Critical Reflection 2

Critical Reflection 2 – Showcase

The presentation showcase marked the end of the module. I thoroughly enjoyed the food and watching all the different presentations done by our course mates.

As I was not part of the presentation showcase, it was enriching to sit down, listen and learn from the other presenters. All of the presenters were radiating with professionalism and confidence when they entered the showcase.

The groups showcased brilliant slides with excellent use of audio-visuals. Most of the slides were simple and not lengthy in words. One group that stood out was the group proposing a bus interface in bus stops. Even after a number of presentations, their slides were not boring but informative and captivating. It catches the audience attention yet it was simple and easy to understand.

Another take away for me was the confidence shown during the presentation. Team SLFR wonderfully ended the last presentation with their projected voice and utmost confidence. This has taught me that that confidence plus the knowledge of the slides impacted their presentation.

One thing that I noted that could have improved most of the group presentations was the captivating and attention-grabbing element. Halfway through the presentation, as some topics were technical and dry, it was difficult to stay focus and keep track of the presentation. However, team Solution did it splendidly in my opinion.

It was definitely an enriching experience, and I hope to use what I have learned from this showcase in my own presentation skills and hopefully improve and do much better in my future presentations.

Critical Reflection 1

Critical Reflection 1.1

At the start of this module, I set two goals for myself to accomplish. One was to improve my grammar and vocabulary, and the second was to confidently give an answer when a question was asked.

The module had different assignments like the summary draft and technical project. Professor Blackstone would always assign us with a partner or a group to work on the assignment. As I was weaker in grammar as compared to my peers, I had received tons of help and encouragement from my classmates. Since then, my grammar has gained improvement and I’m really glad and thankful to everyone that helped me, including professor Blackstone.

My second goal was achieved during the presentation for our technical project. The project was based off a module that I took back in polytechnic. This gave me the background and courage needed when someone fired a question during the question and answer segment at the end of the presentation. I learned that it was okay to pause for a few seconds to organise my thoughts into a proper answer before replying. I was more confident to speak and did not blabber my answer.

I believe my grammar still has a lot of improvement to do and I must never stop working on my grammar. I’ve learned that effective communication is a journey that never ends; I will always continue to practice my effective communication skills.

 

 

Critical Reflection 1.2

The research project was similar to what I have done for my final year project back in my polytechnic days. However, there was a huge difference in the amount of allocated time given for the project. It was an eye-opening experience for me as our team had to craft a proposal for an engineering problem that we identified within a span of fewer than 2 months. The most difficult part of the project to me was the writing of the technical report as I was weaker in writing.

During the presentation, I evaluated my classmates through a peer evaluation assignment and found many interesting points to take away.

Number one, non-verbal communication was equally important as verbal communication, such as eye contact, posture and hand gestures. As nervousness was displayed through non-verbal communication rather than verbal communication.

Next was the two types of presentation styles used. The first style was to memorise the speech and the other style was to read or get tips from the slides. By looking at this two different styles, I have learned that it is good to memorise your speech and not read from the presentation slides because this shows your knowledge on the presentation.

However, one should not just blindly read out their memorised speech. This is because some will appear stiff and monotonous like reciting a speech in their head. It will also be less interactive, not as smooth, and messages might not be conveyed through.

With the feedback gave by professor Blackstone, I will keep up the standard of my presentation skills and strive to do much better in my future presentations.

Technical Report Draft 1

Background Information
In recent advances, HVAC systems have been focused on exploring better refrigerants, introducing energy saving variable components, deploying advanced control algorithms and improving local fault diagnostics capabilities. The cloud computing system that we plan to introduce carries benefits such as its supremacy and continuous diagnostic capabilities. In this modern era, it is not a surprise where there are so many smart building capabilities implemented right at our convenience. And in the direction we are heading towards, we are going to bring efficient use of HVAC systems with big data, which is cloud based computing system, to detect condensation issues in buildings.

Problem Statement
An ideal air conditioning system would be a system where users receive prompt notifications about faults on condensation, allowing early diagnosis before it becomes a major issue. However, we believe such an approach in the new SIT @ Punggol campus is not planned yet. Should the planning committee of SIT @ Punggol campus adopt this cloud-based fault detection system into the new campus, the campus will be able to maintain thermal comfort and improve energy savings. This will allow prolonging of the HVAC systems, improving the productivity of students and staff as a result.

