Critical Reflection

 3.2.1 Module learning: Refer to the goals you set yourself at the start of the course. Using what you have learned about critical thinking and reflections, reflect on the extent to which you have achieved (or not) the said objectives. You must also reflect on what you have done in terms of building on your communication and critical thinking skills, as well as what you should do to further improve these skills.

At the start of this course, I aimed to overcome my tremors during presentations and find my ideal presentation style. While I haven’t fully eliminated the tremors, I’ve learned to manage them better by being more prepared for my presentation and being confident in myself. Regular practice and feedback sessions also helped me feel more in control and confident.

In exploring different presentation styles, I’ve discovered that authenticity suits me best. When I speak with genuine interest, my delivery naturally improves and this in turn has also reduced my tremors. This realization has shaped how I prepare and engage with my audience for the foreseeable future.

I’ve also developed stronger critical thinking skills, especially in questioning assumptions and considering different perspectives. For example I will now question assumption instead of taking them at face value like my classmates all told me to change my research project topic as the XYZ Atom is a perfect device with no flaws, however I realised while the technology might be perfect it was still a augmented reality device which has its own set of flaws like cybersickness. Communication-wise, I’ve become more aware of my structure, tone, and body language, and while I still need to work on speaking more clearly under pressure, I am happy in the direction that I am improving towards.

Moving forward, I plan to grab many speaking opportunities, reflect on feedback instead of taking it at face value, and continue building both my confidence and critical thinking through practice and self-reflection.

3.2.2 Project learning: Choose one focus of your research project and critically reflect on your learning. Discuss specific points, such as presentation skills, writing skills, or teamwork skills. DO NOT just describe what you did and whether you liked it.
Rather, explain what you learned about yourself and others in the process. For
take from this project experience?
instance, how has this experience changed

One big area of learning for me in this project was improving my writing skills, especially when it came to explaining technicalities clearly. Working on the XYZ Reality Atom with Emeterm, I realised that writing a good report isn’t just about dumping all the information. It’s about helping the reader actually follow what we’re saying and why it matters.

At first, I found it hard to keep things organised and not overly technical. But after going through feedback and checking out how others wrote their parts, I learned how to be clearer and more direct. I also noticed that if I couldn’t explain something in simple terms, it probably meant I didn’t fully understand it myself yet. That pushed me to slow down and really figure things out before writing.

Teamwork also played a part in my learning. I learned that effective teamwork isn't just about dividing tasks, but about understanding how people think, communicate, and respond to feedback. Initially, I assumed everyone in my group worked similarly to me, driven by deadlines and structured planning, but I quickly saw how different work styles can create both friction and synergy. All this was only on myself as I realised my teammates might not have the same expectations as me, and I to fix this I realised I simply had to sound my issues out.

This experience helped me become more adaptable. I learned to listen more actively, to clarify expectations early, and to create space for quieter team members to contribute. These adjustments improved group cohesion and helped us build on each other’s strengths rather than clash over differences.

Overall, this project made me more self-aware, not just of how I work, but of how I collaborate with others. Going forward, I’ll bring a more collaborative mindset into future academic and professional settings.