What does the process of completing this project show you about the range of coursework and other humanities-oriented experiences you’ve had at UNE?
The amount of expanding that I was able to do on every part of my original paper showed me how rich my experience has been at UNE. I found myself drawing on specific knowledge from courses when conducting my research and interviews, and was able to apply both of my minors in psychology and writing. Completing this project showed me that I have a lot more in my basket than I originally thought, and that coming out of college, I have a well rounded collection of work. This project also helped me to apply all parts of my education together, rather than studying them separately as I have been used to.
Why did you choose this project?
I chose this project to remediate because it was the first writing project that I felt really passionate about. The original paper was an assignment for my freshman seminar course, which was called Attention in the Age of Distraction. The professor for this course was the first to notice my love-hate relationship with writing, and helped me to become more comfortable. When completing this project, it only seemed fitting to work on this paper, integrating the knowledge and points of view of other professors who have supported and encouraged my love of writing.
What changes in your knowledge, skills, approaches, interests and/or processes does your project suggest to you?
The biggest difference in my thinking that I noticed when completing this project was from the base of both psychology and communications knowledge that I have built over my undergraduate career. Most notably, this project was completed from a communications perspective, while the original project was completed when I was still a psychology major. I also found that I recognized the need for other voices in my piece when, at the time of writing the original piece, I did not consider this.
Which particular aspects of the project best illustrate those changes?
The interviews that I conducted with members of UNE faculty illustrate my need for other voices, as my journalism and communications classes have taught me the value of including others in my work. My separation and reorganization of my paper into distinct sections shows my understanding of presenting information to an audience in an engaging way, showing the most attention-grabbing pieces of information first. I also found that in the final section of the paper, I am able to tie and psychology and communications perspective together, showing that the line between the two is thin.
