Effective Learner - ESLRs

 How have I been an effective learner (this semester)?

I have been an effective learner this semester by doing outside research (which were all below the actual word requirement) to brush up on what my topic is. I've learned a bunch of techniques to writing a game review, and it showed when I got my first chance to write one for the Cal Poly Post. I wrote a game review for a game called "Minecraft" and it was published in the Poly Post! A link to the article is right here: Sandbox-style indie game mines player's imaginations. Using what I've learned from what I've read and researched, I wrote this review, which I am very proud of. I've also learned that writing for a website is way different from writing for a newspaper, because online, you have virtually no word limit and can write about anything, while in newspapers, you're limited to a certain word count due to space.

How am I going to improve?

However, since it was my first review, I had left a lot of things out that I have actually learned since it was published. I can now improve my writing by keeping in mind an audience to write for, because in that first review, I just wrote to the general public, with an assumption that they knew what games were. I can also switch up the vocabulary because I used many words repeatedly, which I've learned can be bad, because readers don't really like repetitiveness, unless it's intended. I could possibly start doing more reviews independently and either make a blog or post on a website to see how they're rated in the general public.

Answers to my Essential Question

EQ: What is most important for a games journalist to know?

-The audience they are writing for
-Keeping in the loop of the game industry (keeping up with recent news, releases, etc.)
-Various writing techniques
-Knowing how video games work (i.e. the physics and difficulty of the games)
-Having a passion for games

Service Learning Information

Name of Location:
Cal Poly Post Office (Not the post office where you send mail) - Building 1, room 210

What I've Been Doing:
I've written a game review for the Poly Post, but that was at the end of December, when all the classes ended for the quarter. In the future, aside from writing game reviews, my advisor told me I could get involved with the copy editing process and other things.

Most important thing I've learned:
I've learned that writing for a newspaper, or anything like a magazine has so much editing in it. If I want to become a writer for ANY subject, especially game reviews, I have to make sure that the information I use is accurate, directly from the source (like the company's press release and cite it) for credibility, and easily read by all people. When writing for a magazine, or newspaper in my case, I have to use vocabulary and language that my audience (the residents and students of Cal Poly Pomona) can understand. Basically, when writing, I've learned to mind what information I put in my writing and how to write directly to an audience.