Final Refection on Learning

It has been a quick semester and yet we have all come a long way. Since our first day in class, with the unique introduction session I knew this course was different and had much more to offer in comparison to other courses. There is so much learnt from this course – be it essentials of making good presentations, leading a team, making decisions, making elevator pitches or even facing stone-faced interviewers. With all the constructive criticism at every stage, encouragement and suggestions I know this module has been an enriching experience for us. Each activity in this course was so different, yet possessed the same goal, of self-awareness, improving confidence and organizing content.

The presentations along the module not only helped me improve my presentation style, but also improved my confidence. Before ES2007S, I usually rushed through my presentations, not focusing much on the visuals and sticking to the content. I would stammer a lot and never had much control over the content. This course has exposed me to variety of presentations and presenting skills to adapt from. Incorporation of these in our final OP enhanced our presentation. We let the slides complement our speech rather than let it speak for us. This course has taught me how to focus the entire presentation on oneself and the importance of getting a good grip over the content.

The mock interviews and elevator pitch were an enriching experience. As a student I is very important to able to give a good interview, starting from writing a good and readable resume and cover letter to finally making the mark on the interview.  This course taught me to not only structure my resume and cover letter well but also to present confidently and clearly. The elevator pitch was a first time experience. It helped me learn to be quick on my feet and how to effectively communicate the idea in almost no time.  

Each activity in this module came along with teamwork. This not only helped me build good relations with my classmates, but also taught me to work well in a culturally diverse group. It taught me to take criticism in the right spirit and also give constructive feedback.

Thank you all for a great semester of fun and learning, especially Brad. Thank you for bringing out the best in us and motivating us throughout!  Everything in this module from the fun elements to the learning bits is unparalleled and something we’ll cherish for long! 

Reflecting on my Oral Presentation

Oral presentations are an integral part of any professional’s life. I am glad to have been given an option of being a part of one in this module. One of my objectives of taking up this course was to improve my presentation skills and develop my overall confidence while presenting to a crowd. The final oral presentation section of this module was the perfect way to polish my skills and learn useful ways to improve my presentation style.

I had a great time working on this proposal and oral presentation with my team. Midst all the joking, laughing, fooling around, I have learnt a lot through this oral project. Ranging from planning, making surveying, interviewing, making email correspondence with authorities, brainstorming, accepting and rejecting ideas with due respect and making decisions. We not only credited each other for the work, but also gave valuable feedback and constructive criticism. This was very useful in shaping our final presentation. I would like to thank my teammates for all their effort throughout!

When I look back at the previous presentations that I’ve made and compare it to our final oral presentation I can feel an improvement. I’ve learnt that when giving a presentation it is vital to realize the “ME” factor involved in the presentation; the slides/props involved are secondary. I tried to follow this in this presentation by having good control over my content and knowing my subject in coherent depth. I tried to ensure that the talk did not entirely depend on the presentation but the presentation complimented the talk. 

We tried to implement the Jobs style of presentation by including no bullet points and just focusing on the main point of the subject. I think incorporating this along with pictures in our slides made them more readable.

In my opinion, there was a good flow from one team member to another. The delivery of the presentation was clear and concise with good explanation for most of the parts. Eye contact was effective throughout, though in some places it could have been better. I felt, that the question and answer round was challenging, but I tried my best to answer as much as possible extrapolating from the survey results and interview questions. It helped me think on the spot.

There are various areas I can improve upon for my future presentations. I tend to stammer at times when I am short of words, especially in the beginning of the presentation, when I am slightly nervous. I need to practice more fluency in my speech. I should also use better words and avoid paraphrasing some sentences over. Another thing I should improve on is my pace of speaking. I feel sometimes I rush and don't give enough pauses. 

Although there still exist various areas of improvement, I enjoyed this experience a lot and wish to continue learning and improving further.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQLTqMyGFRE