Thursday, April 16, 2015

Critical Reflection

ES1102 is a module that will always be valuable to me. Before, I rarely did any peer feedback or even if I did so, the feedback were general and not specific to any aspects of the writing. I even felt that peer feedback was abundant as I did not trust anyone else editing my work.

When we were told to give a formal peer feedback for each other’s readers’ response, I was afraid because I did not know what type of review Brad was expecting from us. Thankfully, we were given a template to guide us the appropriate way of writing a feedback. I became more aware of the importance of a clear thesis statement, coherent ideas as well as the organization of an academic writing. The feedback that I received from my peers also helped me improve my writings. Mistakes that I failed to notice before submission were noticed by my peers such as my error in the references section.

As time goes by, I felt that my academic writings improved. The constant feedback from Brad and my peers alarmed me of the mistakes I often make without realization. I will remember their feedback and avoid those mistakes when I start writing on a new draft. My own feedback towards my peers' academic writings have also improved. They are no longer general but much more specific and I could even come up with suggestions that can help them write better.

In other modules, I started practicing peer feedback on the essays especially when it is a group essay. I became sharper in spotting errors and changing them. Most importantly, my knowledge of APA citation style from ES1102 have helped me tremendously. I finally understood proper in-text citations and also the appropriate way to list my references. This is something I will keep in mind every time I work on an academic essay.

Looking back 13 weeks ago, I was grudging about having to take this module. I thought that ES1102 was going to be another mundane General Paper tutorial, just like when I was studying in Junior College. However, my perception towards ES1102 had a turnover. This module have benefited me more than I ever expected. I realized the importance of peer review and I would prefer if I have a friend checking my work before submission. When I compare my new essays to my essays before I took this module, there are definitely a vast difference.

2 comments:

  1. interesting perspective and well written. no major issues that I can find. good job and it was good having you along this journey ,!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for this well focused reflection, Hazwani. I appreciate the heart-felt way you have chosen to discuss your own evolving writing. It's good that you have highlighted that through the module, especially with my help and that of your peers, you have been developing an awareness of some of your weak points in writing and making an improvement. It's especially good to know that you also feel that you might be able to transfer some of the skills learned in ES1102 to other writing situations here at NUS. I hope that editing skills in particular can really be applied to writing situations beyond our module.

    In any case, I really appreciate all the effort you have made this term. It's been a pleasure working with you. All the best in your future!

    ReplyDelete