Reflection on principles of communication/ Teamwork on programming and problem-solution projects

Before learning CG1413, I did not recognize the crucial importance of communication and teamwork. I used to underestimate this module as I did not believe many abstract but useful skills can be learned through it. The heavy workload overwhelmed me at the very first beginning. It is not only because I had to write numerous posts and conduct several meetings, but also because I do not have a good command of English.

My very first and last impressions of 1102 and 1413

The 1102 and 1413 projects were not able to be completed without teamwork. I want to highlight this as I myself underwent some kinds of team assignments and presentations. However, there are two reasons distinguish them from my current 1102 and 1413 projects.

First of all, I did them in my mother tongue, not in English. That is why I got stuck at the beginning because of new words, especially scientific and technical words. A very clear example is when I could not find any particular green technologies in the 1413 project. Afterward, my teammate suggested me the term “Agroforestry”. I had no idea about this technology even reading Wikipedia material. But I quickly recognized it after using a translation tool. I studied it times during my high school. This shows language difficulty in the academic environment.

Secondly, my high school group assignments were not as heavy as and designated well for teamwork. Hence, we sometimes finished them individually and handed in results, or gave presentations with some key members. Since studying 1102 and 1413 modules, I no longer have such perceptions. Attempting the problem alone would make me fail other modules!

I honed new skills while doing the 1102 project.

My 1102 project seems to be harder compared with the 1413 one. Our very first meeting was also the first meeting to be video-taped. Unpreparedness threw me into disarray. But thanks to discussion prior to the video shoot, I caught up with and contributed my opinions. Knowing my language weakness, I tried to use more gestures and plotted graphs to illustrate my ideas in the following meetings. It turned out to be quite effective. I find it is also easily for me to understand my teammates’ ideas using this technique. Still, the language barrier and my accent continue to be my formidable obstacles. I had to clarify my idea a lot of times. That maintains our progress and harmony between every group member.

And interactive skills are my most important achievements throughout 1413.

From my perspective, the 1413 project mainly taught me how to create survey, research data, and be impressive in a presentation. Never before did I realize the importance of those nonacademic skills. It’s essential to use non-verbal communication during meetings and presentations. They help us emphasize points we are trying to bring to the audience.

Great leaders, great jobs

I was very lucky to have good leaders guiding both projects. They quickly knew each member’s strengths and weaknesses. That is how we optimized our work and completed the labs or tasks on time. Our team leaders were sometimes too anxious that they constantly pushed us. We all understood their situations because they had to ensure objectives are achieved before the deadlines. They always sent us apology letters afterward.

Learning lasts a lifetime.

In conclusion, I have learned many new concepts and skills that are valuable in life throughout two modules. Successfully interacting with people is truly an art of communication. I need to apply them in real life situation everyday although these modules came to an end. I believe practice gives me improvements and opens up more new theories and abilities.