Critical Reflection

At the start of the module, I mentioned in my self-introduction letter that I was weak when it comes to presenting smoothly and confidently in front of an audience. I would often stutter and lose my train of thought. During my oral presentation for this effective communication module, feedback was given from my peers. I was elated to see that the audience found my presentation clear and that I appeared confident. I practiced numerous times before the presentation with my group members to fully understand the material that I will present which also makes it easier to remember and stay on point. I also prepared a full script to refer to when I was practicing which helped me seem natural when presenting and not lose track. These preparation methods have helped me drastically for my presentation. Constructive criticism was also given such as staring at the slides for too long and not maintaining eye contact with the audience. This is another weakness that I noticed I have through the few times that I had to present in front of my peers during class. I would feel pressured when I make eye contact with the audience and would often lose my train of thought. This is something that I must improve on as maintaining eye contact with the audience builds a sort of connection with them. They are more likely to listen and receive the message you are trying to convey. A trick to tackle this problem is to look above the heads of the audience rather than making direct eye contact. It makes you seem like you are engaging with the audience. This module has hugely built my confidence when communicating with others and I am willing to improve my skills through presenting more as I feel that the more I do it, the more comfortable I will be.

 

A major takeaway I have from this module is learning on how to write a proper report. Back when I was in polytechnic, there was not really any report that I had to do. I was from an engineering background and the main focus was learning and understanding the technical aspects of each module. Through this effective communication module, I have learned that paraphrasing of information taken from online sources is an important way to compress a large amount of information and make it relevant to your report which also helps the reader understand better. It also avoids plagiarism which is unethical and is a form of theft as you are taking someone else’s research and making it seem like your own. Certain standards are to be maintained when writing a report such as the format and using the correct form of citation style. It is important as it shows a sense of professionalism and gives your report a more consistent look. Another takeaway from this module is that I was able to polish my teamwork skills. Different people have different opinions on how certain things are to be done. I have learned that everyone’s opinion matters and can have a learning outcome even if it is not ideal. It is good to listen to what everyone in the group has to say and discuss together on what is the best solution. Time management is also another important skill to have when working in a team. Setting up expectations to be met by following a schedule allows you to focus better and increase productivity. Time management is essential in being able to complete tasks on time and prevents the likelihood of getting stressed.

 

All in all, I have learned many important skills from this module that I can apply when I go out into the working industry. I will continue to perfect my skillsets to be a better version of myself.