Olivia Ortega

December 10, 2014

English 120
Reflective Argument
The English 120 course at the University of New Mexico is designed for the
student to make progress towards 10 student learning outcomes. In this reflective
argument, I will discuss my personal progress towards five of these ten learning
outcomes and will reflect on the class assignments that fostered my progress. I will
be covering outcomes A, C, E, F, and I, respectively.
Analyze, compose, and reflect on arguments in a variety of genres, considering the
strategies, claims, evidence, and various mediums and technologies that are
appropriate to the rhetorical situation.
Many of the class assignments related to this learning outcome. Throughout
the semester, we analyzed several arguments in various mediums, including text
and video. However, the assignment that most accurately encompasses all of the
themes of this learning outcome was the first Major Writing Assignment. This
assignment involved analyzing the rhetorical strategies incorporated into an ALS Ice
Bucket Challenge Video. We were required to look at not only the rhetorical
strategies utilized, but also the chosen medium of the argument and the overall
rhetorical situation. From this analysis, we were required to compose our own
argument discussing the effectiveness of the video we chose to study. This meant
that I was learning not only how to analyze others arguments, but also how to
carefully construct my own. The freshness of the subject matter of this assignment
increased my interest in conducting the analysis. It was interesting to thoroughly
analyze a short video that I normally would have watched and probably forgotten
about. This assignment improved my rhetorical analysis skills and taught me to look
for the various rhetorical situations in everyday life. I believe through this
assignment, I made great progress towards this student learning objective.
Use multiple approaches for planning, researching, prewriting, composing, assessing,
revising, editing, proofreading, collaborating, and incorporating feedback in order to
make your compositions stronger in various mediums and using multiple technologies.
All of the assignments we have completed this semester helped me to make
progress toward this learning outcome in someway. All of the assignments, large or
small, involved some level of careful planning, research, prewriting, composing,
assessing, revising, editing, proofreading, collaborating and/or incorporating
feedback. For example, Major Writing Assignment 2, the urban legend documentary,
incorporated many of these subjects. Before we began creating the actual video, our
team did a lot of researching and planning. We researched the internet, library
databases, and conducted interviews. We planned who was going to work on
specific aspects of the documentary, such as editing, filming, and interviewing.
When we began creating the documentary, we composed interview questions and a
1

script. We edited and revised the script and questions until they were satisfactory.
We assessed each others work throughout the project, such as video quality and
level of contribution to the group project. We were also required to participate in a
peer review, in which our classmates watched our video and submitted comments
and suggestion. We then took these suggestions and used them to improve our
video. We completed our project through various mediums, including essay, video,
and online discussion boards. In creating a documentary with my team, I feel that I
made great progress toward this student learning outcome.
Analyze and describe the value of incorporating various languages, dialects and
registers in your own and others texts.
This is one learning outcome that I feel I did not make a lot of progress
toward. Throughout the semester, I didnt incorporate other languages, dialects, or
registers in my work. The only instances where I incorporated another language in
my work was in the urban legend documentary. The legend we chose was a Navajo
legend. We interviewed many members of the Navajo tribe, and in some portions of
the interviews, they spoke in Navajo or gave examples of Navajo terminology
related to the urban legend. In the future, I will continue to work towards this
learning outcome in other classes. For example, next semester I will be taking a
French class. If I am required to write any essays, or other forms of text, I will try to
incorporate both English and French into my text. That will help me to continue to
make progress towards this student learning outcome.
Evaluate your development as a writer over the course of the semester and describe
how composing in multiple genres and mediums using various technologies can be
applied in other contexts to advance your goals.
I believe that I have improved as a writer over this semester. In the past, I
have used the same system for writing essays, without trying new techniques very
often. In this course, however, I not only expanded my writing process, but also was
presented with opportunities to apply my process to multiple mediums and genres.
In Sequence 1 of this course, we were required to create and outline for one of our
assignments. This outline was intended to help us organize our thoughts and ideas
for the major writing assignment of the sequence. Normally I do not use an outline
in my writing process because I believed it was purely extra work and took time
away from writing the actual essay. However, after completing this outline and
using it as a guide for my essay, I discovered how helpful outlines could be. It not
only kept my essay organized as I was writing it, but saved me time as well because I
already had my main ideas and thoughts written down and clearly organized. I
continued to use this newfound writing device for the major assignments of
sequences 2 and 3, which featured different mediums, such as video and PowerPoint
presentation. Expanding my writing process and composing in multiple mediums
and genres allowed me to make progress toward this student learning objective.

Compose a research-based academic argument in one of various mediums and

technologies by identifying, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing sources, which
must include secondary sources.
Most of the assignments I completed for this course were researched-based,
but Major writing Assignment 3 is the best example of using research to compose an
academic argument in various mediums. For this assignment, we were required to
choose a topic or issue affecting the local community, and form an argument that we
presented to the entire class. To complete this argument, I had to conduct extensive
research and write an informative essay explaining the history of my topic as well as
all of the researched material. I had to carefully analysis, evaluate, and synthesize
my sources. I made sure that all of the sources I cited were credible and provided
substantial information that I could use to support my argument. Many of the
sources I consulted and cited were secondary sources. The sources were mainly
articles, government websites, organization websites, and academic websites. Using
this essay, I composed a PowerPoint to aid my presentation. This assignment
allowed me to make great progress toward this student learning objective.
Thanks to this course and my progress towards the aforementioned student
learning objects, as well as other contributing factors, I believe that I have improved
as a writer and a student overall. I will use what I have learned in this course and
the new skills I have developed in future classes of all areas of study.