My Critical Design

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Argument toward the VT-Shaped Learner

My critical design reflects the VT-shaped student model by opening up critical thinking about the concept through an artistic medium. At the same time as questioning the concept, the speaker of the poem has an obvious affirmative bias towards it (the speaker representing myself in this case). For example, starting at the line, “But please don’t forget”, the speaker pleas to the audience, which is the university adapting the T-shaped concept and also the outside world, not to forget about student input and constantly revise the model. After thinking critically about the concept, the speaker shows support for it starting at the lines “We need..” and then mentioning the VT-Shaped model as an example. Therefore, I hope readers will be more persuaded to support the VT-shaped student concept after reading my poem.

Form of My Poem

This poem is a model of critical design because it has very intentional aspects of form that function in trying to persuade the audience of something and make them focus in on certain things. For example, I intentionally emphasized phrases such as ‘VT-shaped’ and ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ using inline code, and I emphasized the skills I’ve learned in this class using block quotes, in order to convey to readers how the T-shaped concept applies to my own life. These syntax choices also contribute to the overall aesthetic form of the poem.

Dimensions of Criticality

By placing my poem in the context of the rest of my website, which tells a story about my experience with the VT-shaped learner, I hope it will enhance the appreciation for this concept in the eyes of Arts students and STEM students at Virginia Tech, alike, since both of these areas of knowledge make up who I am. I think that the poem will appeal more to Arts students because of the artistic elements and very abstract nature of questioning the concept that is present in the poem. If these students are on the fence about the concept, I hope the personal aspects of my website and poem will change their perspectives on the VT-shaped model, to form more positive opinions on the potential the concept has in the context of Virginia Tech’s current academic environment. I hope everyone who reads my poem will give themselves a moment to reflect on the rhetoric we use in daily life to talk about different knowledge areas and ultimately form some kind of opinion on the topic.