Final Reflection on Learning

I took this module with the sole purpose of learning how to write a resume and application letter. Now that we are at the tail end of the semester, I can safely say that I’ve learnt so much more. The presentations that we were called on to do were the biggest challenge for me. These presentations came in various forms (i.e dry runs, peer teaching and the oral presentation). Each of these presentations was unique in their own way and required the presenters to be more aware of the topic at hand. Although the presentations were challenging, I took it as an opportunity to develop myself. Interestingly, these presentations also allowed me to gain insights into the type of person I am.
 

One thing that I have learnt is that regardless of the type of presentation you are giving, preparation is of utmost importance. One of the first steps of my preparation was to note who my target audience was. Fellow students, teachers, colleagues and bosses each have very different expectations. Thus, it is important to tailor your presentation to the specific audience. The second step of my preparation was to know my topic well. By knowing my topic inside out, I felt that I could naturally be more confident in my delivery. The final step was to rehearse my speech way in advance. That being said, no amount of preparation can actually prepare you for unforeseen circumstances on that day (i.e powerpoint going haywire etc.). In such instances, it is always good to keep calm and to carry on. I have realized that no presentation can be inch perfect. We should always just try to do our best.

The various types of presentations allowed us to work in groups. This fostered teamwork as well as rigorous planning of time. Various members of the group had different expectations of how the presentations should be conducted. It was important to ensure that each of the members could align their expectations and come to a consensus. This is perhaps where effective interpersonal communication was important. I made a conscious effort to always be aware of my emotions during each of our project meetings. If I didn’t agree with what another group member had said, I would try to negotiate so as to reach an agreement. Working in groups for the presentations, has made me realize the value in having good social skills.

 

 

Moving on from the preparation stage soon came the time to do the actual presentations. Keeping each powerpoint slide simple and uncluttered could make a huge difference in how the presentation went. I realized that by minimizing the words and using as many relevant pictures, I was more likely to capture the audience’s attention. I kept this in mind while working on the powerpoint slides for the final presentation. By doing this, I realized that the audience was more likely to follow what I was saying.
 

Another verbal skill which I picked up was the ability to emphasise the sentences that carried more meaning. To emphasise certain sentences, I would either slow down purposely or change my tone. Sometimes, I would even do both. By doing this, I was able to highlight to the audience the important take away points of my presentation. I feel that this is important as no speaker wants his audience to leave his presentation having learnt nothing!

 

 

In terms of non-verbal skills, I felt that having eye contact with the audience was a must. Instead of just giving a sweeping gaze over the audience, I practiced looking at each individual in the audience for a short period of time. I feel that by doing this, the speaker is able to build some sort of connection with the audience. Since the first presentation, I have been trying to improve my eye contact with the audience. I realized that I tended to refer too much to my slides while speaking. For the final presentation however, I felt that due to sufficient practice, I was able to improve in this aspect.

 If I were to summarise what I have learnt about oral presentations:

·         Always be prepared (know your audience, topic and speech)

·         Teamwork (be aware of your own emotions as well as in others and have good social skills)

·         Have a simple yet effective powerpoint presentation

·         Speak clearly and concisely so that the audience can understand you

·         Always have good eye contact with each individual in the audience

 

Thank you!

 

Reflection on Oral Presentation

The oral presentation was significant as it marked the end of this module. At the same time however, it marked the start of our journey in using all that we have learnt in the real world. To me, it was a culmination of all the topics we have learnt over the course of this semester. The use of the 7Cs of effective communication, nonverbal cues and presentation skills were all essential in putting the oral presentation together. In the following blog post, I hope to give an unbiased account of my oral presentation. Please feel free to give your thoughts on how I could further improve by writing in the comments section.

Promoting the solutions that our group had come up with was what I was tasked with delivering. I felt that it was important to put my points across in a persuasive manner. By using the statistics gathered through our survey, I augmented many of the proposed solutions that we had come up with. Hopefully, many of the students in class were convinced with the need for having the Bike Share system.

 
While preparing for my presentation, I realized that many of the points were going to be rather dry. To overcome this, showing my enthusiasm and confidence was important. By emphasizing the benefits of implementing the various solutions, I think that I have been effective in putting the points across.

In terms of verbal factors, I felt that I had spoken fluently and clearly. In order to achieve this, continual practice was important. Despite the practice however, the audience highlighted that I tended to use the word “actually” too much. On hindsight, I think it’s a filler word which I use instead of saying “errm” or “hmm”. I will definitely work on trying to cut out these filler words. Perhaps more practice would suffice.

The slides which I used had minimal words and more pictures. I felt that this was important in getting the attention of the audience. Instead of placing all my words on the slides, I used pictures to get my point across. Sometimes, pictures alone aren’t sufficient in informing the audience. Thus, I have realized that the content of your speech matters as well. As I’ve learnt in class, the slides aren’t the star of the show, you are! We have to be able to substantiate whatever we have used on the slides with our speech.

In my opinion, a good speaker is not only someone who can present well but someone who can inspire his audience. Just think of US President Barrack Obama or Apple’s founder Steve Jobs. It’s easy to be a speaker who can just present facts or figures well. But being an inspirational speaker is a whole new ball game. Through this presentation, I’ve realized that I may be good in putting my points across. Yet at the same time, I feel I’ve a long way to go to be an inspirational speaker. This is something that I will strive for in my future presentations.