Purpose Statement
The purpose of this proposal is to convince the planning committee of SIT @ Punggol to implement an air conditioning system that detects
By implementing such a system, this will reduce air conditioning faults, maintaining the thermal condition in the building.

Reader Response Draft 3

Reader Response Draft 3
Driverless Vehicles
Time : 2300

In the web article, “Driverless vehicles: A vision for Singapore’s transport”, Ministry of Transport (MOT) (2018) states that in the future of transportation in Singapore, driverless vehicles will contribute to safer, more convenient and more environmentally friendly. MOT explains that the Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology is reaching the next stage of development and there are many cities competing for the deployment of AV technology. MOT elaborated that a committee was formed to map out the strategic direction for AVs in Singapore. MOT pictures a utopian future where AVs will potentially reduce two thirds of the vehicles on the road, optimize travel routes, and revolutionize the freight industry to grow efficiently. The web article says that AVs are already being deployed in public transport and areas in Singapore and requests Singapore to answer appropriately to unlock the potential of AVs. While the potential of AVs is undeniable, there are still many complications to consider: the ethics and safety, especially when dealing with technology. MOT needs to address the public that the AVs are safe and poses no danger to our lifestyle.

AV technology is not fully developed; there are still many problems with AV technology for a fully automated vehicle to be deployed. According to (Reese, 2016), there are six levels of autonomy to represent the AV system: starting from the lowest, zero, being fully human controlled and the highest, five, being fully automated. Currently there are companies deploying level two and three AVs while level four and five are still undergoing tests (Walker Consultant, 2018). The danger of technology and the fear of automated vehicle heavily influenced the public’s take on AV technology. Ethical and cyber-attack concerns (The Economist, 2018),  for example are two points that the public are most worried about.

Firstly for ethical concerns, when the AV is faced with an ethical dilemma of choosing between hitting people on the road or swerving away to hit another vehicle, MOT needs to demonstrate that AVs can be brought to a stop before the accident occurs. Furthermore, there will not be a practical way to determine whether the fault lies in the AV or the driver. A recent accident such as the AV hitting a lorry in one-north district (Lin, 2016), the AV had 2 safety engineers on board yet it is unknown if the engineer took over before the incident happened. MOT needs to ensure that AV is fail-safe when dealing with ethical concerns and will not pose a risk to our society.

Next, MOT also needs to talk about the possibility of cyber attacks, such as hacking and stealing of personal information, will not be a threat and risk for AV technology. Hacking poses a great danger threat to people as hackers can remotely hack the AVs and cause incidents to occur. Additional, AVs can be used as a form of unmanned AV bombing by placing bombs inside it and sending it out to crowded places as act of terrorism. Recently, Singapore healthcare system was affected by “deliberate, targeted and well-planned cyber attack” (Kwang, 2018) and 1.5 million patients’ records was retrieved and copied. In the article, Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) says that it was not a form of casual hacking. This shows the possibility of hacker’s capability to hack, given that our government has strong cyber security. MOT needs to ensure AVs will have secure system to reduce the risk of being attacked. By having multiple layers of security, like “multiple redundant sensors and control systems” (The Economist, 2018) installed to prevent hacking from occurring and stopping the vehicle if abnormality is detected. It also needs prevents the loss of personal data to another party.

If MOT is able to successfully address the complications and earn the trust of the public, with it’s current development speed, AVs can definitely bring Singapore’s future transportation to the next level.

 

References:

Kwang. K. (20th July 2018). Singapore health system hit by ‘most serious breach of personal data’ in cyberattack; PM Lee’s data targeted. ChannelNewAsia [online] Available at: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singhealth-health-system-hit-serious-cyberattack-pm-lee-target-10548318 [Accessed 30 Sep. 2018].

Lin. M. (19th October 2016). Driverless car hits lorry during test drive. The Straits Times  [online] Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/driverless-car-hits-lorry-during-test-drive [Accessed 30 Sep. 2018].

Reese, H. (20th January 2016). Updated: Autonomous driving levels 0 to 5: Understanding the differences. [online] TechRepublic. Available at: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/autonomous-driving-levels-0-to-5-understanding-the-differences/ [Accessed 30 Sep. 2018].

The Economist. (2018). From here to Autonomy. (Autonomous-vehicle technology is advancing ever faster) (1st March 2018) [online]  Available from The Economist: https://www.economist.com/special-report/2018/03/01/autonomous-vehicle-technology-is-advancing-ever-faster [Accessed 30 Sep. 2018].

