Saturday, April 6, 2019

Critical Reflection

The effective communication module started off with every student in the class setting a goal to be achieved by the end of the course. I was hoping that I could grow and develop to be more active, as well as expanding my vocabulary range. It has been an arduous yet gratifying journey of 13 weeks, and I do believe that I have attained said objectives to a rather large extent, especially with the help of our lecturer Prof Brad together with my fellow class and group mates. Working together in different pairs every week has allowed me to get accustomed to working with others and understand how we can help each other with our strengths and weaknesses. The various tasks assigned to us, such as the draft reports and mock presentations, has further supplemented our learning as we received construction critiques and comments as a group. I would want to work together with other classmates that I might not have had the chance to work with during this course. I believe that I still have more to learn from my fellow classmates as everyone has their own area of expertise in terms of presentation. 

Our team's final presentation has been a rather significant moment that I have learnt a lot from. We had to break down and restructure the flow on our presentation, keeping the presentation slides simple yet informative, and ensuring it generates enough interest so that the viewers do not lose their attention. This was how our team had to unlearn the style of presentation we were used to doing during polytechnic and we had to watch and review the various videos and resources available in the instructional units to better facilitate a fluid presentation. As both Hairi and I studied in polytechnic, we were accustomed to presentations, so we were able to assist Darryl during preparation such as learning to stay calm. Darryl on the other hand was able to provide guidance as to how we can better carry out the presentation with better terminologies used. This has showed me how building off each other's strengths and weaknesses and be an extremely effective way of learning.  

The presentation showcase has been nothing short of amazing. I felt that I have been able to maintain calm during the presentation and this has allowed for a more concise and fluid delivery. I also do believe that the usage of hand gestures (which I have not seen much being used by the other teams) has helped to draw in more attention and portrays a more active image of my presentation. The simple yet concise graphics has definitely aided by keeping the audience interested and alert. After observing presentations from the other teams, I noticed that some teams have more energy and enthusiasm packed in their presentation which our team may have been lacking. Having varying levels of tone in voice as well as having more confidence to walk around projects a more dynamic presentation. 

2 comments:

  1. Thank you, Weijie, for this detailed reflection. It is clear, comprehensive and well focused. It covers the three areas outlined by the assignment. In it, you aptly point out your goals for becoming more active and the extent to which those were achieved. You also give a reaction to your project work, the way your team interacted, and the help you all gave each other. I was especially impressed by your team’s persiatance and willingness to adapt!

    Lastly, you address the showcase. Wow! What a performance! I'm happy to see the way each of you guys up-leveled your presentation and so impressed the audience and your judges. What a positive learning experience for you.

    In fact, you’ve made an excellent effort this term. I especially appreciate your positive attitude toward improving your skills and the active approach to learning.

    Best wishes, WeiJie, as you continue your learning journey.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you too, Prof Brad, for your help and guidance throughout the course. It has been a wonderful experience learning the art of communication under your tutelage.

      Sincerely,
      Ling Wei Jie

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