Module Reflection

Before the start of this module, my perspective of the critical thinking module was on how we can form a judgment on a given robotics idea, identify the problems and write a report on improvements we can make. Having attended the first lesson, I realized this is a communication skills module where it aims to polish the way we identify and solve a problem. One of my personal goals was to be an effective communicator in the aspect of getting my point across quickly and clearly. Another goal of mine is to regain the confidence lost during the covid period along with poor use of grammar in my writing.

The Paul-Elder framework was one thing that I picked up in critical thinking. The framework consists of standards such as clarity, relevance and logical. These standards are to be applied to the elements of the content we are talking about (Rafiq, 2022). I was able to apply this framework to my research, report writing and oral presentation where I developed a sense of empathy during my research when I realise the problems others were facing. For instance, during an event in Japan, when the drone crashed into the crowd (Haye, 2017), I could imagine the consequences for both the injured and the pilot of the drone. This led me and my team to consider possible ideas to mitigate the risk and the likelihood of the accident happening

One of my weaknesses is oral presentation. Hence, I adopted the preparation tips by Garr Reynolds. Preparing with the end in mind and keeping it as simple as possible (Reynolds, 2021) for my audience was 2 of the tips I applied during the oral presentation. I have also developed the courage and confidence to reason with the audience during the question-and-answer session.

In addition to what I have learned, critical thinking allows me to do critical reflections aside from this module where I was tasked to do a literature review. The process of critical reflection allows me to gain a deep understanding of the subject. I strongly believe that there will be more of such tasks in my career. However, it does not end professionally.

I feel that critical reflection has led me to psychological growth where I was able to make a difference that I previously could not in polytechnic.

Leading the team on the design proposal and oral presentation and delegating tasks according to everyone’s strengths and weaknesses was challenging but it went well. I learned that because each individual has different priorities in life, it causes conflicts for group meetings to happen and forward planning is critical to ensure maximum efficiency in a team. Rather than pointing fingers and start complaining like I did in the past, I figured I could do something about it that would benefit everyone and that is through demonstration and persuasion. The result was a built-up motivation and performance boost in the team that gets the job done properly.

This module has helped me with my paraphrasing skills and guided me to properly credit sources. However, I feel that I can do better in my report writing and citations. I still make careless mistakes like comma splices and verb errors and even fail to spot them. To counter that, I often reach out to classmates for help to spot the mistakes and it has proved to work so far.

References:

Rafiq, E. (2022, March 17). “How to apply the Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework” Designorate: https://www.designorate.com/critical-thinking-paul-elder-framework/

Reynolds, G. (2021). “Presentation Zen Preparation Tips” Garrreynolds: https://www.garrreynolds.com/preparation-tips

Haye, K. (2017, November 13). "Drone carrying candy crashes into crowd injuring six in Japan." 

Drone DJ: https://dronedj.com/2017/11/13/drone-carrying-candy-crashes-into-crowd-injuring-six-
in-japan/