Walker Consultants (2018). AV Technology: Where are we now?. Available at: https://walkerconsultants.com/blog/2018/01/29/levels-of-avs/ [Accessed 30 Sep. 2018].

Summary Draft #3 & Reader Response Draft #1

Summary, Draft #3 and Reader Response Draft #1:
Driverless Vehicle

In the web article, “Driverless vehicles: A vision for Singapore’s transport”, Ministry of Transport (MOT) (2018) states that in the future of transportation in Singapore, driverless vehicles will contribute to safer, more convenient and more environmentally friendly as transport means. MOT explains that the Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology is reaching the next stage of development and there are many cities competing for the deployment of AV technology. MOT elaborated that a committee was formed to map out the strategic direction for AVs in Singapore. MOT pictures a utopian future where AVs will potentially reduce two thirds of the vehicles on the road, optimize travel routes, and revolutionize the freight industry to grow efficiently. The web article says that AVs are already being deployed in public transport and areas in Singapore and requests Singapore to answer appropriately to unlock the potential of AVs. While the potential of AVs is undeniable, there are still many complications to consider – the danger, ethics and safety, especially when dealing with technology.

MOT should also have talked about the disadvantages and potential problems faced because the AV technology is not fully developed yet. There are six levels of autonomy to represent the system, with the lowest, zero, being fully human controlled and the highest, five, being fully automated (Reese, 2016). Currently there are several companies rolling out level three AVs while level four & five are still undergoing tests. Thus there are many considerations, mainly ethical and cyber attack concerns (The Economist, 2018), before we can fully utilize the potential of AVs that the technology can bring.

Firstly, MOT needs to demonstrate that AVs can bring the vehicle to a stop when it is faced with an ethical dilemma of choosing between hitting people on the road or swerving away to hit another vehicle and injuring it’s passengers. However, with the current level 3 AV, it still needs a certain level of control by the driver to operate. A recent accident such as the AV hitting a lorry in one-north district (The Straits Times, 2016) shows that it is also difficult to determine whether the driver or the system is at fault if an accident occurs. The AV had 2 safety engineers on board yet it is unknown if the engineer took over before the incident happened. Ensuring that the technology is able override the system and the driver when it is faced with such dilemma will show to the public that AV technology is safe and secure.

MOT also needs to talk about the possibility of cyber attacks, such as hacking and stealing of personal information, will not be a threat and risk for AV technology. Recently, Singapore healthcare system was affected by “deliberate, targeted and well-planned cyber attack” (CNA, 2018) and 1.5 million patients’ records was retrieved and copied. In the article, Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) says that it was not a form of casual hacking. This shows the possibility of hacking and stealing of personal information can be done even with the high-end security in the government sector. MOT needs to guarantee that safety features of the AVs have multiple layers of security, “multiple redundant sensors and control systems” (The Economist, 2018) to prevent hacking from occurring and if something is wrong or unusual with the vehicle, the AV should stop immediately to prevent accidents. It also prevents the loss of personal data to another party.

If MOT is able to successfully address the complications and earn the trust of the public, with it’s current development speed, AVs can definitely bring Singapore’s future transportation to the next level.

 

References:

Channel NewsAsia (2018). Singapore health system hit by ‘most serious breach of personal data’ in cyberattack; PM Lee’s data targeted. [online] Available at: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singhealth-health-system-hit-serious-cyberattack-pm-lee-target-10548318 [Accessed 30 Sep. 2018].

Reese, H. (2016). Updated: Autonomous driving levels 0 to 5: Understanding the differences. [online] TechRepublic. Available at: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/autonomous-driving-levels-0-to-5-understanding-the-differences/ [Accessed 30 Sep. 2018].

The Economist (2018). From here to Autonomy. Autonomous-vehicle technology is advancing ever faster. [online] The Economist. Available at: https://www.economist.com/special-report/2018/03/01/autonomous-vehicle-technology-is-advancing-ever-faster [Accessed 30 Sep. 2018].

The Straits Times (2016). Driverless car hits lorry during test drive. [online] Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/driverless-car-hits-lorry-during-test-drive [Accessed 30 Sep. 2018].

