At the start of this course, I expressed my goal of having the “ability to be confident presenting information in front of a large group of people”. Presentation opportunities were not as ubiquitous as writing assignments where I have previously studied in. However, this module has given me a platform to practice my public-speaking capabilities through a technical report in a professional setting. Extensive and prompt feedback from the course instructor regarding our idiosyncrasies and presentation style allowed me to be more adept and proficient at making effective presentation slides (which can really make or break your presentation) and has enabled me to articulate our team’s ideas to the class clearly and succinctly. Having adequate preparations and rehearsals albeit an unusually hectic trimester schedule has also granted my team the honour to present our ideas at the Presentation Showcase.
My team’s preliminary project proposal, although fitting the assessment criteria of being “sustainable” to an extent, did not focus on an engineering problem by and of itself, which was the primary goal incipiently. Our main challenge during the initial stages of project conceptualisation was to therefore deliberate a more appropriate engineering problem that could be addressed through sustainable approaches. Through the process of researching for a more suitable engineering problem, I have come to appreciate the iterative process that correlates with crafting a technical report - being open to unfamiliar ideas and research is crucial to developing a well-rounded technical report with substantial perspectives from your groupmates, industry experts and researchers.
My team was chosen to present our ideas at the Presentation Showcase due to our thorough preparation and considerations for our proposed solution regarding flooding on expressways. A stark difference between the class presentation and the Presentation Showcase was, firstly, the environment (a lecture theatre instead of a small classroom) and secondly, the number of audience members, the latter having a lot more course mates and even external judges, to boot. Anxiety and apprehension were thus to be expected. I was quivering slightly during my presentation segment, and even stumbled on my own words as I tried to articulate my thoughts into recognisable speech. Despite lacking the luxury of time for preparations, I felt that possessing a deep understanding of the technical report and the subject matter was crucial to being able to present effectively.
These 13 weeks of Effective Communication have made me better able to edit grammar and language mistakes in my work and of others, writing in a way that is pertinent regarding the issue at hand and enhanced my confidence and ability to present in front of a discerning audience. This module compliments our other more technical modules and educates us on the importance of being proficient at communicating our ideas, which is imperative for future engineers-to-be.
