Critical Thinking

 

To begin, I really enjoyed the effective communication module as Professor Brad was approachable when I had enquires about my work, and he always engaged the class throughout the two hours of the lesson. I set two goals for myself to achieve at the end of the module, the first of which was to become a  more confident speaker, and the second was to learn to write a proper academic paper. 

Looking at how Professor Brad conducted the lessons, he made sure to call on us so that we were able to speak out during the lesson. By randomly calling us out, it pushes individuals like myself who avoid talking to gain the ability to speak with confidence. As a result, I trained myself to collect my thoughts quickly when presented with the opportunity to speak in front of the class. I believe what distinguishes a great speaker is the ability to recover quickly from stutters, which necessitates the ability to think on one's feet, which translates to confidence. 

Secondly, I learned how to write a proper academic paper. Throughout the past 13 weeks, many methods were taught to us, and it gave me an introduction to writing and research practices in an academic setting. For instance, I learned how to apply the American Psychological Association (APA) style for assignments that required me to write. As I came from an engineering background, essays and citations were rarely done, as most of our exams and assignments focused on calculations. Thus, I found it challenging to start citing sources since I was not used to writing research reports. From then, I realised how crucial APA citations were for any assignments that required me to write an essay.

 

In addition, I got the opportunity to work in a group setting as the course required me to prepare a presentation on a chosen topic. While I was used to working on projects with my friends in my polytechnic years, most of them shared similar working attitudes and viewpoints because we could choose our teammates. For this module, team leaders were prechosen, and they were the ones who picked their team. It was an eye-opening experience as my team leader Yon Jun had a strong personality, which was unusual for me as I am usually more reserved when working with new people. I had to experiment with different communication styles, which resulted in us accommodating each other, and it turned out for the better as conflicts were minimal in the team. We were able to bounce off each others' ideas, resulting in us being more efficient in completing our project. 

 

Personally, the most challenging part of our project was to make the programming code for the Thunkable simulation work. We encountered many problems with the counter not being able to display the countdown properly due to conflicting coding. After many tries of making the countdown timer work, my group finally figured out the issue, and it was satisfying to see the simulation run the way we wanted it to. This also showed me how essential teamwork was as it taught me communication and social skills, such as being able to listen actively to my teammates to take in feedback. 

 

Overall, I enjoyed the past 13 weeks, and with the guidance of Professor Brad, I believe I gained more confidence in myself as well as how I can contribute to my company in the future when I am working full time. Once again, thank you, Professor Brad and the class, for being so approachable and friendly and giving me constructive feedback. I believe I am a much better version of myself today.