ES1102 Critical Reflection

The Role of Peer and Tutor Feedback

It had been a short but fulfilling twelve weeks with class A05 and our tutor Brad. In this module, we were given numerous assignments to complete both individually and in pairs or groups. As a result, there had been a lot of peer discussions and evaluations going on throughout the course of this module. This was also one of the learning features of this module that I particularly liked about, and which has also benefitted and enriched my learning of the English Language.

The idea of having peer evaluation is crucial for a student to understand themselves more, to write and to analyse more effectively in academic style on a tertiary level education.

It might be a little taxing at the start as we had to constantly comment and give opinions or feedbacks on an issue discussed during class or on a certain piece of writing by one of our classmates. Nonetheless, it became a norm for us at the end of week three. By engaging in peer evaluation, we were able to learn and pick up mistakes on our own writing as our peers would evaluate our work after each completed assignment. As everyone has differing ideas and opinions, we were able to relook at our writing in a different light whenever one of our classmates comments and points out our mistakes. It was actually really effective as there were instances whereby my peers pointed out some obvious errors in my essay which I overlooked while drafting it. It then allowed me to quickly amend the errors accordingly and my essay make more sense thereafter.  

Besides allowing myself to self-assess my work through the eyes of my peers, peer evaluation also allowed me to assess and look at academic essays and writing critically. This was so as the syllabus of this module taught us skills and tips on how to write, evaluate and assess academic writings more effectively and efficiently. The in-class discussions together with Brad and the class were also informative and interesting as learning took place in a more engaging manner, and I believed it set out the right tone and environment for conducive learning to take place. In addition, Brad was also friendly and approachable. We felt really comfortable to look for him regarding any issues during and after classes, This module has allowed me to not only hone my writing skills but also my oral and communication skills with people. Through presentations and peer evaluation time during classes, I had to communicate and interact with different people and it has greatly helped me to convey my ideas across more convincingly. 

All in all, the module has allowed me to learn a lot about the English Language. The skills and knowledge I have gained in class were also applicable to other modules in my course. The things I have learnt during class were not solely restricted to this module but also other modules (South Asian studies) as I have to write essays for my upcoming exams. It was indeed a fun-filled yet tedious module but also the most enjoyable one amongst my other modules I had in my first semester. Before I conclude, I would also like to wish all my fellow friends good luck and hope that everyone will do well in their studies from here on. It was really nice knowing the people from class A05 and I had a great time here.

ES1102 Essay Prompt Final Draft

Singapore is facing a rising greying population, with baby boomers entering their golden years (Tham, 2014). The term baby boomers indicates people who were born between 1947 and 1964 (Ministry of Social and Family Development, 2009). As the country progresses toward a technologically advanced era, a group of these baby boomers and those older than them are unintentionally left behind as they are not technologically connected, which puts them at risk of social isolation.

Since a group of independent-living elderly faces social isolation as they are deprived of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) support due to their lack of knowledge and access to technology, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) should implement a series of TV commercials in different languages to educate and promote the use of Internet so as to encourage the elderly to be plugged in and to take the first step out by having Internet installed on their computers or to purchase a home computer together with Internet connectivity.

Because of their lack of awareness in technology, this group of independent living elderly are not connected to the cyber world. When the elderly are connected, they are able to access a wide variety of information and knowledge pertaining to their interest or pick up something new through the mass information that were placed online. This in turn allows the elderly to be active and be intellectually healthy as they learn and enrich themselves with new knowledge every day through the Internet. In addition, the Internet provides the elderly communication means with their friends or family members as well. Communication tools like webcam or Skype can allow the elderly to stay connected with their loved ones as they are able to engage in real time video conferencing over the Internet. Webcam and Skype are not just communication platforms to the elderly but it suffice as a medium to help ease emotional isolation of the elderly. The elderly can be aware and kept updated with the life of their children and this helps to put them at ease. The ability to engage in real time video conferencing also eases the social isolation of the elderly as they would be able to interact and communicate with people at a click of their fingers. All in all, the elderly will thus be able to live a more enriching and fulfilling lifestyle with the help of ICT support. Therefore, it is obvious that without ICT, the elderly will not be able to enjoy the benefits and are highly at risk of social isolation.

In 2009, there was a whopping 30,000 elderly who are at risk of social isolation. These elderly are poor, living alone, divorced or widowed, or in poor health (The Straits Times, 2009). It could be likely that this figure would have gone up in the year 2014. Preliminary results from an MCYS-commissioned survey has also indicated that those living alone and those with weak social networks outside of the household were more likely to be at risk of social isolation (Ministry of Social and Family Development, 2010). If the elderly do not engage in any form of community activities and interactions with other people, it is probable for these elderly to be isolated as they would be cooped up at home every day doing nothing. To add on, these elderly might be bothered by their physical impediments such as difficulties in walking long distances and thus leaving their homes to engage in a certain activity or hobby would be tedious for them. The mundane and monotonous lifestyles the elderly get by with daily is unhealthy and detrimental to their emotional well-being, and thus ICT should be the solution to help the elderly get out of this vicious cycle of isolation.

Currently, there are many efforts undertaken by the government to promote a healthy aging environment for the elderly, and Seniors Activity Centres is one of them. These Seniors Activity Centres (SACs) are key communities agencies which provide social support and care for seniors in that community, MCYS reported (Ministry of Social and Family Development, 2010). However, there are shortcomings to these SACs. Even though these centres are located in the vicinity where the elderly reside, elderly who are obstinate and refuse to socialise and make friends would not make a trip to these SACs as it would seem pointless to them. Elderly who have difficulties walking due to their old age would also not frequent these SACs as it would be a tedious process for them. Without going to these SACs, the elderly would still be isolated and walled up within their homes as they would not be able to enjoy the activities and benefits SACs brought about. As such, the proposed solution has to be implemented within the households of the elderly so that it could raise awareness while educating them about the benefits of ICT. This is in hope that the elderly would be encourage to start having Internet installed on their computers or to even purchase a computer together with Internet connectivity.

Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) should implement a series of TV commercials to raise awareness about ICT for a start. The commercial would be crafted and designed to be visually appealing with simple words, catchy slogans and taglines coupled with flashy images. In order for them to understand the content, the commercials would be made in the three major spoken dialects by the elderly, Mandarin (not a dialect), Hokkien, Cantonese and Teochew. Also, in order to boost viewership by the elderly population, the commercials would be broadcasted during the morning and afternoon period when most of the elderly will be active throughout the day. The commercials is a primary step to educate the elderly by helping to raise awareness of the importance of ICT through its commercial message. This is in hope that they would be encouraged to get in touch with ICT. It is however not adequate if the efforts are stopped here. Campaigns and community events need to be followed up to boost the actual commitment of the elderly to stay connected. Infocomm service providers such as Singtel or Starhub can partner with community centres to organise events to promote about ICT and to offer Internet service packages at a friendly rate to the elderly who attend these events. The solutions to getting these elderly to be connected have to be progressive to see results and the implementation of the commercials is the first step in trying to catch the attention and eyeballs of these elderly.

The digital divide in Singapore is real with a group of elderly who are still not connected. The digital gap between elderly who are aware of technology and are plugged in and those who are unaware is important. Those who are plugged in are likely to live a more active and informative lifestyle whereas those who are unplugged are at risk of social isolation. It is thus essential for IDA to do something to allow these group of elderly to update their status from “offline” to “online” and to reduce the possibility of more elderly being socially isolated.

References

Ministry of Social and Family Development (2010, March 04), Neighborliness is best defence against social isolation, Retrieved from
http://app.msf.gov.sg/Portals/0/Summary/pressroom/Neighbourliness%20is%20Best%20Defence%20Against%20Social%20Isolation.pdf 

SG Press Centre (2009, January 09), Singapore's Baby Boomers Wish To Age Meaningfully And Stay Active In Their Golden Years, Retrieved from http://www.news.gov.sg/public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/mcys/press_release/P-20090109-1

Tham, Irene (2014, March 13), Bridging the digital divide. The Straits Times.
Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/case-you-missed-it/story/bridging-the-digital-divide-20140317

GEK1007 Essay Topic

The Warring States period saw the rise of a number of schools of thought (Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism, Legalism, etc.) that fundamentally differed in their visions of political governance and social conduct. Using primary sources and historical background, evaluate the relative success and failure of two or more of these ideologies.

In contemporary times, many can witness that Confucianism is the core in which many Chinese education based their teachings and values on. As quoted, “There is no denying the deep and encompassing influence of Confucianism in Chinese society” [1], the presence of Confucianism in the Chinese society is imperative and the influence is strong. The advocation of Di Zi Gui is one of the examples of Confucianism influence in our modern society. Confucianism is not just an ideology but also a way of life for the Chinese people and to analyse it, the extent of how ingrained and widespread the practices are have to be examined[2]. Confucianism dates back to the ancient period when the ideology has its roots ingrained since the Warring States period in 475 BC – 221 BC by the famous philosopher, Confucius. Amidst states fighting and competing to attain power and to seize the throne of China, Confucianism ideology was thought to be contrastingly inferior to the prospering ideology of Sun Tzu (Sun Tzu Bing Fa) which advocated war fighting strategies. It was often ridiculed for being overly philosophical and unrealistic. Notwithstanding such criticism, Confucianism emerged as one of the most influential ideology till date.

Because Confucianism advocated intrinsic values of human beings such as the art of benevolence, righteousness, filial piety and one’s personal values, in time to come, these qualities still hold true to everyone and was able to sustain and spread its ideology, and even became a way of life for the Chinese people that is still prevalent in today’s society.

ES1102 Essay Presentation Reflection

I am a person who really enjoys designing presentation slides. I suppose this was cultivated within me a few years back. I was really impressed and inspired by one of my classmates back at my Poly years. Whenever she does her presentation, her slides were always really pretty and just catches the eyeballs of the class. Also, due to the curriculum of our modules in Poly, most of the assignments required us to present or pitch our ideas/proposal. It was from that moment when I started to really enjoy doing up slides and would often invest large amount of effort and time to make my slides look amazing. So, it was really heartwarming and a huge mental boost to know that the class liked my slides. (Thank you guys!)

To be honest, I was actually very nervous and my heart was beating like crazy from the point when Sean started his presentation. I always have this adrenaline rush and my heartbeat will rocket sky high before any presentations. However, today I was glad I managed to pull off quite well (at least I did not blank out) and finished my presentation. Truth be told, I actually took this mini presentation as an opportunity to push myself out of my comfort zone. I have always presented with a script or at least cue cards to guide myself and straighten out my flow of thoughts. Today's presentation was really my first time trying to do something different and I was really happy and satisfied with my presentation today as I was able to accomplish something I have always dreamt of. (I would always be secretly impressed with people who can articulate and present really well)

The class have also gave some comments and suggestions regarding my presentation and I would take them into considerations so that I can improve and use them on my future presentations. Brad have also mentioned my floating eye-contact during my presentation. This was actually a distraction trick for myself which I adopted in my Poly years to prevent myself from being too nervous during presentation time. However, I understand and agree that if I was able to look into the eyes of my audience, it would certainly help to bring my presentation skills to the next level. I would definitely work on that.

Good job for the rest of the people who presented and those who have presented on Monday! :)
And all the best to those who have yet to present as well ^_^