E-Portfolio 7 (Horay!!!! This is the last task)

"What difficulties do you have writing in your universities classes? How do you resolve these difficulties? How will you continue to improve?"

For writing in my universities classes, my difficulties are probably the vocabulary and expressing my ideas. These two factors are important for writing in universities classes.

The language level in university is very high, for my universities classes, I will encounter with unfamiliar terms such as transformers, retifier, and phasor. Sometimes, there are words that have different meaning from the general meaning, for example platform. Generally, platform means "a flat elevated portion used as a stage", however in computer science, it means "the basic technologies of a computer system's hardware and software". Without the understanding of the meaning behind the new words or words with various meaning, I can misuse them in my writing. For example, if I want to write about "black body", "black body can only be found in space" well it's wrong because black body can also be found in earth inside the laboratory. Therefore, to improve this problem, I will read various articles to familiarise myself with many new terms. Also, dictionary will come in handy when looking for words I do not understand.

Another difficulties I have for writing in my university classes is expressing my idea on paper. It is quite difficult to express an idea when I do not understand the concept behind this idea. This could happen because I did not pay attention in class or the lecture is just to fast and before the idea sink into my head, more concepts are given. When an idea is not understand properly, it is hard to explain it to other people through writing. Therefore, for this difficulty I realised I have to catch up with all my classes and understand all the concepts for each topic I have learnt. Also, find more sources for the topics. Then, when writing an idea regarding these concepts I will have no trouble expressing my ideas.

I realised there are many room for improvement in writing an essay. One of my teacher used to say choose a topic that you familiar with and write what you know. Thus, the reader can understand your point of view. Therefore, from now on I will keep learning, reading, and looking for various articles to improve my writing ability in my university classes.

E-Portfolio 6 - My Common Grammar Mistakes

Probably for many people, English is the most confusing language. It has past tense, present tense, and future tense. The grammars have many rules to follow and yet there are times when those rules cannot be applied. The three common grammar mistakes that I do most of the time are verb tense, preposition, and parallel structure.

Verb tense probably is my biggest problem. When writing an essay, I will get confused with the tense. For example, "the known procedure of taking Embryonic Stem cells from an embryo involved destroying the embryo", the "involved" here according to my teacher supposed to be "involves" as the method is not happened in the past, but everytime ESC is taken from an embryo, the embryo will be destroyed. Thus, it should be "the known procedure of taking Embryonic Stem cells from an embryo involves destroying the embryo". The reason I was confused with the tense is because when I write an essay, I will just read in my head and sometimes my head says it is the correct tense. However later if I read out loud then I will find that the tense is not correct.

Preposition such as "in", "on" and "at" is also my common grammar mistakes. For example, "I was always very good in Geography when I was at school". The right answer is "I was always very good at Geography when I was at school". The reason it is "at" is because we cannot go inside Geograpy. We can only be good at something, not good in something. I make this mistakes all the time. I get confused when to use "in", "on" or "at".

Another grammar mistake I make is parallel structure. For example, "Susie not only needs attention but also many compliments", the correct sentence is "Susie not only needs attention but also needs many compliments". This mistake occurs very often because I want to say many things related to a subject. Therefore, if I do not read out loud or if the teacher do not pointed out that this sentence is wrong, I will think the sentence is correct.

Personally, I usually write a sentence based on how I say it. Therefore, sometimes the sentence is informal and the grammar is not correct. In the future time, I will try to be more careful in writing an essay and I will try to read out loud to listen for the mistakes in the essay. I want to be fluent in writing a great essay :D.

E-Portfolio 5 Summary of Round table discussion in class

The Round Table Discussion is an argumentative discussion, where there is a moderator, an opposing side and a supporting side. The topics for the Round Table discussions are based on recent technologies such as Carbon Capture and Storage technology, Green Chemistry technology, and Bio-Diesel technology. This blog will provide the summary of the main arguments of each topic and the writer’s opinion on each Round Table Discussion.

The first topic is about Carbon Capture and Storage technology (CCS), whether it is an effective solution in reducing greenhouse gas. The opposing side argued about the danger of leakage with the carbon membrane, which can cause pollution in the ocean. Whereas the supporting side said that the carbon membrane is strong and also carbon is denser than ocean water so it will not rise up to the surface and cause pollution in the ocean.

