CCO Reflection Essay

CCO101 Thinking and Reasoning

This module CCO101 Thinking and Reasoning taught me how to think critically.

In this Tutor-Marked Assignment (TMA), I learnt how to map arguments, identify and explain erroneous reasoning, and also construct counterarguments in this assignment. I believe that the skill of mapping arguments can help me for my future assignments, especially in writing essays as an argument map makes it clearer to see the claims, sub-claims and reasons for sub-claims of any passage. It allowed me to see the structure of my entire essay clearly.

We also discussed several philosophical topics such as Mass Man, Propaganda, Justice and Hegemony in this module which I felt was interesting. There were certain philosophical ideas that were difficult to understand since this module was my first time facing philosophical topics. However, with much research done on my own, I could understand them better. In conclusion, this module improved my critical thinking and reasoning skills. It also made me realise how important and beneficial critical thinking is and it can be applied to societal issues that we face.

CCO103 Critical Readings

For CCO103 Critical Readings, we were required to create a 4-6min group video presentation and an individually written 350-word summary. For the video group presentation, we were required to craft satirical arguments which support why all forms of marriages should be banned throughout the world. We had to explain our presentation in the individual summary. As an individual who supports marriages, this assignment challenged my moral values on marriages. To me, marriage was based on love, trust and commitment between two individuals. I never thought of why and how the world would be better off without marriages as marriages are natural occurrences in society to me. However, I had to put aside my own ethical considerations and beliefs to be able to craft the arguments supporting why all marriages should be banned and present these arguments throughout the video. I gained more knowledge and widened my perspectives on marriages through this assignment.

CCO105 Social Research

CCO105 Social Research taught me the skills of how to observe and analyse social behaviours in a scientific manner using social research methods. This module CCO105 Social Research is one of the most difficult modules I faced during Semester 1 in university. This is because the ECA had to be constantly improved and updated daily, especially during the study period for final examinations of the other modules that I took. However, I managed to complete the ECA and study for the remaining modules with better time management. With the guide of my friends and determination, I managed to write a fairly good public narrative and a video presentation using MovieMaker. My knowledge from the face-to-face sessions with our lecturer, Dr. Neo, also helped me in doing the ECA.

In conclusion, although it was a tedious process, the benefits of this module CCO105 Social Research outweigh the cons. The social research skills and report writing skills learnt from this module are very relevant and can be applied in both other modules as well as the working world. I definitely experienced what it is like being a fellow social researcher as conducting a social research was interesting and rewarding as I explored Singaporeans' attitudes towards People's Republic of China (PRC) immigrants.

CCO107 World Histories and Issues

Through CCO107 World Histories and Issues, I learnt about teamwork and cooperation. We were assigned to our groups by the professor. Thus, most of us in the group were strangers. However, after much interaction and meetings at the National Museum of Singapore, we became friends and co-operated well as we all did our best in filming and preparing the slides for the in-class presentation. We worked efficiently as a team in order to complete the GBA by the deadline.

Furthermore, I also learnt more about the Late Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his dedication to Singapore through this project. The Red Box’s history consisted of Singapore’s history in how it progressed through Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s leadership and dedication to the country.

Initially, CCO107 World Histories and Issues was the course that I feared most in Semester 1. This is because I did not take history as a subject in both Secondary School and Junior College. Thus, I was afraid that I would have much difficulties in learning this module. However, with perseverance and the help of my classmates and the professors, I quickly adapted to this module and learnt so much about the history of the world that I was not aware of and how historical events are related.

In conclusion, this module allowed me to understand the importance of history as only by learning history, we can then understand our present better.

CCO201 Culture and Diversity

CCO201 Culture and Diversity has introduced me to anthropology, which is the study of culture within societies of the past and present. This course has showed me an anthropological perspective on human societies, on how anthropologists view culture. The term ‘culture’ is critically examined in a broad range of everyday settings and social institutions. Key topics such as religion, ethnicity, language, gender, kinship, globalization and popular culture have been discussed thoroughly in this course as all these topics are linked to culture and are socially constructed by humans. I have also learnt major anthropological theories and developed an informed and critical understanding of cultural differences within an increasingly interconnected globalised world through these theories. This course has also enabled me to critically examine and understand the concept of ‘race’, language, kinship, gender, religion and their relationships with culture and society. I have also developed a deeper appreciation of how popular culture affects a society’s overall culture and how colonialism, globalization and politics can impact culture and diversity.

In conclusion, this module CCO201 has taught me how to view culture and all of its factors from an anthropological point of view such that we do not judge other cultures based on our own standards of culture.

CCO203 Sustainability, Technology and Society

CCO203 Sustainability, Technology and Society has taught me the dynamic and complex relationship between technology and society. I have learnt about many types of existing technologies and the various ethical and sustainability issues with the development of these technologies. This allow me to understand the underlying components of these existing technologies and how these different technologies are interconnected. I also have a deeper appreciation for existing technologies through learning further about their histories and misconceptions. I have also learnt the analytical skills of evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of many key past and current technologies, thus understanding how these technologies have influenced our daily lives positively and negatively. I have learnt the different uses of technology today. In conclusion, we should utilize technology ethically, responsibly and properly now and in the future as well to prevent further negative consequences on society through irresponsible or unethical use of technologies.

Common Curriculum

As a whole, the common curriculum has enabled me to view different issues from various perspectives. This allows me to develop my critical thinking, reading and writing skills through the exposure of different methods of enquiry by the common curriculum.