Looking back at the time spent in ES1102, I feel that I have gained lots of benefits from this module. In my opinion, one of the most useful aspects of the course is the peer and tutor feedback portion. I had done several feedback sessions with my peers on our writing assignments throughout the course of ES1102. These feedback sessions had greatly widened my perspectives on ways to refine one’s writing. Therefore, they were very beneficial in improving my academic writing.

When I first heard that we would be doing feedback sessions on each other work, I was immediately worried about whether I could do a proper job during such sessions. I thought that my English standard was not good enough to enable me to provide constructive feedback to my peers. I was also worried that I might offend my peers when commenting on their work. Fortunately, our tutor would always guide us along before we worked on any of the feedback sessions. We also worked in teams, which I thought was useful as we had more views on how we could further improve our peers’ essays. My worries also lessened as I could consult with my team mates, or our tutor if need be, on whether certain feedbacks were appropriate in helping to refine the essay.

On the other hand, I welcomed the part where I could receive feedback from my peers. I knew it could greatly benefit my writing as I was able to receive valuable feedback on how to improve my essays. Their feedbacks also allowed me to identify the mistakes I did not even know I committed. Having extra pairs of eyes looking at one’s work is always better after all. Nevertheless, sometimes I did felt a bit defensive about my work but I knew that I had to remain open-minded so that my writing could be improved.

The extensive feedback sessions provided by my tutor at the end of each writing session were also very beneficial in aiding the process of improving my essays. Though, it could be scary at times looking at the comments flooding my essays. However, those comments were really helpful in refining my writing.

Overall, after going through multiple feedback sessions, I have discovered more aspects in an essay we can tackle so as to further refine it. I am also more conscious of common mistakes people make so I will take care in not committing them. The process of receiving and giving feedback is also valuable as it enables me to broaden my views on certain topics.

Till now, I have not done any peer review sessions in my other assignments, except for one or two which required group work. However, in those group projects, I found that peer editing was really useful in helping us improve our assignments. After several rounds of feedback session, we managed to make our essay flow much better than before. Therefore, this proved that peer reviews were not a waste of time as it helped us in producing better quality work.

After learning the usefulness of such feedback sessions, I think that it will be good if I am able to apply these skills in the upcoming semesters so that I am able to produce better quality papers during my university student career.

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Looking back at the time spent in ES1102, I feel that I have gained lots of benefits from this module. In my opinion, one of the most useful aspects of the course is the peer and tutor feedback portion. I had done several feedback sessions with my peers on our writing assignments throughout the course of ES1102. These feedback sessions have greatly widened my perspectives on ways to refine one’s writing. Therefore, they are very beneficial in improving my academic writing.

When I first heard that we would be doing feedback sessions on each other work, I was immediately worried about whether I could do a proper job during such sessions. I thought that my English standard was not good enough to enable me to provide constructive feedback to my peers. I was also worried that I might offend my peers when commenting on their work. Fortunately, our tutor would always guide us along before we worked on any of the feedback sessions. We also worked in teams, which I thought was useful as we had more views on how we could further improve our peers’ essays. My worries also lessened as I could consult with my team mates, or our tutor if need be, on whether certain feedbacks were appropriate in helping to refine the essay.

On the other hand, I welcomed the part where I could receive feedback from my peers. I knew it could greatly benefit my writing as I was able to receive valuable feedback on how to improve my essays. Their feedbacks also allowed me to identify the mistakes I did not even know I committed. Having extra pairs of eyes looking at one’s work is always better after all. Nevertheless, sometimes I did felt a bit defensive about my work but I knew that I had to remain open-minded so that my writing could be improved.

The extensive feedback sessions provided by my tutor at the end of each writing session were also very beneficial in aiding the process of improving my essays. Though, it could be scary at times looking at the comments flooding my essays. However, those comments were really helpful in refining my writing.

Overall, after going through multiple feedback sessions, I have discovered more aspects in an essay we could tackle so as to further refine it. I am also more conscious of common mistakes people make so I will take care in not committing them. The process of receiving and giving feedback is also valuable as it enables me to broaden my views on certain topics. After learning the usefulness of such feedback sessions, I think that it will be good if I am able to apply these skills learnt in other modules in upcoming semesters so that I am able to produce better quality papers during my university student career.