The second topic is about Bio-Diesel Technology and its effects in the society. The opposing side argued against the use of Bio-Diesel as the food crops’ price will increase, since the amount of food will be divided between the public and the one used for fuels. The supporting side argued that dependence on fossil fuel will be diminished. The need to buy fossil fuel from volatile countries will be decreased. Therefore it will be convenient.

The third topic is about Green Chemistry and Singapore’s contribution in using bio-degradable plastic. Mainly, the supporting and opposing side argued whether bio-degradable plastic is cost effective than using normal plastic bag. According to the opposing side, it is not cost effective as consumers need to pay more to use bio-degradable plastic. The supporting side argued that Singapore’s government will subsidized to use bio-degradable plastic, thus it will not affect the consumer.

In general, the Round Table discussion is very educational. Ideas that are still unfamiliar to the students were presented with the negative and positive sides. Thus, the students became conscious about the current and future technologies. They can make decisions whether to employ these technologies in the future.

E-Portfolio 4

The roundtable discussion issue is “Should institutions or governments regulate the use of technologies such as Computational Modelling in Brain Studies?”. This is an argumentative discussion, thus the first article by National Science Foundation (NSF) will support this issue, and where as the second article by L. Marano will against it.

In the article by NSF, it gives information about “A computer that can read your mind” (NSF, 2008). This is a new technology that is still undergoing research by a Computer scientist Tom Mitchell and a Congnitive neuroscientist Marcel. The researchers used data from functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and constructed a computational model which allowed the computer to correctly shown what word the person is thinking about. FMRI can “identify and locate brain activity when a person thinks about specific word related to concrete nouns” (NSF, 2008) such as an apple. This “computational model also can predict the brain activation pattern even without using the data from fMRI” (NSF, 2008). Using this technology, scientist or researcher can identify thoughts and can be used in the study of autism, paranoid schizophrenia and semantic dementia. This article is very useful as it gives insight to the outcome of inter-disciplinary research. Also it shows a specific example regarding the issue.

The second article by L.Marano is about “Ethics and Mapping the Brain”. In this article the author gives five bioethical standards regarding technologies such as fMRI that could “reveal a person’s memory, predict mental disorder or giftedness and recognize whether a person is lying or not”(Marano, 2003). The first one is which technology is ready to be used by the public, as there are issues concerning accuracy and error rates. Secondly, whether the evidence based on the result of this technology can be accepted in court. Thirdly, whether consent is needed from the subject to be examined with this technology. Fourthly is about access, should there be a database of everyone’s brain picture and who has the access to use this database. The fifth one is should children be tested with these technologies, to find out about their abilities. The author also adds some questions to the society about “who will be tested, why they will be tested and how the result will be used” (Marano, 2003). This article is related to the topic as it gives the opposing side of using this technology.

The two articles have unfamiliar words that relevant to the topic. FMRI is MRI machine used to scan the brain activity pattern. Bioethical, moral principles related to law, theology, medicine, politics, biotechnology and life science. Computational model is a method of simulating real-life situations with mathematical equations to predict the future.

Biblography:
1. Marano, L. (2003, June 3). Ethics and Mapping the Brain (An abridged version of the original in The Washington Times) Retrieved March 1, 2009, from http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/neuro/brain_mapping_ethics.htm
2. National Science Foundation. (2008, May 30). A Computer that can ‘read’ your mind [Press release 08-091]. Retrieved March 1, 2009, from http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111641&org=olpa&from=news

Third Entry: Lectures on Saturday evening

On the thirtieth of January, three lecturers presented three topics on climate change. These three lecturers are Andrew Palmer, who talked about Carbon Dioxide capture and storage: technological and politics, Benjamin K. Sovacool, who talked about Using STS to Address Energy (and Technological) problems, and Rajasekhar Bala, who talked about Climate Change: Assessment and Mitigation. These lectures were very informative and interesting, and encouraged the students to think about the fate of future generations.

Andrew Palmer was talking about different methods needed to reduce carbon dioxide emission. The most interesting part in his lecture was to reduce carbon dioxide emission, we must used many different methods such as switch coal to gas, nuclear, biofuel, hydropower, and using the carbon dioxide capture and storage technology. It makes me realize that people have been using oil uncontrolled and now we must accept the consequences. However, our actions to fight global warming cannot be done by individual but must be done by the whole communities in the world and with the support of the politicians. We all face with recession, diseases, and poverty, but if we do not take the action to reduce carbon dioxide emission in the atmosphere, then we will face with extreme cases of natural disasters and viruses. More people will die, and who will benefit from this?

