Critical Reflection

 

Module Learning:

Upon reflecting on my 13-week journey, I managed to achieve my goal for this module, which was to improve my communication skills and report writing. I was able to enhance my communication skills through teamwork projects where we were given assignments that required us to work in teams. During the team project, communication was crucial to ensure that everything ran smoothly, reducing conflict and tension throughout the discussion. Effective communication improved productivity and fostered a healthy work culture. I was assigned the role of a reporter, responsible for updating the group on our progress, gathering additional information, and liaising with other parties. This role allowed me to communicate more effectively, emphasizing important details and things to look out for. Clear communication within the team was essential to avoid confusion and other problems. In addition, I improved my report writing skills through various assignments such as descriptive reflection, multiple draft reports, and technical reports. These tasks helped me develop a habit of report writing and improved my writing skills significantly. Report writing was my least favourite task back then because I had to write numerous technical reports and conduct extensive research. However, throughout the module, writing became a habit that I enjoy. I also learned that in order to achieve great report writing, one needs to go through several drafts and seek feedback from other people.

Overall, this module taught me the importance of paying attention to small details to achieve an ideal result in communication and report writing.

Project Learning:

As part of the project, we were tasked with improving and implementing a current engineering problem. This project helped me develop critical thinking skills, which are essential for better decision-making, problem-solving, analyzing, and evaluating the situation. A good example will be the Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework. It is a good example on how to breakdown on how critical thinking can be very useful. The first part of the project was to identify an engineering problem and plan for improvement and implementation. This required us to think ahead and anticipate potential issues. We changed the engineering problem several times during our decision-making process, which was frustrating. However, through different findings, my team settled on a topic of Search & Rescue drone. At the same time, we learn how to manage the time and start early.

Throughout the project, I learned the importance of teamwork, as there were numerous tasks that needed to be completed. The fact that we have other modules to focus on as well can make managing the project quite challenging. This challenge teaches us to manage our time effectively by giving priority to important tasks. We split the tasks to avoid stress, and with the numerous exams and reports, we needed to manage. This project also helped me improve my presentation skills, which are important as an engineer. Presenting ideas and solutions to my boss or team members is a critical aspect of my job, and the delivery must be easily understood and able to get the attention from the audience. Presentation skills are crucial and closely linked to effective workplace communication. It enables us to communicate effectively with our colleagues. However, having good presentation skills is not just about creating visually appealing slides. It's more about capturing the audience's attention and engaging with them.

In conclusion, this project learning helped me develop essential skills and knowledge necessary for my future career as an engineer.