Executive Summary

Executive Summary

In Singapore, many commuters fail to alight at their destination while they are taking the public transportation and this has affected their lives significantly.

84.7% of the respondents to a survey conducted by our team have had experience of missing their intended stops. Thus, the team has come up with this proposal to create a bus alarm application with diverse functions to further enhance the current ‘bus alarm’ applications that are available in the market.

Several benefits of the ‘Destination Alert’ includes effective time management, sharing of personal location and ease of access. Potential challenges that could be faced by the implementation of the application such as the generation of profit and patenting issues has also been carefully evaluated. Although there are certain concerns over the data consumption and size of the application, 77.5% of the survey respondents show their interest in the proposed solution.

The proposal concludes that the development and implementation of a ‘destination alarm’ application can help to reduce the probability of commuters missing their stops and better utilize their time.

Letter of Transmittal

29 October 2015

Mr Brad Blackstone

Senior Lecturer

Centre for Communication Skills

10 Dover Drive

Singapore 138683

  

Dear Mr. Blackstone,

RE: Proposal to create a destination alarm mobile application

This letter is to inform you of our acknowledgement and response to your letter of authorization. We are pleased to present you with the following proposal to improve the travelling experience of commuters in Singapore.

Many commuters fail to alight at their destination due to falling asleep on the buses or trains and ‘digital distractions’ such as smartphones. As a result, they have to spend a considerable amount of time and money to get back to their intended destination again. This causes frustrations amongst the commuters as they deem the additional amount of time and money spent unnecessary.

To reduce the probability of commuters missing their intended stop, my group proposes the development and implementation of a bus alarm mobile application. Firstly, the application serves as a reminder for users to alight promptly at their destinations. Secondly, the integration of “Google Maps”, “SGNextbus” and “Whatsapp-Send your location function” allows users to use one application instead of three to perform a specific task, which makes the application more appealing. Lastly, the application will be free of charge so that more users can download and use it.

We would like to thank you for taking the time to read through the proposal, and hope that you will take our proposal into consideration, thus improving the travelling experience of the commuters.

Yours Sincerely,

Huang Haiqing (Mr)

Team Leader

On Behalf of Team “Destination Alert!”

Personal Statement

Huang  Haiqing

As a student studying in the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), I notice that my course mates are perpetually late for lectures and tutorial classes as they fail to disembark at the correct bus or train stop nearby SIT. Therefore, I would like to come up with possible solutions to mitigate this issue, thus improving the university experience of my fellow schoolmates.   

Critical Reflection

In SIE2016, we received feedbacks from both our peers and tutor, Brad. Giving feedbacks to my peers was something that I have never done in my schooling life. The feedbacks that my peers gave allowed me to refine my work, thus making the essays I wrote more intelligible. In addition, the feedbacks given by Brad further hone my writing skills and at the same, make me understand the features a good piece of write up should have. The comments received from both the tutor and my classmates also enhanced my learning experience as it allows me to interact and discuss with them regarding the mistakes that they found in my writing. Besides that, when I gave feedbacks to my classmates, I learn from their mistakes and thus minimizing the occurrences of such errors in my future writing. In essence, the feedbacks that I received from various people gave me different perspectives on how to approach my writing. 

The skills that I learned in this module are applicable to the writing assignment in the Mass and Energy Balance module this trimester. In this module, we are taught how to do a write-up with a clear focus and direction. In addition, we were also taught that it is always good to have a few drafts before finalising a write-up.Lastly, having a good thesis statement would significantly impact the flow of the essay. For my Mass and Energy Balance assignment, I was required to do a summary write up on gas absorption.I managed to apply the planning and summary writing skills that I have been taught here.While I was drafting my write up for the Mass and Energy Balance assignment, I did not had to ponder if I was writing out of point. This is because of the good thesis statement that I've written. In addition,the thesis statement allowed me to organise the content in the write up thus making sure that's a flow in the summary..

