Course Reflection
Trinity Watson
Department of Old Dominion University
ENGL 211C: WRITING, RHETORIC AND RESEARCH
Mary Bauers
April 28, 2025
Introduction
At the beginning of the semester, I thought the writing in this class would be mostly focused on MLA format, since that’s what I was most familiar with from previous classes. I expected we’d be doing the usual essays with MLA style citations and works cited pages. However, I quickly realized that this class was more about APA formatting, which was something I wasn’t very confident in at first. I learned that citations in APA are quite different from MLA especially in how sources are cited in text and how the references page is structured. Over the course of the semester, my perspective and confidence in writing have definitely changed. I now feel much more comfortable using APA style, and I understand how to properly cite sources both in text and in the reference list. This has made me more confident overall in my academic writing, and I feel better prepared for future assignments that require APA formatting.
Rhetorical knowledge
In this English course, I applied rhetorical knowledge by learning how to tailor my writing to specific audiences, purposes, and contexts. One assignment that really helped me understand this was the rhetorical remix project. For that project, I had to inform people about safe ride vans while also adding a satirical part to it, supporting it with credible sources, and presenting it in a way that would be funny to an academic audience. This required me to think carefully about tone, structure, and the types of evidence that would be most amusing in an academic context. However, this helped me understand rhetorical principles by showing me how important it is to consider who I’m writing for and what I want them to take away from what I’m writing. I learned how to adjust my writing based on the rhetorical situation whether that meant shifting from a formal academic tone to a more reflective or personal one or adapting my structure and content to fit different mediums like essays, discussion posts, or presentations.
Throughout the semester, I transitioned between many rhetorical situations by being mindful of the expectations for each task. For example, writing the “About Me” Rough Draft required a more personal and introspective voice, while Scholarly research papers demanded an academic tone and strong source. These shifts helped me develop more flexibility in my writing and a deeper understanding of how to communicate effectively in different contexts.
Critical thinking, Research, Reading, and Information literacy skills
I engaged in critical reading strategies by reading and annotating scholarly texts to better understand the main ideas, structure, and types of support used. I learned to identify the thesis, key arguments, and how the author organized their information. This helped me see how effective arguments are built and how evidence is used to support claims. Moreover, annotating texts allowed me to break down complex readings, ask questions, and highlight important points, which made it easier to return to those sources when writing my papers. For example, during the research process for our Scholarly paper, I marked passages that included strong statistics, opinions, or real-world examples so I could refer back to them when I needed support in my writing. These strategies improved my ability to critically evaluate sources and use them more effectively in my work.
Transferable Strategies for Writing Processes and Knowledge of Conventions
I developed stronger writing strategies and a deeper understanding of academic conventions, especially when using proper citation styles. One assignment that really helped with this was the annotated bibliography project. Through this assignment, I learned how to evaluate sources, summarize the content, and format both in text citations and reference entries in APA style. Before this class, I was mostly used to MLA, so learning APA required me to pay close attention to formatting rules—like including the year of publication in in-text citations and using a “References” page instead of a “Works Cited.”
Rhetorical kills for Advanced study and Professional success
One of the key rhetorical skills I’ll carry forward from this English course is the ability to analyze and respond to different audiences and purposes in my writing. This was useful during the rhetorical analysis and argument paper assignments, where I had to carefully consider how to present my ideas in a way that would relate to an academic audience. For example, I had a project on cybersecurity, I explored how students on campus are affected by data privacy issues. I had to research the topic thoroughly, identify credible sources, and present the information in a way that not only informed but persuaded readers to take the issue seriously.
All in all
This assignment helped me practice using tone, structure, and evidence of strategic skills that will be useful for me in the future such as academic or professional writing. I also learned how to connect broader issues like cybersecurity to specific communities, such as college students, which made my writing more relevant and impactful. These rhetorical strategies, understanding the audience, framing the message, and using strong support will help me approach future writing tasks with more confidence and clarity.