English 2210 – 016: Professional and Technical Writing

Date: December 10, 2021

To: Dr. Lisa Myers
From: Korbin Bauer
Subject: Reflective Outcome Memo for Professional and Technical Communication

I am writing to you today to determine and evaluate the rhetorical choices that I , and my various
group members employed; and I wish to reflect upon the progress this assignment has helped me
make towards the Student Learning Outcomes of the English 2210: Technical Writing course as
outlined in the syllabus.

The first objective I would like to analyze is the “Visual Communication” objective. This
outcome states, “Using visual design principles to develop audience-friendly data displays,
including charts, tables, infographics, line graphics, and presentations.” This outcome is
displayed in the video instructions under the “Video Instructions Tab” of my portfolio. This
video was created as a part of a group project and thus I use the word “we” as to indicate this
was performed as a group. The intention of the document is to create an easily visible
demonstration of how to perform the instructions on the recipe. The video was created so one, it
is easy to watch, two; it is easy to read and understand, and three; it allows for pausing while also
still being able to see instructions and video. The video captions are bolded so that they stand out
to a viewer and allow them to easily read the instructions as they watch the person in the video
demonstrate. We left out a person speaking the instructions as sometimes there may be
discrepancies in understanding, and some people may find it hard to understand certain people
when they talk. The use of background noise (music) kept the video from being dull and quiet.
This addition helps keep viewers engaged, and it enables them to focus on the video better. The
title and conclusion give and leave the reader with a sense of accomplishment in their abilities
which helps boost morale of the viewer. The combination of these elements allows for concise,
precise, and helpful instructions to efficiently be displayed and projected for the reader's
convenience.

The second objective I would like to analyze is the “Project Analysis” objective. This outcome
states, “Identifying a document’s readers and a document’s context relative to practices of
composing for specific global, diverse, and multicultural audiences. Understanding how
technical documents occupy and respond to social justice and community service contexts.” This
outcome is displayed throughout the written instructions under the “Written Instructions” tab.
This document was created as a part of a group project and thus I use the word “we” as to
indicate this was performed as a group. To start, the title has the Spanish name for the dish with
the English translation. This aids readers who are not fluent in Spanish understand the name of
the dish. The introduction identifies the meal as a signature Dominican dish. This identification
appeals to the Dominican audience, as it highlights them as the creators of the unique style of
this dish, and it appeals to other audiences who wish to learn about Dominican cuisine. The note,
ingredients, utensils, caution, and directions section are very concise and to the point. This
enables readers to raid the document and get the necessary information out. A concise and direct
document, with additional info like substitutions and generalized info, allows for a little
“breathing room” among readers. This breathing room allows for an encompassing of a larger
audience who may be forced to use substitutions or other accommodations to effectively use the
 English 2210 – 016: Professional and Technical Writing

recipe. This combination of techniques allows our document to encompass and attract a large
audience and compensate for their needs as well.

The third objective I would like to analyze is the Reviewing and Editing outcome. This outcome
states, “Across media and contexts, ensuring final clear style, user-centered writing, and error-
free spelling and mechanics.” For this outcome, I will use the Formal Report under the “Formal
Report” tab. At the beginning of the class on Tuesday, November 30 th ; we underwent a peer
review. Within this peer review, we received feedback that our methodology had some
unnecessary pieces of info. If you take a second to look at the first sentence of the methodology
you will see it is short and direct. Before the peer review, we had an abridged version of our intro
and some results summary placed into the methodology. Through peer review, we were able to
spot this mistake and remedy it. The review and revision of the document illustrates the
fundamentals of objective 7, reviewing and editing, as we reformed our document to fit the
requirements of the formal report.

The second objective that I wish to analyze is the “Content Management” outcome. This states,
“Gaining knowledge of the organization and management of digital and textual information and
learning the basics of information architecture, web content management, and social
networking.” For this outcome I will be using the formal report in the “Formal Report” tab to
draw my examples from. For this, I will focus specifically on the flow chart and bar graph
original graphics on pages 6 & 8 of the report. These two graphics required me to use Excel and
Word in ways to clearly present necessary data. In excel I had to not only hand craft a data table,
but I also had to convert the data into a legible bar graph that stresses the essential information.
In Word, if had to craft a visual flow chart that allowed the reader to see how certain things flow
into other things. To do this I had to ensure everything was clear and concise so a reader would
not get lost in the flow of the chart. To create both graphics, I had to employ multiple distinct
functions of Word and Excel to ensure their success.
I would like to take the time to reflect on the class and the further applications I will have for the
skills learned in it. In the rest of my college career, I will be articulating lots more professional
documents and revising old ones. The base concepts I learned when writing resumes, memos,
emails, and complaint letters will be useful to me as an everyday skill in college. Other concepts
like professional document formatting and proper syntax/vocab will be an unconscious habit now
as I continue in life. This class has taught me to expand my writing skills to encompass a
multitude of different document types. It has also taught me how to work professionally in a
group setting to complete larger projects. I have learned how to be flexible mentally and socially
as well. Every skill that I learned and employed in this class will be used at a later point in my
life, whether it's in a few days, weeks, months, or years.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to email me at
kbauer1@unm.edu or call my cell at 208-881-6012. Thank you for taking the time to read this
memo.