Assess the Value of the Priceless: Architectural Heritages

My rhetorical thinking starts when I choose the genre of my EADWW project. I thought about many possibilities, but finally chose to give a presentation. I wanted to make an EADWW project which is not too shallow, since my narrowed topic—-how to assess architectural heritages, is not a shallow one. If I’m going to show the importance of conserving architectural heritages, I can just make a poster. However, in order to explain a specific method to non-specialists, poster is not suitable. Finally, I decide to give a presentation as a lecture to teach the audience how to assess, because I believe this genre can lead audiences to think deeper.

       The second main rhetorical choice is to make scholar things as easy and clear as possible. Since this is EADWW project which targets at engaging in the wider world, if I use complex scholar knowledge, my audience cannot understand well since they are non-specialists in the area of assessing. Therefore, I decided to simplify the knowledge requirement. For example, when I introduce the Delphi Method and Entropy Method, I didn’t introduce them specifically, but just focused on their subjectivity and data availability. I also used my flow chart which I created in my EADA essay to show a clear road map of assessing. I think such simplifications can help educated but non-specialists understand my presentation better.

       The third main rhetorical choice is to do some citation. As a freshman trying to make a contribution in this area, I have no ethos, but I can cite what other scholars wrote to build ethos. I did citation when arguing for the importance of assessing, showing the process of AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and the revised radar chart, and included a reference in the last page of slice. Such citation can make my presentation more convincing and more “reliable”, from the perspectives of general educated, non-specialist audiences.

       Above is part of my rhetorical thought when making this presentation. Hope you enjoy my presentation and learn something from it. Thanks for paying attention to this field.