So, today was the last day of class and we had our last round of presentations. What's left is this summary entry and the research report.
Overall I think I've enjoyed the module a lot. I enjoy the lecture style delivery of info, then immediately followed by activities to apply what we've learnt during those classes. The content isn't so heavy and I can relate it to the current trends/happenings based on my experiences. Also it's different from my major because it isn't so technical and detail intensive. It's a lot about application.
E-reflections
E-reflections is new for this batch of GEK1036 students. Overall, I think it's a really good idea, because it forces you to apply what you've learnt and relate it your life/experiences. It's like being forced to review your material to get a good grasp of what was being taught. Personally, I wouldn't read my lecture material till much later (usually before tests) so it was good for me. It was only when I started thinking of what to write, that I realised it had to much to do with pharmacy, which is really my passion.
Sometimes I think it is quite difficult to have to critically comment on another person's blog because I read blogs for fun, just to have an idea on what's going on with my friends' lives. I don't read blogs to critically evaluate them, it's more of a social thing rather than an academic evaluation. Having said that, I admit that it's nice to have people comment on your blog. At least you know people bother to read all that you've written, whether they're forced to or not.
Research Project
I had fun doing my project, although I have to say it was really very hard work. I enjoyed analysing my results because pharmacy is really my passion. Also, because of the experiences I had, I could better explain my findings.
For the presentation, I was really proud to be able to wear my white coat and present my findings to the class. I had so much to explain and I had to keep cutting and cutting my slides because of the time limit. I think there's a big problem with the time limit, because for a group project, the only difference is more literature reviews and a larger sample. This doesn't give them the need to have extra time to present their ideas. And it doesn't mean that a solo project would have less evaluation to do. Yet, I recognise that each person needs to have enough time to be evaluated on his presentation. For my presentation, I was almost freezing at the start. I wasn't nervous, but I was very cold. Thankfully it got better as I got on with the presentation. I exceeded the time limit even though I had quite a few rehearsals completed on time. However, it came to a point in time where all I wanted to do was to share my findings with the class and spend more time to explain the nature of the study and what the real situation is like for us pharmacists, simply because I really worked very hard and I was very passionate about this project. The presentation grade just seemed secondary. I was glad when the questions came in because it gave me an opportunity to explain further my own feelings and the point of view taken in the report. I really really hope everyone enjoyed my presentation!
I enjoyed listening to the wide variety of studies done by my classmates. Some people did stuff on topics which I never even knew could be analysed. Some studies were simpler than others, while some managed to defend their studies better than others. Overall, I think it really shows when a person does a presentation on something close to his heart. I could tell the from the enthusiasm displayed. I also think that those who overshot the time limit really shouldn't be penalised, because their topics were more technical and the longer introduction was very necessary to explain the technical terms and to allow us to appreciate the findings. Nonetheless, I enjoyed listening to all the presentations.
Conclusion
Alright, I don't exactly know what else I can say besides to thank everyone and especially Dr Deng. I think he was very flexible throughout the course and it is something that I appreciate, because at least it shows that even the prof is willing to compromise and actively listen to our feedback. Not every module has coordinators like that. Well done!
All in all, I had great fun in this module and I would definitely recommend it to my friends. Big thanks to my wonderful classmates for making the module so enjoyable. All the best for your exams!
