Return back

Returning to my first post, some things have not changed. I still stand by my original purpose of taking this course: to learn, to practise and to improve my communication skills. Important principles of effective communication continue to ring true: speak with your audience and your aims in mind, listen actively to speakers, and respect all persons involved and the precious process of two-way communication.

Returning to my other posts, some things have changed noticably. Classmates have become team-mates and friends and I have had the privilege of observing different individuals’ personalities and styles. From our collective experiences and interactions, I have gained valuable insights about communication in the contexts of conflict situations and harmonious teamwork.

I return back, not so as to revert to my past mistakes, but to learn from my experience and look forward to shaping my future personal growth and development. I believe this is true for all of us. We take one step back in order to take two steps forward. We may have reached the end of this module, but learning will continue in our lives. Thanks everyone for our journey together this semester!

Advert for budding entrepreneurs - Genesis

Discover how your innovation and creativity can start up a new business

The NES events department is proud to present to you Genesis-Discover your business idea with innovation and creativity. Join us in an interactive and fun-filled evening where you will get a chance to get up close and personal with the CEO of Stikfas! This student dialogue session will provide you with a unique insight into the minds of today's successful entrepreneurs - how creativity and innovation has played a part in initiating and sustaining their business? What provided the spark and inspiration for their original products? Furthermore, the post-dialogue session will serve as a networking platform for you as you will get the chance to interact and mingle with the speaker.

Date: 30/10/2008 Thursday
Venue: CIT Auditorium, Computer Center Level 2 (Opposite Central Library)
Time: 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Dress Code: Smart Casual

Kindly register at http://www.nes.org.sg/

Advert for budding entrepreneurs - TiE NUS Youth Group

The Youth Group of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) are presenting an introductory talk with a panel of speakers:

23 October 2008 (Thurs) 6.30pm - 8pm @ LT18 (BIZ).
Smart casual. Free admission. RSVP via email.

Check out their website if you're interested. By the way, I am in no way affiliated with this organization. I'm posting this because several classmates are interested in starting their own business in the future. Thanks.

An abstract of my life

If my life were to be a scientific study, what might it look like? After more than sixteen years of study, the main literature review will be completed by May 2009 in the form of a BSc. (Hons.) in Life Sciences. There was much trial-and-error experimentation in the preliminary stages. Experimentation will still continue, following in the spirit of science, with ongoing data assimilation and regular updating of protocols according to experience. The predicted result is a Second Upper Honours. Hopefully this will enable me to advance my current phase of basic sciences into future pursuits involving exciting human studies.

It's the people who really matter - Thanks everyone!

Upon reflection, I realize that my group’s project has progressed smoothly and I feel that this project is one of the more successful projects which I have done in NUS. What are some possible reasons for our smooth progress?

1. Effective and efficient teamwork. Danny and Jia Hao are cooperative, hardworking, focussed and fair. Moreover, they were tolerant even when I did extensive changes to their work and they demonstrated initiative by volunteering to take on responsibilities.

For instance, Danny voluntarily brought his lap-top for all our project meetings even though Jia Hao and I had not requested this of him. He also found and read a relevant book from CELC for our literature review. On the other hand, Jia Hao set up, monitored and gathered the data from our online survey. He also offered to generate the graphs for our report, efficiently utilizing the analytical skills which he had developed through his courses in statistics.

In short, Danny and Jia Hao are good team-mates. Their steady contributions motivated me to stay on task and on time and I feel fortunate to have them as classmates, team-mates and friends.

2. A clearly defined procedure. The stepwise guide to research and report writing in this module has provided a useful framework.

In particular, I initially thought that defining a problem statement and hypothesis for the project was rather tedious. However, these helped to give purpose and direction during the process of report writing.

Besides that, peer reviewing and conferencing were valuable sources of feedback from different individuals’ perspectives. We received useful suggestions and realized that we had overlooked several points in our report.

3. Luck? We were fortunate to obtain 100 survey responses in a short period of 10 days. Perhaps this was due to our choice of topic although it was more probable that friends had helped us by participating in our survey. Survey respondents contribute significantly towards any survey study even though their input may be poorly acknowledged.

Although a survey study is quite different from conventional scientific research, the human aspect is important in both. After completing this project, I feel more convinced of the synergistic benefits of team-work.

Where is the end of plagarism?

Is it practical to try to "prevent" plagarism?

We are in the midst of an "information age". In the future, we can probably expect the volume of information to increase exponentially. In light of this, to what extent can plagarism be controlled or avoided? To the world outside of academia, academia may appear antiquated and steeped in tradition (while remaining proud of it). Is it about time to re-vamp the system of academic writing in order to keep up with the demands of this time and age?

In how many ways can we expect a certain piece of information to be re-written in order to avoid plagarising a piece of writing? Exactly when does a piece of information become "common knowledge" and be free of of its "author"-right (analogous to copyright?)? When it becomes published in textbooks? Why aren't the authors of the textbook (and students who use the textbook) guilty of plagarism then? Usually, writers are encouraged or expected to cite the original primary work instead of secondary sources whenever this is possible. The boundaries seem to be defined vaguely; nevertheless, watchdogs are vigilantly guarding the "author"-right and are quick to catch any slip-ups without mercy.

