Critical Reflection

At the start of the course, I was unsure what to expect, especially in a class full of classmates that I didn't know. However, I knew I needed to improve my writing and speaking skills by completing the module Critical Thinking and Communicating, which would be helpful for my course, Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineering, in which lab reports are required. In order to accomplish this goal, I stepped out of my comfort zone and led the teams I was assigned to and became more proactive in participating in Group Projects by expressing my opinion, engaging with other members, assisting with our assignments, and providing suggestions to get the ball rolling. Several group assignments were given to us, including the importance of communication for engineers, Paul Elder's framework, summary reader responses on a chosen topic, and a final group project in which we had to write and present a 2800 word report. As a team leader in group projects, I was able to develop and improve my communication skills as well as my ability to work with others effectively. I have contributed to written skills and critical thinking skills by contributing ideas, solutions, and suggestions. In addition to learning how to write a brief summary of the contents of a topic, I also learned how to write a thesis statement that covers the contents of a report, how an introduction and conclusion should be formatted, and how to cite correctly in accordance with the APA 7th edition style from the professor. In order to further improve myself, I believe I need to motivate my team to improve their productivity and efficiency

As part of the final project, my group and I discussed and came up with solutions to the stakeholder problems, which was one focus of the research project. We used our critical thinking skills to come up with ideas, problem and purpose statements, and to work with each other to complete the project while ensuring everyone was on the right track. Our discussion helped us communicate effectively with each other, use our critical thinking skills to come up with ideas, problem statements, and work together to accomplish the project. When it comes to presentation skills, I have learned that the audience's attention span is about 15 minutes before they lose interest in it. In order to capture the audience's attention, it is recommended to begin the presentation with a hook, such as a shocking statistic, a relatable question, etc. As a transition between speakers, it is recommended that you say "next, [name] will talk to you more on [the next part]" rather than "now I will pass the time to", so as not to interrupt the presentation's flow. The final thing we must do after the conclusion is to ask the audience if they have any questions so they can clarify their doubts. On writing skills, we should always cite the articles where we get the information from, and at the start of each section of the report, a brief description of the contents of that section should be included. In the introduction, you should explain what the report is about, who the stakeholders are, and what the problems are. Through teamwork, I have learned how important it is to communicate effectively in order to get the work done, especially when discussing the chosen project, the proposed solution, and its advantages and limitations so we all are on the same page. As a result of this project, I gained many useful skills including writing an effective report, giving an interactive presentation, and leading a team.