Critical reflection

Module Learning:

The goal I had set for myself at the start of this course is that I wish to be more confident in presenting and not feel apprehensive for my pronunciation. Since my polytechnic years, I found that my presentation skills are lack as I tend to stutter, tremble out of nervousness and forget my lines. In this course, I have decided to work on my weakness and have a better presentation skill.

Throughout the module, Prof. Blackstone provided us with valuable resources and guidance on effective presentation skills. These lessons encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and actively work on my weaknesses. I recognized that my nervousness often caused me to forget my lines, so I took proactive steps by practicing in front of a mirror and presenting to family and friends to gather diverse feedback.

Through this process of reflection, feedback, and practice, I noticed significant improvement in my communication and critical thinking skills. I was better able to manage my nerves, remember my speech, and even include impromptu remarks during my presentation. Compared to my Polytechnic years, I performed with greater confidence and control. However, based on feedback from Prof. Blackstone and my peers, I acknowledge that I still need to work on maintaining eye contact and managing my speaking pace, particularly towards the end of my presentation.

This journey has helped me critically evaluate my own habits and performance, and I plan to continue building on these skills through consistent practice and mindful reflection. I am truly grateful to Prof. Blackstone for his patience, support, and the impactful knowledge he has shared over the past three months.

Project Learning: 

One skill I have learned through this module and research project is my writing skills. 

Before this module, I always struggle to write a proper report because I don't know how to source for reliable and credible sources and I don't know how to properly do citations, often only just throwing in the links. I also struggle in organization of the report, not knowing how to maintain a formal tone and organizing my arguments clearly. Through this module, I have support from my teammates and guidance from Prof. Blackstone, who work together with me and provide valuable insights when doing the report. With many learning resources provided as well, I gradually learnt how to write a well-structured report. 

I also learnt how to source for credible and reliable sources when searching for information to support my report. Learning how to do citations of the APA 7th edition style is also another thing I have learnt. Although I would say I have not master it yet, learning the basics of it makes me understand how proper referencing makes my report more credible and help avoid plagiarism. 

Through this, something I have learnt about myself is that I am very clueless in proper sourcing for information and doing proper citations. But after all the learning, it helps me to be able to think and learn critically while doing a proper report, improving on both me and the skills.

Moving forward, I am still not so confident in my report writing, but I will continue to refine my skills along the way and be better eventually.