Moreover, academic writing often involves the specific use of specific words. In re-writing a particular part, there is a chance that the original meaning gets subtly distorted. On the other hand, extensive use of quotations, especially block quotations, appear unwieldy. In scientific writing, quotations are not commonly utilized. Instead, a piece of information may be followed immediately by several numbers (indicating reference sources); a practice which is less wordy but still cumbersome and distracting to the reader.

The original intention behind referencing and avoiding plagarism is to give proper recognition to an individual for a novel idea. However, have individuals been spending excessive and unnecessary time and effort in doing extensive re-writing in order to avoid plagarism? Could this collective time and effort have been put to better use otherwise? Which is more important: the means of avoiding plagarism or the ends of avoiding plagarism?

Outside of academia, there are copyright issues. However, if I recall correctly, the copyright for a piece of work dies with its author. Yet in academia, the "author"-right of a piece of information can live on indefinitely beyond the lifespan of its author.

Moreover, take the example of the music industry. Isn't it strangely common for a piece of music to be reborn in various versions, all of which can be traced back to the original piece? Yet each piece seem to be recognized as stand-alones and not blatent "copies" which violate copyright laws. Why does this apparent discrepancy in standards arise?

Is it practical or even possible to try to "prevent" plagarism?

What's that sound?

I did a laboratory-based research project last year under a supervisor who was from China. During laboratory meetings or presentations, I noticed that he would occasionally tilt his head back slightly and make a loud and sharp sound which resembles a "hiss".

Initially, I felt that the sound was rather disruptive as it disturbed my train of thoughts or distracted me from listening to the speaker. However, the other people present in the meetings or presentations did not seem perturbed. A few of them were also Chinese nationals, while others were from other countries. I assumed that either this behaviour was acceptable in China, or it was some behaviour that they had grown used to and could tolerate or ignore. So I attempted to dismiss his behaviour and similarly show indifference.

Gradually, I noticed that this behaviour occurred whenever my supervisor was thinking hard about things. So I thought it could be a habit of his when he was in deep concentration or contemplation and left it at that.

However, after I had explored a website in the skill builder on interpreting nonverbal communication, I realized that this gesture (tilting the head backward and audibly sucking air through the teeth) was an acceptable norm to Chinese nationals and actually signals “no” or that “something is very difficult” instead of overtly saying “no”. Upon reflection, I realized that this is quite true; my supervisor had a tendency to avoid saying “no” directly. Instead, he may say “it may be difficult...” or “let me think about it...”. Unfortunately, in most cases I had not picked up this implicit message of “no”.

There is certainly more for me to explore regarding nonverbal intercultural communication.

Recycling: to bin or not to bin?

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Question 1:
Do the phrases “Saving Gaia” and “Fight Climate Change” sound...

a) Very familiar (e.g. Don’t remind me; I want to forget them.)
b) Somewhat familiar (e.g. I know I heard them before.)
c) Vaguely familiar (e.g. Have I heard these phrases before?)
d) Totally alien (e.g. Huh? What’s that?)
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How much do we really care about conserving our environment?

Is it just “No Action, Talk Only”?

Who really “walks the talk”?

In Semester 2 of AY2007/08, NUSSU SAVE and NUS CSC launched a few projects under the overall motto: “NUS Fights Climate Change”. Under ZerOwaste, an initiative which focuses on paper recycling, paper recycling bins were placed at examination locations (e.g. MPSH) and all student Halls and Residences from 28 April 2008 to 9 May 2008. However, there appears to be no detailed recent updates nor evaluation regarding this initiative.

Therefore, an investigation seems timely in order to:

1. Determine the impact of recycling initiatives in NUS.
2. Gather feedback about the current level of recycling.
3. Estimate the level of environmental awareness (regarding recycling) in the NUS population.

The information obtained can be used by all parties concerned, such as the NUS administration, NUSSU SAVE and NUS CSC, in formulating more effective environmentally-friendly policies and projects. Furthermore, if current measures related to recycling are found to be unsuccessful in fulfiling their objectives, these measures can be modified or phased out.

This project serves as a preliminary study regarding the current state of recycling in NUS; hence only members of the NUS Faculty of Science (FOS) will be sampled. Currently, there seems to be a shortage of paper recycling bins in FOS as compared with other areas in NUS. The objective of this pilot study is to analyze if more paper recycling bins placed at suitable locations within FOS will encourage more members of the Faculty to recycle paper.

In this study, an attitudinal survey will be conducted to examine the current level of awareness of recycling points in NUS, identify optimal locations for paper recycling bins in FOS and assess the willingness of the members of FOS to make paper recycling a part of their lives. The results of this survey will complement existing statistics pertaining to recycling in NUS and contribute towards future studies of the general research question: How feasible is the use of recycling bins in NUS in light of the present level of environmental awareness in members of NUS?

