Reflection
Upon analyzing my metacognitive processes during the making of these artifacts, I
identify the progression of my knowledge and involvement with the course objectives. When I
first started each task, my main goals were to complete the given requirements and show that I
understood the material. But as I worked through the assignments and really got into the
content, I started to see more general themes and connections between numerous topics.
In the first artifact analysis, for instance, I concentrated on examining the content
selections and their possible value in communicating with extraterrestrial species in light of the
rhetorical context surrounding the Voyager Golden Record. But the more I examined the data,
the more I saw similarities between the difficulties of interplanetary communication and those of
ordinary communication, especially when it came to overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers.
This insight got me thinking about the wider ramifications of good communication in different
settings, which turned into a recurrent subject in other artifacts.
Similar to this, when I started working on the artifact examining how technology affects
society, I simply took a brief glance at the subject and focused on the obvious consequences of
new developments in technology. But by interacting with other sources and looking at historical
viewpoints, I was able to comprehend the intricate relationship between technology and society
on a deeper level. I started to realize how crucial it was to analyze the long-term effects on
society and critically assess the ramifications of technological advancement.
I improved my ability to evaluate sources for reliability and applicability in the artifact that
focused on creating an annotated bibliography for a research paper on marijuana legalization. I
also realized how crucial it was to present a thorough and impartial summary of the subject. I
gained a deeper understanding of the subtleties and difficulties involved in researching genre
development as well as the value of critically interacting with a wide range of viewpoints as a
result of this exercise.
In the artifact analysis of Khadijah Tribble's TED Talk about the effects of the drug war, I
looked at the relationship between activism for social justice and personal narrative. By
analyzing Khadijah's narrative and combining knowledge from other sources, I was able to
comprehend the systemic inequities that drug laws uphold and the pressing need for change on
a deeper level. This artifact demonstrated my capacity to evaluate primary source information
critically and contextualize it within larger themes and studies.
My portfolio was organized and presented with careful consideration of the rhetorical
aspects of digital composition. In order to enable readers to follow the development of my ideas
and my interaction with the course content, I tried to design an easily understood framework that
made simpler to make links between artifacts and outcomes. The site acted as a primary entry
point for the portfolio's contents, including an overview of each artifact and how it related to the
learning objectives of the course. Readers could quickly navigate between artifacts and
comprehend how they related to the main learning objectives thanks to clear navigation links
and a logical organizational structure. I made an effort to deliver the information in a clear,
understandable way while also giving enough context and depth to encourage full engagement
with the subject matter, keeping in mind the needs of the varied audience.
In general, interacting with these artifacts has improved my knowledge of the course's
objectives and concepts while honing my research, critical analysis, and digital composition
abilities. I have developed a portfolio that successfully illustrates my learning and completion of
course objectives while also enticing readers to engage in meaningful exploration of the
subjects at hand through careful reflection and consideration of rhetorical dimensions.
