Critical Reflection

 

Critical Reflection

 

Module Learning. At the start of this course, I set two main goals for myself: to articulate my thoughts more clearly and effectively, and to enhance my critical thinking skills, especially in collaborative settings. Reflecting on my progress, I believe I have made significant strides toward achieving these objectives.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is how to structure my thoughts during oral presentations. The framework of introducing, explaining, and concluding has enabled me to organize my ideas in a logical manner, leading to clearer and more confident communication. This approach has directly contributed to my ability to articulate my thoughts more effectively.

Additionally, I’ve worked on expanding my vocabulary, which has allowed me to express myself more fluently and confidently. As a result, I now find it easier to form sentences and explain complex concepts without hesitation, which has been especially evident during team discussions and presentations.

In terms of critical thinking, I have become better at breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts. This skill has proven especially useful in team projects, where it helped me identify key components of a problem and allocate tasks effectively to team members.

Looking ahead, I anticipate being assigned multiple team projects with presentations as part of my academic journey at Singapore Institute of Technology. To further improve, I plan to consistently apply the framework of introducing, explaining, and concluding in future team meetings. I hope that with continued practice, this framework will become second nature, allowing me to articulate my thoughts with greater ease and precision.

 

Project Learning. In my earlier academic years at Polytechnic, writing reports was more task oriented. I focused on presenting data and information in a clear and concise manner. However, when I entered university and had to take a module that emphasized clear and effective writing, I realized that writing wasn’t just about presenting facts, it was about engaging with the audience, making logical arguments, and ensuring clarity. Learning to use tools like gAI has significantly helped me with this transition. I am no longer just writing for the sake of completing an assignment; I am now more conscious of how I can make my writing concise, specific, and clear.

Using gAI has been particularly transformative in this regard. While I initially feared that relying on AI might compromise the authenticity of my voice, I’ve learned to use it as a tool to refine my ideas. I ensure that I don’t just copy-paste suggestions but read through the AI’s responses carefully. This process has taught me how to critically evaluate and edit my own work, while also learning what a well-structured, clear piece of writing looks like. I’ve noticed that gAI’s suggestions often encourage me to tighten up my language, avoid redundancy, and improve logical flow, skills I now actively apply in my drafts.

In addition to gAI, learning about Paul-Elder's Critical Thinking Framework has further helped me focus on clarity and purpose. By applying the framework, I have become more deliberate in my writing. For example, focusing on the purpose of each section has helped me write more focused, coherent paragraphs that directly contribute to my central argument. The clarity and precision emphasized by Paul-Elder’s framework have made me more mindful of the need to avoid vague or ambiguous language, ensuring my points are well supported and clearly articulated.

Overall, the project has made me realise that I used to write for completion without giving much thought on whether whatever I have wrote is clear and engaging, and through the feedback given from Professor Brad as well as my classmates through the peer reviews, it has made me realize the value of feedback from others where others are able to highlight blind spots which you might have missed as a writer.