Reflections

Genre Analysis Reflection

By Daniel Seegers

I think often when we read something, or look at an image, or watch a movie, we don’t realize that we are viewing different genres—that they were specifically designed to be in that format. For whatever reason, it was deemed that the information presented could best be portrayed using those means—that through them they could best accomplish their purpose. This is what I realized during this project. We tend to just digest information without giving any thought as to why it was presented the way it was or how important this choice was to the author in order for him to most effectively get his point across. It’s important for us to realize that information is all around, that care has been put in to constructing it the way it is, and that it’s presented that way for a very specific purpose. Genres are a function of information that we need to learn to both analyze and interpret, and wield as a part of our own drives to express ourselves and accomplish our goals.

Literature Review Reflection

By Daniel Seegers

I learned a lot of new information about my topic through working on/completing the Literature Review. I learned new information about how colleges spend the money they make from sports, and how only a few actually make any money. I learned a lot about how student athletes and universities benefit from one another, as well as what sort of impact would be felt by universities if they were required to pay their athletes.

My primary research did not turn out well. I conducted a survey and ultimately did not have enough participants to make it a very viable source to draw conclusions from. I was fairly comfortable with gathering the information and with how to add it to the literature review, but next time I will have to attempt some better avenues to garner responses. I might have to do it the old fashioned way. Who ever said the internet was the best?

I think I did well with finding sources and relevant information to answer my research questions. I think my information was fairly well organized. An area I can improve is my knowledge of and application of APA formatting. As mentioned above, I can definitely improve in conducting primary research.

Documentary Reflection

By Daniel Seegers

         Finishing the documentary project I realized again just how much work goes into only five minutes of video, and this realization has increased even more my appreciation for good media and the extreme amount of work and details it entails. I think the purpose of this assignment was to allow us to advocate for our topics using a medium that has become very important in the way we communicate and in the way information is communicated to us. I learned that in order to promote a certain advocacy using this medium you have much more options available to you than other genres, like a paper. You can use interviews, narration, written script, images, and video, among others. This can make it easier or harder to present your advocacy depending on how you chose to utilize these tools. I used many of these tools in my video in an attempt to better promote my purpose, and I think the use of a combination of these different tools allowed me to better present my advocacy. I used ethos, pathos, and logos in my video. I used ethos by the information presented through the interview and the sources on the slides, as well as my references at the end of my video. I used pathos by appealing to the viewer’s sense of what’s fair and acceptable as I presented the benefits student athletes receive and the negative impact paying them would likely have on the university. I used logos in the way I presented my information and in the way I reinforced my arguments with credible sources. I liked this assignment because I have always had an appreciation and love of media and I enjoyed putting a video together myself. It’s a very unique medium that requires a skill level beyond other mediums—a skill that I by no means possess yet, but one which I would like to improve.

Semester Reflection

By Daniel Seegers

If I am completely honest, when I started the semester I didn’t have any writing goals. I knew that I wanted to do a really good job on the writing projects I would have, but I didn’t have any specific goals. During the course of the semester, and especially through the Literature Review assignment, I think the area I improved in the most was in being a more effective researcher. I improved in my abilities to find pertinent, viable information that allowed me to form an effective research paper, in the case of the Literature Review, and an effective advocacy, in the case of the Documentary and OP-ED.

I enjoyed the Documentary the most. It was stressfull and annoying at times, but it was enjoyable seeing it take shape as I edited it and filmed and added more footage. It also gave me a chance to be a little more creative. This being said, I also enjoyed writing the OP-ED, considering the fact that I had been researching this topic all semester and hadn’t been able to blatantly rant my opinions. And who doesn’t like to rant and blow off some steam? Needless to say, it was nice to be able to express the opinion I had reinforced over the semester.

It was interesting observing how each project built on the next throughout the course. By the time I was finished with the Literature Review and I had completed the majority of my research, the opinion I had at the beginning of the semester remained the same, but became much more concrete and supported by evidence. This made it easier to transition into the Documentary and the Opinion Editorial because I had already compiled my research and confirmed my opinion confidently.

This was a rewarding class because I was able to research a topic effectively and then express my opinion of the topic in an informed manner. I don’t particularly feel that I have improved as a writer because of this class, but in the very least it provided a medium by which I could practice my skills as a writer and familiarize myself with concepts and assignments that I will likely have to apply in other courses.