In short, the peer and tutor feedback had benefitted me greatly as I am more aware of the mistakes that I should avoid while drafting for my future academic write ups! 

Edited on 2 December 2015

The State of Education in Singapore

 The following represents my personal view and is in no way intended to discredit any party or organisation. 

Singaporeans who have undergone the rigorous education system here should understand the 'unfair' emphasis that is placed on certain subjects over others. We have either been explicitly instructed by our teachers or discovered ourselves that it would be more profitable to invest our studies heavily in mathematics and the sciences, or what most would term 'EMS' (English, Maths, Science), rather than the arts, were we to desire to do well at our Cambridge examinations. 

From the start, students are already given an extremely limited pool of subjects to choose from to take at 'O' level. Yes, we are allowed to choose our 'subject combinations', but what choices do we have? They are mainly permutations of the following few: Additional mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology and 1 Humanities subject to be taken in conjunction with Social Studies (even though they are to be calculated as a single examination subject). Students and even some teachers alike scoff at subjects such as music, humanities, visual art and physical education as a waste of time. "You're gonna fail your 'O' levels if you spend too much time on these!" "These subjects are not important!” 

The weight and emphasis on mathematics and sciences in local schools is 'unfair'. Apart from the fact that it is compulsory for students to take on arts/humanities subject together with several mathematics and science subjects, better grades are required for students who wish to study in the 'science stream'. Will this establish a label of prestige on science students at the expense of students who study in the 'arts stream'? I do not think this is healthy at all. Students stronger in the arts are not necessarily 'dumber' than science students.

One can't judge a mudskipper by its ability to glide into the air like a flying fish, neither can one judge a flying fish by its ability to climb trees in the mud. Nevertheless, we understand both to be very unique species of fish. Conversely, if we choose to use only one indicator at our own discretion to assess "uniqueness", we fail to fully comprehend the beauty of diversity.

Many Singaporeans,frequently complain that they do not know what to study at tertiary level or even what job/career to undertake in future. Isn't it sad that people do not know where their interests lie? There is thus a pressing need, for students starting from a young age to be exposed to a diverse range of subjects. Let the children learn about business, economics, foreign languages, fashion design or even marine science! (These are actual O-level subjects offered by Cambridge to UK students) Let them find out what they want to pursue in future and let's not penalise them for any inept in maths and science. So what if our young students (who are mainly extracted from a few 'elite' schools by the way) continue to be the top in the world for tests in maths and science? So many adults out there have long forgotten even the most basic fundementals of these subjects. I think it is certainly very peculiar that Singapore assesses students' intelligence and ability by a proficiency in maths/science. This emphasis on 'EMS' should be rethought.

As a nation which has its people as its sole resource, innovation and creativity is of utmost importance. Scientists, researchers and engineers are vital for our R&D-based economy. But what can allow a country to continue to thrive in the long run? We also need people who are able to think, to think independently, to think of solutions specific to a problem that have not been thought of before. We need people who can generate creative solutions to our problems, policies to further improve our competitive edge over our rivals. 

Creativity cannot be taught directly in schools, but it can be nurtured, and definitely not in the state that the education system is in now. 

Random Thoughts

When I was in primary school, I got bullied quite a lot. I was quiet, bookish, and did whatever I was told to by the teacher. I wasn't active in games during recess time, preferring to eat food I brought from home in a corner of the school canteen over a book. I'm not saying that I was a sane back then - have never been, and will never be one. That is not my point. However, combined with the fact that I had a rather unusual name,I was frequently targeted by my more boisterous and extroverted peers. 

Now that more than a decade has passed since primary school, I wonder how these 'former' bullies are getting on with their lives. In all honesty, it isn't that difficult to track them down with Facebook. From the information I have gathered, some have become officers in SAF and SPF, some on their way to prestigious universities and illustrious careers ahead; some doing just reasonably well or barely passable. But how about me? I'm not doing that bad either in my own opinion. I have improved my attitude and became more confident. I'm currently studying what I like in the university.

