I'm just a kid from New Jersey who started college at the University of Arizona in Tucson in the fall of 2024 looking for something different from the East Coast. Unfortunately, due to a tragic event in my life, I came home and decided to continue pursuing a degree through the University of Arizona online program and do a little "catch up" after withdrawing from the first semester. Online learning is hard, but I've managed so far and actually enjoy the flexibility of the workload and schedule.

English 102 continues where English 101 left off with a focus on the foundations of writing. With the online learning environment, I've been challenged to hone time management skills and to be organized and diligent in keeping up with the online format. From an overall perspective, English 102 proved to be more challenging than 101 due to the condensed summer session and content within assignments. English 101 allowed a little more free writing over the course of double-digit weeks, whereas 102 is more targeted and structured within a 7-week course. The beginning of the summer session was a little chaotic, and it was hard to keep up and make sure all the assignments were getting done. But once in the groove, it was a matter of staying on top and getting things done sooner rather than later because the pace was pretty quick.

My expectations going into this class were exceeded. I would say the greatest assets and skills I acquired were idea-building exercises, utilizing different research databases and the use of keywords in my searches for content, peer review, editing, and reflecting on each stage of work. I continue to challenge myself to bust the myth that the draft must be as close to an end product as possible and that editing and revisions always make your work better.

Included in my portfolio are artifacts that demonstrate my overall journey through English 102 and its projects. They include discussion board screenshots, Feedback Fruits screenshots, instructor feedback screenshots, brainstorming activities, drafts, edits, and final papers.

Goal 1: Researching potential topics for a paper

I found Module 3 for Project 1 to be the most beneficial of all things we did this semester. While it was so early on in the class, it has helped build a foundation for so much ahead. The goals per Module 3 overview were to be able to:

Identify the difference between scholarly and popular sources;
Generate specific keywords for conducting research;
Conduct research using a variety of different library resources;
Critically analyze sources to summarize and evaluate their context and contents;
Reflect on your progress as a learner in the unit and the course so far

Overthinking before even getting started is always a problem for me. A feeling of being overwhelmed by the project or assignment to the point where I don't know where or how to begin. Often I get stuck coming up with a topic that I can't even get started on the actual assignment. The tools and skills gained in this specific module were life-changing, and that's not being dramatic. Taking a step-by-step approach in researching a topic and identifying sources; learning to use keywords, come up with a research question, and use different databases ranging from scholarly journals to popular sources were invaluable lessons. This will help support my work going forward in any class that requires these skillsets.

Where do we start?

Brainstorming

This worksheet from Task 2.3 really helped to break down an approach to addressing an issue or problem to research in our class and formulate a topic. By answering the questions within the worksheet, it helped to come up with ideas for a "what" and "why" for Project 1. By also posting it within the class discussions, I received feedback from my classmates on what they considered to be the better topics to pursue instead of just deciding on my own. This helped drive me toward a topic not only that interested me but was interesting to others.

Task 2.3 Worksheet - Brainstorm potential research topics

Researching Topics: Databases and Keyword Searches

This worksheet from Task 3.1 led me to, by far, the best thing I learned this semester. I learned about the different types of sources and how to find them using the University of Arizona library sources, Google Scholar, and "Popular Searches" via Google. I learned that it's OK to use artificial intelligence for things like identifying topics and potential research questions within a search criteria. This worksheet not only directed us to use different sources and databases but also how to create keywords (and synonyms) to extend the search and results possibilities.

Task 3.1 Worksheet - Researching your topic and locating sources

Databases Used For Research Article Search

University of Arizona General Library Search

Google Scholar Search

Goal 2: "First Drafts Must Be Perfect" - I don't think so!

The myth that "first drafts must be perfect" is exactly just that—a myth. I used to think that your first draft should be as close to a final as possible just to get it over with and be satisfied with finishing an assignment. In my head, settling with what's on the first draft was sufficient if it got me a good grade and not putting in the extra effort for better. While I would still love to get through an assignment quickly, especially given the summer condensed course and the time constraints, understanding that the drafting process, peer and instructor reviews, rewriting and editing, etc., is an absolute benefit and one that should be taken full advantage of. Ultimately, this helps you develop your content from another's perspective to make sure that it's not only informative but also makes sense from an "outsider's viewpoint," someone who may not be as familiar with the content.

