My Graduate School Journey at UA Little Rock

In 2022, I began pursuing my graduate degree in professional and technical writing to broaden my skills and enhance my employability. Armed with an undergraduate degree in journalism, I had previously honed my writing abilities as a newspaper reporter, public information coordinator, and web content writer.

Graduate school, however, has expanded my expertise in research, editing, document design, grant writing, and writing for social media. My studies in the technical writing concentration have allowed me to become more adept at delivering impactful messages, increasing my value to employers. As an intern, I’ve contributed to a grant writing team and edited training materials. My social media coursework equipped me to create a comprehensive strategy as a volunteer marketing coordinator for an online leadership academy. Designing a broad range of documents helped me consider audience needs, organize easy-to-navigate content, and employ typographic principles. My editing classes have made me the go-to person for editing annual reports, promotional materials, and more for the university’s Office of Communications and Marketing.

Returning to school after more than 20 years wasn’t easy. When I was a first-generation undergraduate student, tools like Banner Online Service System, Blackboard, and Zoom didn’t exist, so I had to quickly adapt. As a non-traditional graduate student, I was challenged as I mastered research methods and the formatting of an exacting 22-page safety manual. My skills were put to the test as I redesigned poorly structured documents and researched relevant sources for an annotated bibliography.

I’m a full-time employee and wife, and a part-time caregiver to an elderly relative. I’ve juggled these roles alongside my coursework, reawakening my study skills and mastering time management.

Throughout this journey, I’ve learned that I am persistent, curious, and open to new concepts. Aristotle’s words, “Education is bitter, but its fruit is sweet,” capture the demanding yet rewarding nature of my graduate studies. I enjoy learning and would do it all over again for the challenge. As I conclude graduate school, I am confident I have met the following program learning outcomes:

Understanding the history and theory of the profession

My coursework in Rhetorical Theory and Theory of Technical Communication gave me a strong foundation in the key concepts and theories of the field. I gained an understanding of the profession’s history and how it continues to evolve, learning how historical techniques remain effective today. Knowing the roots of the field allows me to apply these techniques with a clear sense of why they work in certain contexts.

For instance, Aristotle’s rhetoric focuses on ethos (ethics/character), pathos (emotions), and logos (logic). These principles help me craft messages that resonate with audiences by building trust (ethos), appealing to emotions (pathos), and providing logical support (logos). As a web content specialist, I use these techniques to write with clarity and expertise (ethos), engage readers through compelling stories (pathos), and back my points with facts and data (logos).

In my paper, Falsehood Flies and Truth Comes Limping After It: The Impact of Fake News on Journalism, Journalists, and the Public,” I examine how pathos plays a key role in the spread of false information, particularly through social media, where emotional appeals can be used to manipulate. The misuse of ethos and logos also contributes to misinformation, as false credibility and distorted data can make lies seem convincing. For me, ethical communication is built on honesty and transparency, using these rhetorical appeals responsibly to connect with audiences without exploiting or misleading them.

Analyzing a variety of rhetorical situations

I have also written for audiences and contexts other than teachers and classes. I have identified appropriate audiences for specific pieces of work. For example, I created a Writing for the Web PowerPoint presentation for university staff members who maintain web pages on the UA Little Rock website.

This audience’s needs are different from those of an academic audience. Because many staff members are unfamiliar with the web genere, they require clear information about writing for the web. Therefore my presentation contained examples, explanations, and references to the Associated Press Stylebook. I avoided technical jargon and included short sentences and bulleted lists to convey information succinctly to meet the audience’s needs. I included some of the most important guidelines for web writing such as creating scannable content and breaking up text with descriptive headings.

I have also created social media posts for the HighEdWeb Leadership Academy. My posts inform prospective attendees about the academy’s value – both professionally and financially. Those likely to attend the academy are digital directors and web managers who work at universities and colleges. This audience’s involvement in the web genre make them different from an academic audience. Because they are web professionals who may be looking to advance in their current role or take on a new one, the emphasis is on career development.

In crafting documents, I have learned to consider audience needs and organize content for easy navigation and comprehension. An example of this is the Tips for Eating Healthy When Eating Out article which is presented in easy-to-understand bite-sized pieces, using clear headings and a numbered list.

Conducting primary and secondary research

I have used sophisticated, professional-level electronic research tools to find information including the university’s Ottenheimer Library research tools and Grants.gov. I have also used multiple search strategies ranging from research journals to search engines. Throughout my time as a graduate student, I have cited work according to the chosen style guide of the discipline or discourse community. APA provides a consistent format which helped me organize my arguments and research efficiently. It is the standard in higher education and research papers to ensure that sources are cited properly.