Based on statistics from the World Economic Forum, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (2013), also known as IDA, has announced that “For the fourth year running, Singapore has placed second in the world in harnessing the power of infocomm technology (ICT) to boost productivity and increase social development.” This also means that a significant portion of the population is involved in using technology in their everyday life. However, despite the high ranking achieved, there are certain minority groups in Singapore who do not enjoy the privilege of being connected to the digital world. For example, the visually handicapped are experiencing a lack of ICT in their life due to their disability.

According to Wood (2012), “Today’s digital environment has a lot to offer blind computer users, but the Web remains a minefield of frustration.” This is because most technological innovations or products created are simply not designed in consideration of the visually handicapped. For example, commonly used digital innovations such as Internet are more of visual based products. Therefore, it is often a challenging task for the visually handicapped to learn the usage of digital technologies. Inevitably, this leads to the visually handicapped to be not as plugged-in to the digital world as compared to the rest of the Singaporeans. As a result, a digital divide is formed between the visually handicapped and the able-bodied. Unfortunately, because of the digital gap, the visually handicapped are disadvantaged when compared to the able-bodied in terms of marketability in the employment market as increasing Singaporean employers are expecting their potential employees to possess essential IT knowledge, so the IDA  should strive to reach out to more of the visually handicapped population by widely advertising Singapore’s Infocomm Accessibility Centre (IA Centre), a IT training centre customized for the disabled, allowing the visually handicapped to recognize that there are resources available to train them in effectively using technology despite their disabilities.

As technologies advance rapidly in modern time, an increasing number of businesses are looking into using these digital technologies to further enhance their efficiency and productivity. This trend is also fervently followed by businesses in Singapore. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum (2014), Singapore is ranked 13th place in the world for “extensively” using “new technology” in enterprises. In light of this situation, it can be seen that knowledge of IT is gradually becoming an essential criterion in Singapore’s working industry. New Horizons (2011), an IT training company in Singapore, has also mentioned that being “technologically adept” does improve chances of being employed by companies.

Since Singapore’s companies are shifting their operations to the digital platforms, the visually handicapped, who are not as technologically proficient compared to the able-bodied, are at a disadvantage. This causes them to have lower marketability in the employment market than the rest of the citizens as more employers are searching for people who possess necessary IT knowledge in order to easily carry out the company’s digitalized operations without extensive training.

Recognizing the need to address the issue of lower marketability in visually handicapped due to low proficiency in technology, IDA, in partnership with the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Microsoft Singapore and the Society for the Physically Disabled, established the IA Centre in 2008. The IA centre’s aim is to provide essential IT training for the disabled, such as the visually handicapped, to narrow down the digital divide. According to IDA (2008), the centre also aims “to equip disabled people with market-relevant skills to enhance their employability.”

One unique selling point of the IA centre is that each course is “customized” to suit the varying “needs” of the disabled students (IDA, 2008). This is because the IA Centre caters to people with different disabilities. Before the students embark on any course, the centre will conduct “personal assessment and appraisal” of the students so that they can design an “individualized training plan” based on the results of the evaluation to suit each student’s capabilities (IDA, 2008). This allows students to benefit fully from the course and acquire the IT skills more easily.

The IA Centre also provides financial assistance to students. Thus, the visually handicapped need not worry about course fees and are able to take a variety of customized courses to increase their employability in the market.

Regrettably, not many people know about the centre’s existence. According to the IA Centre (n.d.), up till 2012, out of the available 5800 training slots, IA Centre had only trained 1500 individuals with disabilities. This not only included the visually handicapped but also Singaporeans with varying disabilities. In contrast, there were approximately 3332 visually handicapped people in 2013 in Singapore (Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped, 2014). This means that a significant amount of visually handicapped is still not benefiting from the resources available at the centre.

In order to tackle this issue, IDA should further advertise the benefits of attending courses in IA Centre for the visually handicapped. For example, they could cooperate with the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped, a welfare association for the visually handicapped, so that more visually handicapped might know about the centre’s existence and benefits of attending the centre. This would in turn induce more visually handicapped to sign up with IA Centre’s courses to improve their employability in the market.