Feedback Fruits - Project 1

Task 2.3 - Discussion (Brainstorming)

Goal 3: Revising—It Takes Time, Just Do It

Time management is key, especially with the condensed schedule. Sure, we want to get everything done as quickly as possible, but taking the feedback and comments from the discussion boards helps you to be more succinct and clear in your content. You can read it over and over again, and it all sounds "fine," but getting opinions and feedback from our professor and peers can only improve on it. Maybe it's as simple as something editorial, or maybe it's not hitting the target on the actual assignment completely. It's nice to push aside the concerns about feedback and not take it personally to better the process and the end product. My fear from English 101 was the feedback from my peers. I hadn't had good experiences previously and was fearful of the comments I would receive. However, I learned to ignore the fears and accept the feedback as constructive and not personal. Overcoming this mental roadblock has been eye-opening, but in receiving feedback and providing feedback. I take more time and thought into my responses instead of giving superficial responses, understanding that I would want something constructive and should do the same in return.

Task 7.1 - Revision Plan - Project 1

Task 13.1 - Revising & Editing Multimodal Argument

Goal 4: Conventions—Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How?

Conventions help provide a framework for your writing. It includes things like grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It's understanding who your audience is and the message you're trying to convey so that the reader is engaged and what they're consuming peaks and keeps their interest. We worked on annotated bibliographies in Project 1, which was intended to be scholarly with an academic focus and audience, followed by Project 2, which was a multi-modal approach - in my case, an infographic.

Project 1 was helpful in learning how to utilize citations for sources, describe a main argument, and offer an analytical summary of the text, both in general description and comparative analysis to all the sources gathered. Project 2 allowed us to maintain the same argument but approach the content in a totally different manner to support the argument.

Mission Accomplished: Annotated Bibliography—Project 1

Completed citations for a source (whether APA or MLPA)
Described the purpose and main argument of the source
Evaluated the credibility and reliability of the publication and author(s)
Offered an analytical summary of the text's content
Evaluated the reasoning and conclusions of the source

Annotated Bibliography Screenshot - Project 1

Multi-modal

Canva Screenshot—MultiModal Infographic

Multimodal writing involves using multiple approaches to presenting content. You can use visual, audio, or textual types of writing. The objective of multimodal writing is for the reader to absorb the content in the most effective manner. To do this, you must understand the audience and be able to describe and organize content in a way that makes sense for them to understand. I utilized an infographic intended for a Gen Z audience. Infographics are a great multimodal way to communicate to this audience because they appeal to their emotions (pathos) and logic (logos) through colorful and relatable means. By using visual elements that require colorful, segmented font emphasis, organization, and images in easily digestible formats that first draw them to the content and then make it easy to read and understand. Gen Z is used to skimming content to see if it's interesting to them or not. You won't be able to draw a consumer to your content if it's not immediately aesthetically pleasing.

Goal 5: Writer's Reflection—There's A Reason For It All

Sure, ultimately it's the end product that gives you the satisfaction of your work. But taking the time to reflect as you progress through your project allows you to slow down and measure the progress and purpose of what you're doing. It allows you to go back to the original objectives and goals of the module to make certain you are accomplishing its intent and understanding its purpose. Sure it's time consuming and requires additional work, but rather than thinking it's an additional burden, you should consider an additional benefit.

Task 11.2 - Draft of Writer's Memo - Project 1

Task 13.3 - Final of Writer's Memo - Project 2

Conclusion

English 102 contrasted with English 101 in that the gauge for success and progress was more apparent. English 101 seemed more subjective because the writing was more free-style and your progress was harder to measure. The pace for English 102 was a bit chaotic with a lot of moving parts and a fast-paced curriculum due to the time constraints of the summer semester. However, English 102 was by far so much more beneficial in my writing process and evolution. Learning the proper skills from start to finish for an annotated bibliography was invaluable, starting from ideating to the finished project. The simple idea of starting from things that interest you: hobbies, field of study, professional endeavors. Coming up with keywords that capture some of those interests, identifying synonyms to those words, and utilizing appropriate databases. All these steps were not only helpful for the assignments for the semester but are tools now learned for academic, personal, and professional searches going forward.

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