I am sure many of you would agree with me that writing this research report was pretty tedious. This was especially so, having to juggle other CAs and projects. However, it is also precisely the reason as to why I had a positive learning experience whilst doing up this research project. The process was certainly not a bed of roses as we met with hiccups along the way. i.e. we had no idea we do not have access to the survey results once it expired. But of course, we managed to rectify the problems and dealt with them positively.
This isn’t the first time I have experienced working in a group on a particular project. However, lessons were still learnt throughout this process, especially since learning more about communication skills earlier on during the course of the module. As mentioned in the blog posts earlier, communication is necessary to avoid misunderstandings. On top of that, it has got to be effective communication. So, what is effective communication? Basically, I feel that clear instructions and common understanding of the instructions given and ideas presented form the basis of clear communication. I must say that initiative of the chairman (Hui Min) to disseminate the agenda or outline of what is to be done next, clearly, together with the response and agreement of the group members is what clear communication is all about. Although we did meet with our fair share of problems, things still turned out fine because each one of us are clear of our roles and took the initiative to do what’s necessary.
In preparation for the oral presentation, there has got to be a different approach to making the presentation effective and clear. The language used when speaking to a group of audience is clearly different from the written style. Moreover, it is important to maintain eye contact with the audience during the presentation to “listen” to their silent comments (i.e. non-verbal cues). Also, striking a balance between the visual presentation (powerpoint slides) and our oral presentation is important in helping us put our ideas across more clearly. It is all the more important that we do not allow the visual presentation to “take over” what we have to say.
Hence, learning how to present in an interesting yet informative manner is something I have to learn to master for the upcoming oral presentation.
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3 comments:
Hello You Fei, I agree that the workload from other modules definitely made meeting the datelines for this project quite a challenge. Also, effective communication between team-mates is definitely crucial for the group to work smoothly and effectively. Misunderstandings or any conflict would have made working on the project a chore and may even have lead to difficulty in completing it on time or producing a final product that the group would be proud of. Thus, great job and all the best!
Hi You Fei, I agree that effective communication is important. It prevents any misunderstanding between group members and also any mistakes due to misinterpretation of instruction. Both speaker and listener have to play their part to ensure that the correct message is sent through.
Also, I agree that presenting of information through oral presentation is definitely different from report writing. Many more things have to be "taken care of" during presentation. For example the non-verbal cues which directly shows an audience response towards what is presented. Therefore, I feel that it's a difficult yet an important skill to master.
Hi You Fei,
Am glad to read that it was a positive learning experience for you but you did not explain why it was so. I feel your post could have been more reflective. Would have liked to hear from you how this collaboration was different from other projects you have participated in.
Nevertheless, thanks for your post and for all the hard work!
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