Moreover, IDA should seek to re-design the IA Centre website to include other languages used in Singapore, such as Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. This may aid the non-English speaking families to be able to find out more information about the IA Centre and in turn persuade them to sign up with the centre to gain essential IT skills.

In conclusion, as usage of digital technology is getting increasingly prevalent in today’s working society, it is essential for the visually handicapped to acquire essential IT knowledge to survive in these current times. However, to do so, both the Singapore’s government and public welfare associations need to work in tandem to provide extensive support for the visually handicapped population by teaching them the necessary IT skills. This will in turn narrow the digital gap between the visually handicapped and the rest of the society.

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References

Infocomm Accessbility Centre. (n.d.). Our achievements. Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://www.iacentre.org.sg/infocomm-accessibility-centre/our-achievements/

Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. (2013). Singapore no.2 in WEF ranking. Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/blog/insg/in-the-news/singapore-no-2-in-wef-ranking/

Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. (2008). Singapore opens first pan-disability IT training centre. Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/blog/insg/in-the-news/singapore-opens-first-pan-disability-it-training-centre/

New Horizons. (2011). The Importance Of IT Training Courses Singapore Organizations Should Know. Retrieved October 02, 2014, from http://www.newhorizons.com.sg/IT-training/it-training-courses-singapore.html

Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped. (2014). Annual report 2013/2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://www.savh.org.sg/publications/annual_reports/2013-14.pdf

Wood, L. (2012). Blind and online: Progress, not perfection, for visually impaired tech users. Computerword.com. Retrieved October 02, 2014 from http://www.computerworld.com/article/2491911/internet/blind-and-online--progress--not-perfection--for-visually-impaired-tech-users.html

World Economic Forum. (2014). Global information technology report 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://reports.weforum.org/global-information-technology-report-2014/#=&section=7th-pillar-business-usage

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*Further edited on 14-Nov-14

In a Euromonitor blog post entitled "Global Digital Divide Persists But Is Narrowing" (2011), according to trade sources, it is reported that developed countries are having higher digital connectivity as compared to developing countries currently. At the same time, the author claims that the growth rate of internet accessibility in developing countries will be higher than developed countries. As a result, this has impacted the "economic, social, political and cultural" aspects of both developed and developing countries.

Personally, I am quite skeptical towards the conclusion the author has made regarding developing countries’ prospective growth in digital connectivity being faster than developed countries. The author mentions that according to International Telecommunications Union, “the total number of fixed broadband users in developing regions rose by 253.5% between 2005 and 2010” but “in developed regions it rose by 109.7%.” However, this only shows an overview. By over-generalising the situation, the author concludes that developing regions have higher broadband penetration’s growth rate than developed regions due to certain major developing countries’ swift growth, but it does not reflect that all developing countries are able to experience higher growth rate than developed countries. Due to the situations that some developing countries are experiencing, these countries may face a formidable journey when attempting to achieve an increased amount of digital connectivity.

Firstly, most developing countries lack the hefty funds needed to construct the IT infrastructure needed for gaining access to the digital world. This is because these developing countries are currently surviving on extremely low GDP per capita. According to the World Bank Group (n.d.), Afghanistan, a developing country located in South Asia, is only achieving a low GDP per capita of US$678 currently. Similar to Afghanistan, Bangladesh has only attained a GDP per capita of US$829. In contrast, USA, a modern developed country, has achieved a high GDP per capita of US$53,143. Thus, developed countries have ample funds to invest and widen their current IT network. On the other hand, with their country’s economy in jeopardy, it will be difficult for certain developing countries, such as Afghanistan and Bangladesh, to produce the funds required to shape the country’s IT infrastructure and increase growth of digital availability.

Secondly, even though basic IT infrastructure has been established in a particular country, the people living in that country may not possess prior knowledge in using the newly acquired technology. For example, Wakefield (2010) has mentioned that there were concerns raised in Hungary over internet usage being too complicated for the Hungarian citizens to comprehend due to absence of “national e-inclusion policy” when the country started investing in fibre-optic cables infrastructure. As the IT technology may feel alien to the citizens living in some of the developing countries, it will take time and effort to educate them regarding usage of IT. Thus, this will stifle the growth of digital connectivity in the country.