While writing papers for various courses, I have used and evaluated research appropriately. I have done this by accessing the quality, accuracy, and credibility of the information found. Early on my graduate school professors instructed me to use peer-reviewed articles written for and by experts in the field. They also guided me on which databases, journals and online resources to use. I have synthesized secondary research to identify major trends, issues, and points of controversy. In my paper entitled Plain Language Isn’t Dumbing Down; It’s Opening Up, I included findings from several research journals, including Health Literacy Research and Practice. I also cited a blog and a book, and interviewed the director of a center for health literacy.

Using ethical and appropriate rhetorical strategies to develop arguments

I have articulated a clear thesis that guides an argument, used evidence and appeals appropriately to discourse community, genre, and audience to support arguments, and used evidence fairly and truthfully. I employed these strategies in my paper Falsehood Flies and Truth Comes Limping After It: The Impact of Fake News on Journalism, Journalists, and the Public.

A well-thought-out thesis is key to establishing logos because it provides the foundation for the entire argument. In the paper about fake news, I propose that the spread of fake news such as disinformation and hoaxes, via digital technology, threatens to undermine the truth and causes people to doubt the credibility of real journalism. I use evidence derived from credible sources and appeal appropriately to support arguments.

I use evidence fairly and truthfully to establish ethos because it demonstrates my integrity and trustworthiness. Ethos is all about authority and credibility. It’s about how a writer or speaker gains an audience’s trust and respect.

Early on as a journalist, I learned that is it the ethical responsibility of a writer to present evidence in an honest and transparent way, which directly supports the objective of using evidence fairly and truthfully.

Exploring and experimenting with technologies

I have used technology, including Google Docs, Google Sites, and Canva, to invent, refine, and deliver a variety of texts. I have also become literate in several applications and platforms such as Blackboard and Loom, a video recording application. I had never used Blackboard before enrolling in graduate school but I enjoyed learning to use it to access course materials, submit assignments and communicate with classmates and professors. Using Loom, I trimmed, edited, and perfected my video updates to my grant writing team members. It was a great experience because it allowed me to learn a new video editing tool and to practice my presentation skills.

As an online student, I have participated in class discussions via Zoom and Blackboard discussion boards – participating in technology-driven social spaces. As a graduate student, I have created highly usable and professional-looking documents that appropriately utilize delivery systems such as web, electronic, and print. For example, I created a Social Media Strategic Analysis and Strategy Proposal for the UA Little Rock Graduate School and a Tips for Keeping Your Heart Healthy infographic using Canva. I had used Canva before primarily to create social media graphics. However, my graduate school projects allowed me to further explore the technology and create publications that expanded my skillset.

Technology has helped me work more efficiently and effectively. For example, Zoom and Blackboard made communicating with my professors and classmates easier. My philosophy is that technology enhances technical communication as a profession. It provides a way to reach and communicate with a variety of audiences.

Attending to editorial detail and citation

My time in graduate school has taught me how to cite source material which I have done accurately according to specific style guides required by discourse. I also format texts to meet specific publication criteria, specifications, and guidelines. I have done this with documents ranging from a safety manual to a letter of interest for a grant that targets maternal and child health. I learned about multi-pass editing in my Technical Editing and Advanced Editing courses. I use this process to produce consistently error-free documents for specific audiences, situations, and purposes such as the Stuff In The Bluff In-House Style Guide. This guide was created for an advertising, marketing, and promotion company.

Acting as professionals in and outside the classroom

I have produced high-quality work on deadline such as a style guide for an Arkansas business, a social media analysis, and a revised safety manual.  I have accepted and incorporated constructive criticism, read the work of other writers, and offered them constructive, reasonable feedback. For example, during my grant writing class, I read and gave feedback on my classmates’ work and incorporated their feedback and my professor’s feedback into a grant proposal which includes an organization summary. I have also given effective oral presentations with appropriate visual aids as a graduate student in an editing class (Stuff In The Bluff presentation) and as a web content specialist in the Office of Communications and Marketing at UA Little Rock.

Participating in the profession outside the classroom

I have attended defense presentations and professional development seminars sponsored by the department. As a graduate student/staff member of UA Little Rock, I presented at the Conference on Composition and Communication (CCCC) in Spokane, Washington in April 2024.

The professional organizations I have joined include the National Council of Teachers of English, Digital Collegium (formerly HighEdWeb), and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

I have also read more than assigned in class and used that reading in written and other products. For example, I read and cited the book Letting Go of the Word: Writing Web Content that Works by Janice (Ginny) Redish, in presentations for the university about writing for the web and for  a conference presentation. I learned about the book, which was not assigned reading, in my Theory of Technical Communication class. I have also submitted work for publication and/or for writing awards. I won the 2022 Phi Kappa Phi Essay Contest and a $250 scholarship for my essay entitled Love of Learning in a Pandemic (How COVID Transformed My Love of Learning).