Ng Xinmin (MIC180022)

GIG1005 SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT 

Reflective Writing 

Ng Xinmin (MIC180022) Date: 11 April 2020 

When it comes to giving back to the community, any action big or small can make a real difference. I always believe that donating money to local charities is not the only way we can give back to our local community. Volunteering is one of the ways which I can do as a student. Before taking this course, I always thought Social Engagement is something we volunteer ourselves in doing something which was not related to our field of study. However, our beloved course coordinator Dr. Puah gave us some creative ideas which was carrying some activities related to science in a secondary school. I was amazed by this idea and very excited about it.

Before the visit to SMK Sri Aman, we have to prepare ourselves. Dr. Puah held an internal workshop with the help of some postgraduates. We attended the workshop to make sure we are able to conduct the experiments by ourselves on the activity day itself. We did some hands-on experiments on extracting DNA from cheek cells and fruits by using some materials and apparatus which we can easily get in kitchen. We mastered the principle and the steps of extracting DNA to ensure the activity goes smoothly on the day itself. All the materials needed in experiments were prepared by our coordinator. I appreciate so much the effort made by Dr. Puah and also very thankful for having such a dedicated coordinator in this course.

On 28th February 2020, we went to SMK Sri Aman to conduct our activity. To one’s relief, all our batchmates worked well together. We divided our tasks equally; some of us set up in the hall while some of us set up at the laboratory. During the seminar, I was glad seeing the students listened attentively to the speaker and jotted down some notes. This signified that our module content was attractive to them and the speaker was doing excellent job.

After the seminar, we proceeded to hands-on experiment in the laboratory. The students were divided into several groups. I was one of the facilitators in group 4. The experiments went smoothly because each of us played our part. We divided ourselves to take different tasks such as photographers, facilitators, and emcees. While waiting for the DNA to be extracted, I have talked with the students in my group. Knowing that what field they want to pursue, I felt happy for them as they are striving to achieve their dreams and goals. During the quiz session, it was gratifying to see all the students were trying hard to raise their hands as fast as possible to answer the questions. They were able to answer the questions confidently based on what they had learnt in the whole activity. I was amazed and inspired by the learning attitude of the students as they were so active in interacting and giving response to us. However, there were some mistakes occurred during the quiz session. We learnt our lesson that we must be well- prepared which is to check the answers on presentation slides beforehand because there were some inaccurate answers causing confusion on that day. Besides, we learnt that we must make certain changes when necessary to deal with unexpected things.

After the first visit to SMK Sri Aman, we had a post-mortem meeting with our coordinator. Dr. Puah complimented us on our good teamwork and motivated us to do better on the next visit. I was grateful for the chance given by Dr. Puah. We were encouraged and wanted to improve the activity on the next visit. However, all the Social Engagement activities were instructed to cease due to the the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a disappointment as we already attended the workshop and began to anticipate the second visit. 

All in all, it was a wonderful experience for me to apply my knowledge and share what I have with the students. I felt happy when I saw the happy faces on the students. They enjoyed themselves in this activity even though they have to stay after school. Besides, I have gained some precious experience and skills through this Social Engagement activity. Through this course, I saw the importance of communication skill and leadership. To make an activity successfully, all of us must take responsibility and pay effort to it and I am grateful we did it. I hope we will have the opportunity to carry out this kind of activity again in the future. (745 words)