.
I believe this chart would prove to be very beneficial to readers because it showcases the ideas in
a very simple manner. Revision and editing is also an important part of this outcome. For our
final portfolio, we were to go back and revise our Proposal and Recommendation Report. My

revisions came mainly from feedback, both from you and our peers, as well as my own opinions.
These revisions dealt mainly with structure, clarity, and design. For example, in my MWA #3
(Recommendation) I went back and changed the font and size of the headers of the sections to
improve the look of the document. Although it is a small detail, I believe it made a big
difference. Hardly any document is perfect on the very first draft, and that is why revision and
editing is very important. Although it is often an overlooked part of creating documents, it can
take the document from good to superior.
The experience and knowledge that I have gained in this class will undoubtedly help me in my
future academic and professional career. Im positive that I will have to create more technical
and professional documents in the future, both independently and in groups. I now understand
the importance of analyzing the rhetorical situations, focusing on design and adding visuals, and
revising the document to make sure everything is cohesive. I enjoyed taking your course this
semester, thank you.
Sincerely,
Daljit Singh, Student
University of New Mexico (UNM)

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