Genre is defined as a type or category of writing. Each of our four rhetorical elements were different genres of writing. These included a memo, technical description, lab report, and engineering proposal. My understanding of genre has constantly evolved throughout the semester. Prior to taking the course, I only had a loose idea of what a memo and lab report were, but each project deepened my understanding of all four genres. I learned that each genre has a specific structure to its writing, a specific tone, and its own purpose.

In each of my project reflections, I described the genre of the project and its components, showing my growth and understanding of all four genres.

This can be found in the assignments section above, under technical description.

Figure 1. Part of my Reflection Page in the Technical Description Project.

Below are my notes from class on what a technical description genre is and the elements it requires.

Figure 2. Technical Description Notes from Class