For your information:
SAVE: Students Against Violation of the Earth
(no recently-updated website available)
CSC: Campus Sustainability Committee

Response to ineffective communication

This post is in response to Danny's comment on Yilin's first post (my apologies; I did not want to put this as a comment on Yilin's blog because it seems quite long). Hopefully I will not be getting into trouble for this!

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Dear Sir/ Mdm,

Regarding the email notification of renewal of scholarship, I hope to try and provide some clarification as seen from a student's point of view.

In reality, most of us probably appreciate receiving some form of notification regarding renewal of scholarship (at least, I do) as we will feel relieved in the coming semester as we know that funding has been secured and tuituion fees have been dealt with. Also, the notification helps to remind us that we are scholarship receipients in light of the current perceived dearth of other channels of communication and interaction with the relevant department(s).

As you have mentioned, students have questioned the purpose of the email notification. While the email was written carefully in a suitably neutral manner, some improvements may be made for future emails. As I see it, their expression of concern could be due to the choice of words used in the email and the impression which resulted from the email as a whole.

For instance, in writing "You must seek the advice...", while we acknowledge the concern expressed, there seems to be an element of 'forcing' students by the 'must', and to more sensitive students, "address whatever problems you face..." may imply that the relevant authorities think that we have problems when we actually do not have any.

Beginning the email with "We have noted with concern your performance in the university examination..." may cause some students to feel insecure as exam results are never released and they may be anxiously wondering whether anything was found wanting in terms of their exam results. Subsequent phrases "closely monitored" and "reviewed" may add to the feeling of being scrutinized, compounding the insecurity and anxiety experienced.

More care could be also be taken when writing "focus all your attention on your academic pursuits" as it gives the somewhat misled impression that nonacademic activities are not valued and held in serious consideration by the relevant authorities. To many students, nonacademic life in university plays a significant role too, rather than just the academic aspect.

The unfortunate result is that the email as a whole may have tended to invite self-doubt in normally self-confident students and may have poorly reflected the real intention of expressing confidence in and encouraging students; and expressing both concern and support for them. There is room for further improvements, not only in this case but also in all emails circulated by the university to students, as there may be some sensitive students and also students who may tend to misinterpret the implications within messages.

I hope that my email helps to at least has managed to convey some of the concerns which could have been behind the numerous telephone calls and emails by students. Thank you.

Yours faithfully,
Sharon Kwok

Your help will be much appreciated!

Note: This is a real problem which my project group is facing currently. I appreciate any comments, feedback or advice on this issue.

As part of a particular module’s requirements, I am doing a project with four other students. The grouping was assigned by the module instructor. All members will get the same grade for this project. It must be completed within this semester and the project report is due in the last week of this semester.

However, one of my group members is currently overseas on a work attachment. He left before the semester started and will be away for about five months. Hence, he will not be in Singapore for the duration of this semester and he will be unable to execute our programme. The rest of us knew about this from the start.

Presently, the remaining group members are concerned about this person’s role in our group. We have tried to keep in contact with him online such as through email and have tried to keep him involved by assigning him tasks. Despite our efforts, he has not responded and has not completed any of the assigned tasks. As a result, the remaining members have little choice but to cover his tasks. We feel disappointed with his lack of response and uncertain about his willingness to contribute to our project. Also, a group member is concerned that the work distribution and grading will not be fair to the rest of us. Adding to these are some feelings of stress and anxiety about our project.

How can my group ensure that this member works on a fair proportion of our project even though he is overseas?

Effective communication is an essential and valuable life skill

Communication skills are necessary in any form of interpersonal interaction. Since interpersonal interaction is an inevitable part of life, I think it is sensible for everyone to develop effective communication skills which are applicable in everyday life, including the workplace. Some people seem to be naturally good communicators, but for those who are like me, effective communication does not appear to come naturally. Hence, there is a perceived need to learn actively about the principles behind good communication through means such as classes and books and consciously attempt to practise effective communication skills in daily life.

As a student, effective writing skills are particularly useful when writing academic papers, reports, letters and emails, while effective oral skills are required during project presentations. As a final year student, these skills will be utilized in writing my thesis and the oral presentation of my Honours project. Then, they will be employed in the process of seeking out job opportunities or opportunities for further studies (or both?). These are just some specific applications of general communication skills. They are important stepping stones to the start of a successful career in the next few decades of life, but there is more to life than work.

Most of the time, the broader application of effective communication skills in everyday interaction is more relevant. I am more interested in learning about and developing active listening, nonverbal and intercultural communication skills which are applicable in wider contexts. I believe that these basic communication skills are important in two significant aspects of life: problem solving and building relationships. Hopefully, proper use of these life skills can help to reduce the occurrence of misunderstandings and resolve conflicts. After all, effective communication boils down to quick and accurate two-way transmission of messages between persons.