Revised

Israel Romero
2014 Forest Hills Dr.
Fayetteville, North Carolina 28301

Dr. Leslie Bruce

University Hall 435
800 N. State College Blvd.
Fullerton, CA 92831

Dear Dr. Bruce:

As a student of the natural sciences, it is imperative that I improve my writing to

effectively explain my thought process to my audience. In English 363 , the Student Learning
Outcomes (SLOs) provided a guide where I could improve my writing skills and effectively
communicate. I chose three assignments that showcase the successful application of the six
SLOs in my writing, suggesting that this course elevated my ability as a writer. This letter
highlights the key elements of my Definition assignment, Definition peer review, and portfolio
cover letter illustrating the application of all six SLOs in my writing.
My Scientific Definition is an important writing piece because it displays a majority of the
SLOs. My definition of a neuron exemplifies rhetorical focus and a respect to academic
language (SLO 1 and 5). I wrote formally to a broad audience (SLO 1), respecting all gender
and cultural differences, to inform them of a topic in the natural sciences (SLO 5). The definition
assignment never assumes the reader’s gender or ethnicity (SLO 5), and maintains formality in
its rhetorical focus by using proper grammar and defining every scientific term (SLO 1). Ethical
research is also showcased in the Definition assignment, where I parenthetically cited in APA
format the information from Elias et al.’s research team that pertained to the branching
characteristic of a neuron (SLO 2). Organization and focus are clearly exhibited in the definition
assignment, where I partitioned the information of the neuron into subtopics such as “Basic
Structure” and “Neuron Signaling,” (SLO 4). Splitting the assignments into different topics
regarding the neuron allows for greater focus and ability to find specific information.
Collaboration (SLO 6) can be clearly seen in the Definition peer review assignment,
where I assessed and critiqued Jose Moscaira’s assignment. I suggested that the sentence
structure be revised because there were run-on sentences throughout the paper. The peer
review is also an example of rhetorical focus, where the shift in audience to a peer allowed me
to write in an informal manner, disregarding proper punctuation in my comments (SLO 1).
Furthermore, my own definition was reviewed by my peers to improve my own writing skills. I
needed to work on concision of my sentences and providing background on scientific terms.
Lastly, this portfolio cover letter serves to prove persuasive arguments used in my
writing (SLO 3). I carefully chose two other assignments that would concretely exhibit my
application of the five SLOs, and this assignment itself satisfies the remaining SLO effectively by
providing examples from each of the works.
This portfolio suggests that I keep working on my abilities in writing concisely without
losing message effectiveness. The audience’s attention is at risk when lacking concision in
one’s writing, therefore this is a significant step in my writing. Thank you for your time this
semester and best wishes.
Sincerely,

Israel Romero
Original

Israel Romero
2014 Forest Hills Dr.
Fayetteville, North Carolina 28301

Dr. Leslie Bruce

University Hall 435
800 N. State College Blvd.
Fullerton, CA 92831

Dear Dr. Bruce:

As a student of the natural sciences, it was imperative that I find a way to better my
writing to effectively reach a broader audience. In this course, the Student Learning Outcomes
(SLOs) provided a guide where students could map their way to achieving better writing skills
and effective communication. I chose three separate assignments that showcase the successful
application of the six SLOs in my writing, proving that this course elevated my ability as a writer.
This letter serves the purpose of highlighting the key elements of my Definition assignment,
Definition peer review, and portfolio cover letter, proving the application of all six SLOs in my
writing.
My Definition assignment is a prominent writing piece because it displays a majority of
the SLOs. My definition of a neuron exemplifies rhetorical focus and a respect to academic
language (SLO 1 and 5), where I was able to write formally to a broad audience, respecting all
gender and cultural differences, to inform them of a topic in the sciences. The definition
assignment never assumes the reader as being a specific gender or ethnicity (SLO 5), nor does
it treat the audience as a peer, but as a scientific mind (SLO 1). Ethical research is also
showcased in the Definition assignment, where I parenthetically cited, in APA format,
information from Elias et al.’s research team that pertained to the branching characteristic of a
neuron (SLO 2). Organization and focus are clearly exhibited in the definition assignment,
where I partitioned the information of the neuron into major topics such as “Basic Structure” and
“Neuron Signaling,” (SLO 4). Splitting the assignments into different topics regarding the neuron
allows for greater focus and ability to find specific information.
Collaboration (SLO 6) can be clearly seen in the Definition peer review assignment,
where I assessed and critiqued Jose Moscaira’s assignment. I suggested that the sentence
structure be revised because there were run-on sentences throughout the paper and the
overuse of semicolons. The critique is also an example of rhetorical focus, where I was writing
to a peer, showing a shift in audience, allowing me to write in an informal manner (SLO 1). On
the other hand, my own definition was reviewed by my peers to improve my writing skills. I
needed to work on defining some of the scientific terms that I incorporated into my paper to
allow readers to understand my writing.
Lastly, this portfolio cover letter serves to prove persuasive arguments used in my
writing (SLO 3). I carefully chose two other assignments that would concretely exhibit my
application of the five SLOs, and this assignment itself satisfies the remaining SLO effectively by
providing examples from each of the works.
This portfolio suggests that I keep working on my abilities in writing concisely without
losing message effectiveness. The audience’s attention is at risk when lacking concision in
one’s writing, therefore this is a significant step in my writing. Thank you for your time this
semester and I hope the best in the future.

Sincerely,

Israel Romero