Dr. E. Brown

REFLECTIVE STATEMENT

After completing the three main projects of ENC 2135—Investigative Field Essay, Compare and Contrast Essay, and Multigenre Persuasive Campaign—I can safely say that I've learned quite a bit throughout this course. 

​

With the first project, the Investigative Field Essay, I learned some key aspects of the field I'm Majoring in (Computer Science). Some of these aspects included: places in which to study this field, how much it costs to study it, what salary one can earn, what subfields exist, and many others. In addition, I conducted two interviews that added to both my knowledge of the field and to my references when I finally wrote the Investigative Field Essay after much research.

​

With the second project, the Compare and Contrast Essay, I learned the essential components of how to effectively compare and contrast to artifacts. The artifacts were meant to be separate in format and also had to be related to a pressing issue in my major. For my case, I chose the lack of women and minorities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. One of my artifacts was a peer-reviewed articled published by esteemed professors and the other was a TedEx Talks video on the matter by a female STEM student. Both provided very good examples and information, however, their methods of delivery, intended audience, and credibility differed significantly. These were my only sources for this essay.

​

Finally, with the third—and might I add, most interesting—project, I learned how to put together a multigenre campaign that included a persuasive poster, an informative video, and a narrative article discussing modern privacy and how to ensure its longevity. For the poster, I used references from spying in pop culture such as in 1984, a novel by George Orwell; for the video, I accounted a brief summary of the case between Edward Snowden—a whistleblower—and the U.S. National Security Agency; finally, for the article, I discussed two past instances of both a corporation and a foreign power mishandling private information they weren't supposed to have in the first place. I learned a lot about a topic I enjoy reading about and also that one cannot be too careful with one's privacy in the information age.

​

Throughout this course, I have learned a lot. I have learned the modern rules for writing in specific formats and also about the wonders on discourse communities, and how they are useful when conducting research or writing a persuasive prompt. In addition, I learned more about things I already had some knowledge of such as rhetorical appeals (Ethos, Pathos, and Logos), thesis statements, and conclusion paragraphs. I have no doubt in my mind that what I have accomplished and acquired during this course will help me with the career goals I've set out for myself down the line.

​

— Ramon