Lastly, some developing countries are experiencing breaches in their national security that can slow down the growth rate of digital connectivity. Unfortunately, wars and internal strife are common in developing countries located in certain parts of the world. For example, African developing countries, such as Mali and Mozambique, experienced internal conflicts in recent years. As most countries will prioritize protecting itself first, funds will be directed to strengthen the country’s defences instead of improving citizens’ quality of life in a manner, such as provision of internet access. In worst case scenario, the amount of existing IT usage in the country can shrink due to destroyed IT infrastructure in the conflicts.

In conclusion, as not all developing countries are experiencing the same situation, some countries may face more issues compared to other developing countries when trying to achieve a higher amount of digital connectivity in the country. Therefore, it is difficult to assume that all developing countries will attain faster growth rate in accessibility and usage of internet than developed countries. 

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References

Euromonitor International. (2011, February 11). Global digital divide persists but is narrowing. (2011, February 11). Retrieved September 04, 2014, from http://blog.euromonitor.com/2011/02/global-digital-divide-persists-but-is-narrowing-1.html

Wakefield, J. (2010, March 19). World wakes up to digital divide. BBCNews.com. Retrieved September 05, 2014, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8568681.stm 

World Bank Group (n.d.). GDP per capita (current US$). Retrieved September 05, 2014, from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/countries?display=default

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For me, a significant event that has shaped my life would be the day I met one of my best friends in secondary school. Till now, I am still grateful towards her. She is the catalyst that sparks my passion in Japanese culture, which heavily influences the choices I have made in life. Without her, I doubt I will be thinking of majoring in NUS’s Japanese Studies right now.

When we first interacted, we managed to hit it off right away when I mentioned that I watched Japanese anime and read manga occasionally. Although, I was not engrossed in them at that point of time, her enthusiasm regarding anime and manga was contagious and soon I started to fall in love with them too. Remembering the days when we had heated debates regarding certain mangas’ plots and the fun times we had singing along to the theme songs of our favorite anime series still bring a fond smile to my face. I recall this particular period during our first year in secondary school when we were deeply engrossed in the anime Cardcaptor Sakura. We spent most of our break time in school trying to memorise and sing the theme songs from Cardcaptor Sakura. In addition, we often came out with original story plots based on that particular anime during lessons too. Well, we should not be doing that in class in the first place, nevertheless they were fun memories that I would always cherish!

Furthermore, she also introduced the different aspects of Japanese culture to me gradually and soon I became deeply fascinated in them. One aspect was the dramas and variety shows from Japan’s entertainment scenes. Thus, this ignited my fervor in the Japanese culture and brought me where I am today.

Unfortunately, after we graduated from secondary school, I lost touch with her as we went on separate paths to pursue our own dreams. I would love to meet with her again and reminisce about the amazing times we shared together during our secondary school years.

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Giving a presentation is always something I dread in my academic career. Even though it may be just a simple presentation in front of a group of friends, somehow the moment I step in front onto the ‘stage’ and feel their eyes on me, nervousness will start creeping up on me.  Also, previously in secondary school and polytechnic, the presentations I had to give were normally group presentations so I always had the comfort of my friends backing me up if I stumbled during the group presentations. Therefore, giving a solo presentation constantly has been daunting task for me and the presentation I gave during the ES1102 lesson was no different.

I must admit that I was not that well-prepared for this presentation. However, that was no excuse for the sudden moment of ‘mind blank’ that I had when I was presenting on that Monday. Whatever script I had attempted to memorize flew out of my mind when I felt my peers’ eyes on me. I could only attribute it to nervousness and lack of confidence of presenting in front of an audience. When my ‘mind blank’ forced me to refer to the notes I had with me, I had this feeling that I lost to myself.

Through this presentation, I also learn that developing a good pace is an essential point to a good presentation. Speaking too fast has always been a weak point I have when I am nervous. Not surprisingly, my peers told me I spoke too fast at certain times for them to catch on. Therefore, I think that I need to be more self-conscious of my pace when I am presenting.

All in all, I feel that there is so much I need to improve on regarding giving a presentation. I will definitely try my best to hone my presentation skills during my university life and I do believe that I would have many chances to do in the upcoming years. It may be a scary thought for now but I hope that someday I can throw away my fear of giving a presentation.

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