There used to be hate and a desire for revenge.However,I wasn't brought up this way. If I could use these experiences, they would certainly formulate into a vital lesson for me. The point is, that things may not always be easy at the start. With diligence, hard work and time, things will get better. I could use this as a reminder for myself each time too, when I feel down and stressed about the days ahead. 

Keep the faith. Some day later, life ahead will be better.

Reader's Response Draft 4

On the website, “Citizen Campaign for the Environment,” Iburch (2015) reports on the adverse impact that improper pharmaceutical waste disposal has on the environment. The author states that “low levels of drugs such as antibiotics, hormones, contraceptives and steroids are found in 80% of the rivers and streams in the United States of America(USA)”. Due to this situation, these water sources are unsafe for consumption.At the same time, it harms the marine and human life by leaving them vulnerable to such pharmaceutical waste residue, albeit at low concentrations. Some side effects on living organisms include irregular hormonal cycle and antibiotic resistance to drugs. Notably, male fish were found laying eggs due to prolonged exposure to such residue (Iburch,2015). Enacting legislation and raising public awareness on the proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste have been put in place to mitigate the problem. The same author explains the cause and impact of pharmaceutical waste disposal with myriad examples but some of the statements put forth in the article are incomplete and unsupported.

The first reason why Iburch’s argument is incomplete is because he overgeneralizes the idea of “unused or expired pharmaceuticals being flushed down the toilet”. According to a pharmaceutical waste disposal guideline that was released by the World Health Organization (1999),small amounts of uncontrolled liquid pharmaceuticals, which do not exhibit anti-infective or anti-neoplastic properties, can be flushed down into the sewers. This shows that under certain circumstances, it is fine for a small quantity of pharmaceuticals to be flushed down the sewers. Iburch also fails to elaborate on how human excretion can potentially contribute to pharmaceutical waste. Studies by the Harvard Medical School (2011) have concluded that human waste flushed into the sewage contains  unmetabolized  pharmaceuticals,and this could potentially contaminate potable water sources. In addition, the same author did not mention anything on the root of the issue: pharmaceuticals that are purchased in bulk are often left unconsumed. This results in these pharmaceuticals being flushed into the sewage.

Furthermore, the examples used to illustrate the detrimental effects that pharmaceutical waste have on living organisms are not convincing due to the lack of statistical data. For instance, the concentration of pharmaceutical waste present in the potable water sources is not mentioned. Iburch states the effects that the pharmaceutical effluents have on the genetic mutation of marine life, without factoring in some other environmental factors. Eisenstaedt (2005) argues that different chemical compositions of water, temperature and other variables can potentially explain the genetic mutation seen in marine life. The lack of concrete data and research makes it hard for readers to come to a more informed conclusion that the hormones present in the pharmaceutical effluents are responsible for the genetic mutation seen.  

In conclusion, the author carefully links the cause and effects of improper pharmaceutical waste disposal with myriad examples. It would be better though if the author addresses the issue in a broader perspective before moving into smaller details. This would give the reader a general overview of the issue. Lastly, the lack of concrete  statistical data and overgeneralisation of "flushing down unused or expired pharmaceuticals into the sewage" make the arguments put forth on the website inconclusive and unsupported

References :

Citizens Campaign for the Environment. (2015, March 4). Pharmaceutical Disposal.

Retrieved from http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/pharmaceutical-disposal.asp

Eisenstadt, L. (2005). Drugs in the water. Triple Point.

Retrieved from http://www.bu.edu/sjmag/scimag2005/features/drugsinwater.htm

Harvard Medical School. (2011,June 1). Drugs in the water.

Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/drugs-in-the-water

World Health Organization. (1999). Guidelines for Safe Disposal of Unwanted Pharmaceuticals in and after Emergencies.

Retrieved from http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/medicalwaste/unwantpharm.