Critical Reflection

Module Learning:

At the outset of the course, I set goals to improve and brush up on my public speaking abilities to become a more confident and appealing speaker. When giving a presentation without using a script or reading from the slides, it is extremely crucial to appear confident and professional. I still recall the day when I had to give a mock presentation to my classmates and was so unprepared that I had to refer to my script most of the time. The lack of preparation and the information to be conveyed were the main reasons for my lack of confidence when presenting. This also demonstrates to my audience how unprepared I was, as their attention span was shortened due to the scant information I had presented with them. However, on the day of the presentation, I realized that being prepared and knowing what to say, as well as employing methods such as asking rhetorical questions and using suitable body language, enables me to better engage my audience. After the presentation, I felt relieved since my audience was able to comprehend the information I had presented, which was the main goal I had set for myself.

For the past 13 weeks, I have been able better equip and articulate myself thought the Paul-Elder framework, where I learnt about the 6 steps for effective critical thinking. I am able to utilize the approaches from the framework in the summary reader response assignment, where I require the expertise to comprehend my research topic and apply it to analyse and assess my work. To prevent being flagged for plagiarism, I also learn how to properly summarise and paraphrase my writings using the APA 7th Edition citation rules. I was able to apply critical thinking to become an effective communicator by using the 7Cs in communications, which had indeed helped me in delivering my presentation. All these techniques have aided me in improving my writing and speaking abilities.

Professor Brad's advice about “providing continuous feedback to peers” was my best takeaway from this course. I was dumbfounded by this statement, and it has since reminded me of the values of providing constructive feedback. Despite some criticism from the peer reviews, I accepted the feedbacks positively and seriously. This would provide a more accurate reflection of myself, allowing me to concentrate on the areas where I needed to improve in preparation for future tasks.

Project learning:

I will be focusing on the aspect of teamwork skills. We were given the duty of writing a technical report based on a mechanical design to suggest a modification for an existing product within 4 weeks. Working with people who come from different backgrounds and personalities is challenging. My research partners and I, on the other hand, rapidly became friends as we broke the ice and got to know one another. The journey is not as smooth sailing as planned due to the obstacles we faced along the way. Everyone wants their ideas to be implemented for the project, which hinders the progress of the project. Hence, I took the initiative and proposed that we vote on a single concept on which everyone agreed.

I discovered that meeting up for discussions is nearly tough to squeeze into each other's schedules. Hence, I advised that everyone should contribute to the report in their own way and spot for each other mistakes. I also learned that communication is essential since we must all be on the same page when it comes to the report's substance. This facilitates teamwork by allowing everyone to agree and stand on the same page. These are little challenges that we encounter on a regular basis while working on projects, and they have helped me grow as a team member by teaching me to be more tolerant and accommodating.

To sum up, I would like to apply what I have learned in terms of abilities, strategies, and experiences to future team assignments or even the workforce in order to upskill myself. Working with others was a terrific and pleasant experience for me. It was an enjoyable journey and I thoroughly enjoyed this module. If I were to score your lessons, I will rate it a 10 out of 10. Thanks for everything, Professor Brad!! 😊