3. 3
RHETORIC
Before coming into this class, I
thought I had a good knowledge
of writing technique and
principles. While discussing
rhetorical analysis, I was aware of
the four factors (Audience,
Purpose, Context of Use, Genre)
but was not aware of how they
were actually to be applied. After
studying all of the factors in
rhetoric, I saw the deeper
meanings that they carried.
LEARNING
OUTCOMES
When applying the factors into
my resume and visual resume,
I tried to find a deeper root of
the factors in my project. By
searching every detail of
rhetoric in my resumes, I was
able to compile a project
worthy of presenting to
employers and learned how to
tailor future projects to any
audience I may encounter.
4. 4
WRITING
When I signed up for the
Introduction to Technical Writing
course, I thought it would be a
course that would help improve
my professional writing. I soon
discovered that it would help in all
areas of my writing. By learning
the technical writing process, I
learned step by step how to
maximize effectiveness in my
writing. I learned that
effectiveness is not in how
detailed you make an idea, but
how simple you can relay it to the
audience.
In our Car Manual assignment,
this learning process proved
critical. By having to reword
instructions and put them in a
user-friendly mobile app that we
created, I witnessed first hand
how important simplicity is in
instructional platforms. This
helped me realize how crucial
simplicity is in getting a message
across to consumers or clients.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
5. 5
DESIGN
Design was an integrated part of
this class that I had not seen
coming. I was not aware of how
much design work would have to
be done on the visual resume, car
manual presentation and other
projects we had. Learning how to
design projects aesthetically in a
way that made sense with the
reaction I was trying to get was a
big thing that I took out of this
course.
Learning how to design projects
that will come up later in my
advertising career will be
something I will always hold on to.
Designs can make the difference
in getting the job or not, making
the best presentation or the
runner up. So even though the
content on the page is important,
the design is just as important to
how it is received.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
6. 6
COLLABORATION
Originally I did not expect to have
as many group projects as we did
in this course. I expected to
mainly have a good dose of
individual writing assignments
with small in-class group projects.
However, it was the opposite. In
the end, that proved to be
significantly more beneficial. By
working with groups, I learned
how to be creative in a group
writing environment as well as
how the writing process becomes
more clear with more peoples’
opinions involved.
Group projects in this class
became something I looked
forward to because it sharpened
my writing ability and creativity
simply by being creative with
other people. By hearing different
ideas, it forced me to think
differently and bring fresh ideas
to the table.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
7. 7
ETHICS
No matter what profession a
person enters, ethics will always
be at the center of their work.
Ethics in writing is providing the
most accurate information
possible to the public and giving
sources credit where it is due.
Throughout the course, we have
discussed types of infringements
that would break the ethics code
and how to avoid them. Learning
the fine line of ethics in the real
world is important to the
credibility of your work.
Through discussing ethics and
completing projects such as the
Car Manual and the video resume,
I have learned the process of
putting out credible work.
Whether it be tagging sources,
fair use and usage rights or simply
providing the correct information,
these are all important in
commercial advertising and
presentation.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
8. 8
CULTURAL
CONSIDERATIONS
When writing for any type of
media, one always must consider
how it will be perceived in
different cultures. Being able to
identify with different audiences
across the globe and truly
understanding the way they
communicate is paramount in
presenting media. I have learned
how to go about identifying with
different cultures, what type of
research to do before presenting
to them, and the cultural
challenges that come with the
language barrier.
In my major of advertising,
understanding cultures is one of
the most important aspects of
commercial advertising. In the
digital age we live in where
anything from any region of the
world can be accessed at any
time, cultural sensitivity is at an all
time high. This course has taught
me how to be culturally aware and
how to apply the awareness to my
work.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
9. 9
APPLIED TECHNOLOGY
Many of the group projects
assigned in this classed involved
using interactive technology.
While creating our mobile app for
the Car Manual assignment, we
had to use a website called
Marvel.com. Within the website,
we had to create the app, insert
designs and hotlinks and made
sure it was user friendly. Also for
testing the app, we used different
devices from the English media
lab to help gather our data.
In using different technologies to
complete group assignments, I
learned how to manipulate
technology to make it user-
friendly and aesthetically pleasant.
This will prove very handy when I
am creating advertisements and
presentations for ad agencies.
Showing that you know how to
use technology and use it well is
impressive in any line of
professional work.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
10. IN
CONCLUSION
Overall, I would say that my semester in
2311 was a fantastic learning experience. It
helped me understand how important
visual organization is when creating
presentations, taught me how to use
different writing techniques to receive a
certain reaction, and left me with technical
writing skills that I will use in my future
career in advertising.
