Final Reflection on Learning

First, I took this module to fulfill my unrestricted elective. It was recommended by a senior of mine that this module change her “whole perspective of education in NUS”. Basically, what I am majoring in is very theory based and I do agree with my senior that it does not really equip us into the working world.

I was quite afraid of taking this module initially though there is no examination. Due to poor command in English language, my assignment such as letter writing and proposal will be affected. However, I learn what to look out for when writing and how to check through my errors. Out of the 7Cs (Courtesy, Correctness, Conciseness, Clarity, Coherence/Cohesion, Concreteness, Completeness) in writing, correctness, clarity and coherence were my weakness when it comes to writing and I make the effort to practice them. It would come handy not only in cover letter but in report writing as well which will be done very often in future.

Non-verbal communication is one of the most important parts in this module. “Picture speaks a thousand words”, and this is depicted throughout facial expression, actions etc. This make me more conscientious when making certain remarks and conversing with my friends. This would also prepare me when I step into the society as I was known to be “oblivious to my surrounding”.

Another important “take away” from this module is learning to be assertive. Being assertive is not only applicable in working society but it also applies to our daily lives. I recall how I was enduring the nonsense from my classmates during my junior college days until one day I exploded in class. Ultimately, my relationship with those male classmates of mine turn sour and we hardly keep in contact till today.

The last 2 important lesson I take away are intercultural communication as well as how to give a good presentation. I hope to work as an educator and thus intercultural communication is important. Dealing with people from all walks of life every day, we had to learn to respect their culture and not give offensive comments especially in Singapore. On top of that, I also receive a lot of feedback on how to improve on my presentation skills which thus boost my confidence level when presenting.

I would also like to take this chance to thank all the people I have work with as well as Radhika’s guidance. Overall, this module is just awesome! J

Reflection on Oral Presentation

"Practice makes Perfect."
This is an important quote to me when it comes to presentation. Although I can be very verbal when conversing, this does not makes me a good presenter. I was afraid of talking in front of a large group of people and thus not able to bring my points across clearly.

From my first peer teaching, I had to say I was not at all prepared and had to start off impromptu using a whiteboard. With subsequent practices, I feel more confident speaking in front of people and less nervous. I took note of all the common mistakes that I tend to make through my fellow classmates' presentations. I have also know the pros and cons of memorizing the script. As I have the tendency to use fillers such as "actually", "okay", by memorizing the script, I can eliminate these fillers. However, it appears to be very obvious when I cannot remember certain contents. I also learn that different tones is required when presenting to different groups of audience. This is an area which I also feel that I need to work on as I sound monotonous. Lastly, I need to learn to give purposeful pauses and eliminate that "staccato" when presenting.

In addition, through my experience of working with my peers through this project on "Autism", I have gain a lot of insights about the situation in Singapore. By presenting it to other peers in my class, it is a small step to increase the awareness about this community. On top of that, we are able to exchange pointers regarding the way we present when practicing for the presentation. Overall, I feel that oral presentation should appear to be natural when delivering any information and proposal and this comes with ample of practice and experience of giving presentations.