Critical Reflection

 Module Learning

Prior to taking this module, I had believed that my communication skills were at a decent level. That in terms of presentations and in report writing, there was not much skills regarding it. Presentations are just slides pertaining to a topic, with a speaker expanding on it, and reports are the same, only with more data and information.  Safe to say, I was wrong. There are so much more to take into consideration, from the content, to links to sources, as well as body language, that I had never really thought of before.

Taking this module has made me reflect on my own communication skills. Comparing to slides and reports I had made in the past, to those I make now are like day and night.  Gone are the slide filled to the brim with words, as I try to squeeze all the information into a slide. Now with only important points and relevant pictures and data, I can be confident that the attention is on me as I capture the audience, driving my intention across. The multiple sources and references made available to us has definitely made report writing easier. Never had I imagined that there were so many ways to gather resources, from the typical way of googling, to report papers and now, using AI to give you relevant information quickly. 

Thanks to this modules, I have picked up plenty of skills, further upgrading my current skillsets to effectively communicate and emphasised the importance of the little things, to give a lasting impression. It is these skills and ideas that will continuously aid me in all future projects, both within SIT and beyond.

Project Learning

The importance of communication was driven home during the project. Many times, there would be miscommunication between members, causing us needless confusion and wasted time, as we would work on our parts incorrectly. With many other projects and tests from other modules we were taking, the stress piled up and time was scarce. We knew that we had to keep calm, and an open-minded approach to focus and complete our tasks. It did not help when we decided to switch our design, but we knew that it had to be done, to ensure a better end product. The project tested us on everything we had been learning in this module, and to continue to hone our skills and abilities. The presentation was something we initially struggled with. The lack of time and the occasional miscommunication was stressful to say the least. During our first run through, we discovered problems with our slides and the flow of our presentation. Through constant feedbacks and idea sharing, we were able to weave together something we were proud of. Even though we had our first full physical run right before the actual  presentation, we manage to work out small details and iron any issues, and gave our all.

Overall, I am proud of what my team and I accomplished, despite challenges we faced, we pulled through together and delivered what we set out to. We learned the importance to make your intensions clear and communicate clearly, to ensure all parties understand the direction the project is going. Not only that, task delegation and time management is key to ensure quality work, without overloading any individual. I believe these are some core skills which will stick with us going into the future. Working in a team brings much to the table, but may also bring clashes. As long as we are understanding, and keep an open mind, any team project can display the best of everyone.