The second lecturer explained to us on how technology dictated the pace and the direction of social change. The most interesting part in his topic was technology can succeed technically but not socially. It makes me thinking that for a technology to be a great success, it must be accepted by the society. Just like how the automobile defeated electric car. Thus for us to change and fight the climate change, we need to educate the public about new technologies that are useful and essential. If not the public will not accept technologies, instead they will fear it and reject the changes made by new technologies.

The last lecture was about climate change: assessment and mitigation. The lecturer showed to us the evidences of global warming and its consequences. Global warming caused the rise in global surface temperature, changes in glacier and hurricanes pattern, and rises in ocean level. The consequences are intense storms and hurricanes, droughts and floods, extinction of organisms, incurable diseases and economic and social disruption. Some parts of the world will remain dry and some part of the world will be drowned because of the sea level keeps rising. The interesting part is that some part of the world will benefit from global warming, maybe countries like USA or Europe, but the third-world countries will receive the tremendous impact of global warming.

The main point that I grasped from these lectures was to fight global warming, the developed countries like USA, Russia and China should reduce their oil consumption and switch to renewable energies. However, it might takes a long time for that to happen as the politicians always make excuses and trying to manipulate the society to accept their decisions not to switch to renewable energies.

Second Entry: How can policies of your government either contribute or help to reduce the problem of global warming?

The earth is a magnificent planet, the only known place where living things exist. It has experienced many different climate changes from beginning until now. However, the extreme case of climate change is happening right now, Global Warming. Since the industrial revolution, human has been consuming oil uncontrolled, without thinking of the consequences. Now this generation and the future generations must fight and solve the problem of global warming. One of the best ways to reduce global warming is for the government to introduce new policies. Singapore has introduced new policies such as reduce, reuse, recycle, and energy-efficiency.

The future generation of Singapore will have the policy of reduce, reuse, recycle, programmed into their way of lives. At school students are taught to throw their plastic bottles and papers into the bins for recycling, also if they want to print out lecture notes, they are encouraged to print both sides, to reduce their paper consumption. Moreover, in supermarket such as NTUC Fairprice, the customers are encouraged to bring their own bag or to buy the environmental friendly bag, which helps to reduce the plastic bag usage. Plastic bags and plastic bottles are made of oil. Thus by reducing the amount of plastic used by many people, it helps to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the air.

Singapore’s government also persuades its people to be more efficient. Now most of the air-conditioned buildings and houses have set their temperature to twenty-five degrees Celsius. Also, the cars nowadays are fuel-efficient. By making higher tax for cars and petrol, the public is more relied on public transportation than private cars. The government also teaches the public on how to be more energy-efficient through media. If the whole Singapore has the carry out the energy-efficiency program, at least Singapore will be a better place, and other countries will follow its example.

All the actions and policies taken by the government of Singapore can help to reduce the problem of global warming as it involves the whole community of Singapore. If the whole community does not work together in fighting the global warming, then the world will not be magnficent anymore.

First Entry: The Expanding World of Engineers

What are engineers? This question usually makes the general public associate engineers as the people who invented and built sophisticate machines, advanced computers, and exquisite skyscrapers. However, engineers are not only manufacturing these, they are the people who enhance the growth of the economy. Through their training, they are able to systematically analyze complex information and apply a holistic approach in designing solutions, as written by Prof. Ramakrishna in the article of “The expanding World of Engineers”.

Engineers since the beginning of their study, they have been trained to look at a problem, and use the most effective ways to solve it which is the combination of science, arts and mathematics. They do not like to complicate a problem by trying to solve the problem from the middle or end result; instead they will work out the problem in steps from the beginning until the end. If there is a difficulty they will not give up but compromise and use another method.

Also for the fact that new technologies are emerging, engineers rather than shun it like what the society tends to do, they embrace it and very enthusiast to learn the new software, hardware, or machines. Engineers are trained to combine their knowledge and the technology to design the solution of the problem.

Moreover, some problems need diversity of expertise to be solved, such as creating an artificial heart. Engineers must be able to work in a team, thus their soft skills such as communication skill, leadership skill, time management skill, and many more, have been developed throughout their study through working together within a group of engineering students.

As a result of good training, engineers have the combined skills of systematical and critical thinking which enable them to go into different fields other than engineering.