Critical Reflection

 Module Learning

Through this module, there are a few things that I have learned, unlearned, relearned and yet to improve on. Oral presentation skills, critical thinking skills and the importance of teamwork. Through the oral presentation, I have learned to maintain an open posture during the presentation without having objects obstructing our body from the audience. This way, we show the audience that the presenter is confident in the topic. To add on, it is also essential for the presenter to have eye contact with the audience to engage them better. From there, we can identify points in the presentation where the crowd might be confused about certain sections. 

The areas where I have to unlearn are the reliance on phones or notes during the presentation and the habit of using the same phrase to transition between fellow presenters. Without dependance on phones or notes, we can fully capture the audience’s attention with the help of suitable slides and more visual aids rather than words. Although when the need arises where statistics and calculations are concerned, we should still ensure visual explanations are sufficient to let the audience interpret visually.

I will apply the insights gained through UCS1001(Critical Thinking and Communicating) in my IWSP presentations and when I enter the workforce. There are many types of presentations, and different presentations require a suitable format. Whether it is an informal or a formal presentation, the audience may not relate to specific industry terms. We must understand the audience before we decide to formulate the presentation. With that in mind, I hope to continue exploring better presentation methods and grow into a holistic presenter, with the lessons learned coming to fruition when a presentation arises.

Through our research project,  I learned the importance of team meeting minutes. It serves to capture the progress of the project and update members on points they had missed out on during their absence if they had not attended that particular meeting. The use of minutes would also act like a timeline where we are able to gauge our progress and see if we are making use of our time effectively instead of going off on tangents.

Project Learning

Through this project, I realized the value of constructive feedback. I have noticed that I tend to agree with others without providing critical feedback. However, it is crucial to analyze ideas and feedback objectively. By utilizing frameworks such as Paul-Elder's approach, I have learned to assess conflicting perspectives with impartiality and logical reasoning. This has helped me eliminate biases and unproductive information from my evaluations.

One significant lesson I learned from this module was the importance of proper citation in report writing. Prior to this, I had never received formal education on the correct citation conventions. Citations play a crucial role in establishing the credibility of a report, as they indicate that external sources were utilized to support the presented information. Additionally, proper citation practices help prevent plagiarism, which is a serious academic offense. By using appropriate citation styles, we can demonstrate to our readers that we conducted thorough research and utilized reliable sources to support our arguments and findings.

In conclusion, expanding our experiences is crucial to identifying our areas of improvement. Thanks to the structured approach of this module under the guidance of Professor Brad, I have gained more confidence in my presentation and report writing skills. Looking ahead, I aim to further enhance my ability to tailor my reports to specific audiences while utilizing frameworks such as Paul-Elder's critical thinking model to enhance the quality and coherence of my ideas.