Summary Draft #2

Summary, Draft #2:
Driverless Vehicle

In the web article, “Driverless vehicles: A vision for Singapore’s transport”, Ministry of Transport (MOT) (2018) envisions that in the future of transportation in Singapore, driverless vehicles will develop transportation to be safer, more convenient and more environmentally friendly. MOT explains that the Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology is reaching the next stage of development and there are many cities competing for the deployment of AV technology. MOT explains that a committee was formed to map out the strategic direction for AVs in Singapore. MOT pictures a utopian future where AVs will potentially reduce two thirds of the vehicles on the road, optimize travel routes, and revolutionize the freight industry to grow efficiently. MOT says that AVs are already being deployed in public transport and areas in Singapore and requests Singapore to answer appropriately to unlock the potential of AVs. While I agree that the potential of AVs is undeniable, there are still many complications to consider – the danger, ethics and safety, especially when dealing with technology.

Edited on 26th September 2018

Summary Draft #1

Summary, Draft #1:
Driverless Vehicle

In the article, “Driverless vehicles: A vision for Singapore’s transport”, Ministry of Transport (MOT)(2018) envisions that in the future of transportation in Singapore, driverless vehicles will develop transportation to be safer, more convenient and more environmentally friendly, in the near future. MOT explains that the “Autonomous Vehicle (AV)” technology is beginning to see fruits of success and there are many cities competing for the deployment of AV technology. MOT states that a committee was formed to map out the strategic direction for AVs in Singapore. MOT pictures a utopian future where AVs will potentially reduce two thirds of the vehicles on the road, optimize travel routes, and revolutionize the freight industry to grow efficiently. MOT says that AVs are already being deployed in public transport and areas in Singapore and requests Singapore to answer appropriately to unlock the potential of AVs.

Reflection

Ever since I started studying in Temasek Polytechnic I had a very bad habit of sleeping late. During this period, I also started working as a part-time barista in Starbucks. I usually worked midnight shifts, which started from 12 o’clock in the wee morning to 7 o’clock. It affected my usual sleeping hours and gradually I started staying up to 4 o’clock before sleeping even when I’m not working.

Not to mention there were tons of distraction at home. The Internet is one of the main culprits that made me slept really late. The fact that I slept late meant that I did not have any proper rest that my body needed. I was getting 5 to 6 hours of rest almost every day. I woke up extremely tired everyday, always dragging my feet and dozed off every time I had the chance to.

Slowly my grades in school and performance at work started to show. I knew the cause yet I couldn’t fix this bad habit no matter how I tried. I tried turning off my phone and computer a few hours before sleeping, reading a book, drinking small sips of alcohol; everything I could think of to help me sleep easier.

None of them worked, I found myself staring at the celling of my room, still 4 o’clock in the morning.

Until today I still have the problem of sleep late but I have improved a lot since I went through the compulsory army conscription. I know that it will affect my grades and my health if I do not strive to conquer this.

Introduction

To: Brad Blackstone
From: Chan Teng Hein
Date: 10 September 2018
Subject: Steps to achieving my goals

Dear Professor Blackstone,

I am Tenghein, or just Teng for short. I am writing to formally introduce myself and to state my goals for this effective communication module. I am a year one student, currently pursuing a degree in Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Building services). I had previously attained a diploma in facilities management from Temasek Polytechnic back in year 2016.

I moved from a small kampong town in Malaysia to Singapore at the young age of 5 and I always admired tall buildings for their majestic appearance and the state of the art facilities. Thus I dreamt big to be an owner of an impressive building someday or so I thought. After growing up, I found that big companies actually run the show in maintaining them. The amount of effort to do so while thinking for future environment set myself off to study more about it. Ultimately hoping to be in charge of one of them someday.

I had always thought my presentation and public speaking skills are weak due to being extremely nervous when speaking in front of a crowd; however, after one effective communication module in polytechnic has taught me that with adequate practice, nothing is impossible. I strongly believe that it is became one of my forte in communication with countless practice especially after spending 4 years working part time in the service industry. In contrast, my grammar and vocabulary had never seemed to improve over the past few years despite my utmost efforts in reading newspapers articles and multiple revisions.

In addition, my ability to think and speak on the spot is also hindering my improvements as I spend a lot of time preparing and practice rather than replying immediately. I hope that in this module, I can improve on my weaknesses like I did back when I was in polytechnic. My goal is to be able to confidently deliver my thoughts with correct English skills when questioned upon.

Yours sincerely,
Tenghein

Edited on – 11 September 2018