Final Reflection on Learning

As I rewind back to the first session of this module, I recalled how uncomfortable I felt on speaking out. It is not in my nature to be vocal and expressive of my thoughts and opinions as I always felt that someone is going to be hurt out of this exercise. Then, as we went along, I started to realize that communication can take many forms. It is important for you to package your thoughts and organize your words in a way that it minimizes any ill-feelings and to maximize the impact of your intent out of the process. This is especially important for presentations as you know who your audience are and what you intend to convey out of the presentation.

Lessons and feedback from Peer Teaching session were personally very useful in my group’s preparation for the oral presentation. Over the course of this module, I’ve learnt through our class sessions, numerous articles and videos on presentation skills and its techniques. It is not possible to apply all of them but after the Peer Teaching session, I realized that an effective and good presentation can be achieved on the condition of these few preparations which I will hopefully hold on to. They are:

1.      To master your materials.

2.      To have very focused slides with minimal words but with more visual representation.  

3.      Most importantly, to rehearse. Rehearsal will synchronize your words and your slides, get the train of thoughts correct to minimize reliance on script and finally, to overcome a fair bit of nervousness during presentation.

With this in mind, I tried my best to work on my oral presentation. My initial reliance on script during the rehearsal suddenly could be done away with except at key junctures during the presentation. I surprised myself as the flow of ideas eased my speech and it was even better as it sounded more natural.

With regards to the non-verbal aspect of my presentation, I think I still felt a little stiff. I guess it will come naturally with more practice through proper use of gestures during my conversations. It will take time and effort as it will require me to be continuously conscious of my hands and facial expressions while speaking.

To conclude, I am personally satisfied with my personal development over the course of this module, in particular with regards to my presentation skills. While there are definitely rooms for improvement, this module have provided the stepping stone for me to be aware and conscious on the way I speak and deliver material in the best way possible.