The purpose of this feedback questionnaire is to gather information on your learning experience, as well as your responses to the course.
Please think of these questions as eliciting your subjective perceptions on various aspects of the course. The data you provide will be treated as confidential.
Please state your comments about the module.
In the blink of an eye, 13 weeks passed. It had always amazed me that we have learnt so many things just in one semester. However, this module is one that had taught me many different skills. We started off with writing simple blogpost before moving on to short presentations. It was then followed by peer teaching, writing of the application and cover letter, proposal writing as well as the ending the module with the grand finale; the oral presentation.
In these 13 weeks, I've tried many things that I've never done before throughout my 17 years of education. It was truly an eye opening experience for me. Granted that all of us, if not, most of us would have blogged or wrote a diary in some time of our lives ; I have never done proposal writing and presentations with SO LITTLE words on the screen before. Since I stepped into NUS, I had only done one presentation. Therefore, I thought that the peer teaching was a great warm-up for me to pick up my oral presentation skills again back from the JC days.
Coming up with a resume as well as the application letter was something new to me as well. Although the interview session was scary and stressful, it was fun as well. So far, I've never been to an interview session that asked me to talk about myself or describe one of my weaknesses. As I was one of the first few to go for the mock interview, it forced me to think on my feet when my "interviewers" asked me those questions which made the mock interview session more realistic.
Although I was quite resistant about the idea initially, it turned out to be one of my most positive experience of the module. To be grouped randomly with the rest of the class for the proposal as well as the oral presentation allowed me to interact and bond with the rest of my classmates. This helped to guide me out of my comfort zone and I believe I'll be more positive when I have to work with people I am not familiar with in future. I am sure in any job, it would be impossible for me to choose my project mates all the time.
Lastly, I truly enjoyed presentation at the end of the term. I have learnt a lot from my team mates and took away a lot of learning points from the presentation itself. I believe that the final presentation had helped me in developing my presentation skills. Now, I look at presentations in a more positive light and would be less hesistant if I need to do presentations in the future.
All in all, this module had definitely taught me a lot of essential skills that I would be useful throughout my life. Communication skills are vital in every aspect of life, active listening helps to prevent misunderstandings , good written skills and oral presentation skills are a necessity in all careers. I would definitely recommend this module to all NUS science students so that they can hone their communication skills as well.
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Dear Shih Han!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to be able to take this module with you. Haha, it was purely coincidental eh? =D I would like to thank you because I guess it was your motivation which got me into the presentation. I can still remember your "you can do it, Steph!". Honestly, it did wonders! Haha, thanks to your tips!
Personally, I think you are naturally a presenter as well! You did very well during the presentation too.
Yes, all those mock interviews were initially scary but it was fun too! We even got the chance to be interviewers and think from their point of view. It enhances our thinking and makes it more holistic because we get to act as well! Haha!
Alright, all the best in your preparations for exams! See you soon! :)
Hello Steph! It was great working with you for our peer teaching. Although we are in the same major, I think we barely interact with each other. I am glad that this module had bonded us! (: Yep! I agree that the mock interviews were fun. Kellyn(my interviewer) was trying not to laugh! haha! (((: All the best for your exams too! (:
ReplyDeleteHi Shih Han,
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. I have no prior experience in proposal writing,resume writing and formal oral presentations. During my college years, all we are told to do is to write essays and to discuss actively in class. When we enter university, we straightaway plunge into our area of study. I was constantly fed with tonnes of scientific information but was not taught how to apply them. We were also asked to write laboratory reports but we were not told how to write a proper report.Somehow I find myself competing with polytechnic graduates who have prior experience in lab report writing.
The school states that it was compulsory for us to take one Singapore studies module and 2 GEM modules. Why not make it compulsory for students to take one communication module? There are probably a handful of students who graduated the school without learning how to write a proper resume, proposal and business letters.
I have a friend who studying pharmacology at NUS. She told me that the pharmacology department offers a compulsory communication module catered to pharmocological students. This module uses the same principles taught in our module too. It seems to be that some majors at NUS have structured their own respective communication modules while other departments ,like life sciences, do not offer such communication modules. There is probably only one science academic writing module offered by ES department.
So, when is the communication revolution going to take place?
Dear Shihhan,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the detailed review of your learning via the various course components during the last 13 weeks. I like the way you initially framed this as a survey request from NUSEU. I'm also very happy that you would recommend ES2007S to other students.
Just as important as all the activities that you mention and the various skill areas that we covered were the class dynamics, based on the interpersonal skills each of you showed. I was very impressed by yours, I must say. You showed great willingness to do whatever was asked of you, you were quick to ask questions and make comments, and you always seemed to have a smile on your face. As the guy who stood most often in front of the room, I felt lots of positive vibrations coming from your direction. Thank you for that and for all your contributions to the learning environment.
best wishes, Shihhan, as you continue your studies. (And do, by all means, recommend ES2007S to your friends!)
One quarter of Legally Blonde :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that Brad placed us together in the proposal group :) Now I know who to look for to go shopping with. Haha. I can identify with the almost negligible experience of conducting presentations. Sad to say, there aren't many modules in Life Sciences which include presentations in their curriculum. But this module has made up in part for that lack.
Designing course k :))