The mobile learning app U Leap Applied Skills has been around for a while now and the number of short courses available has been slowly growing.
The fun part about U Leap is that you can click on to any of their courses anywhere and anytime. And in most cases, the learning experience only takes a short while – not a bad trade where you invest a few minutes out of your 24 hours a day for some new knowledge that you can potentially use.
The LabourBeat journos decided to try out the deal by taste testing some of the courses that caught their eye while they were commuting.
The U Leap app can be downloaded for free on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store.
Responding to Service Challenges in the Hospitality by NTUC LearningHub
I’ve always had a soft spot for the service industry, and often envision myself working in the customer service frontline should I ever decide on a mid-career switch.
After watching the various three-minute videos in the micro-modules, I discovered there are many challenges that professionals in the service sector face during the course of work. The U Leap module I tried offered useful tips on how to spot potential triggers, such as customers getting emotional, before they escalate and how to tacitly resolve them.
Particularly useful was the section on ways to stay calm, because I can apply to myself whenever I feel I am losing my cool.
– Jonathan Tan, Senior Journalist
Carbon Tax – Session 1 (E-Learning)
Through the course, I learnt that countries and businesses can buy and sell the rights to emit carbon dioxide through international brokers, online retailers and trading platforms.
To do so, they need a permit called Carbon Credit. The credit also allows for the specified amount of emissions a country or organisation can produce.
Mini e-learning courses like these are what’s so great about using the app. You get introduced to a topic, learn unexpected gems of information that help you get a deeper understanding of how the world is tackling vague issues like global warming.
From the introduction to the meat of the topic to a mini test – I did them all in 10 mins. You should check the app out if you haven’t done so already.
– Fawwaz Baktee, Senior Journalist
An Introduction to Human Factors and Its Application in Workplace Health and Safety by Singapore University of Social Sciences
Human physique, workplace safety, user experience design… As I progressed along the three-part crash course, it became apparent that these seemingly independent elements were intricately connected.
To be very honest, I only clicked into the course because I was curious to find out what “human factors” meant. Turns out, it’s another term for ergonomics or the study of humans’ performance at the workplace.
The bite-sized lessons, along with various graphics, made a good read throughout my 20-minute cab ride from the West to Central Business District and took my mind off the frustrating traffic conditions during the morning rush hour.
Capturing only the basics, the course left me with more questions. I know, totally typical of a journalist. To quench my curiosity, I jumped back in to check out the “Further Reading” resources at the end of each lesson during mid-day, on my ride to meet an interviewee.
I must say, those are the interesting parts that you should not miss! Find out for example, how does our vision compare to that of a pigeon? What’s the inner body mechanics causing food comas and “biological clocks”?
As the last part of the course, I was given a little homework to do – a reflection on how I can apply better workflows, technologies and design interfaces to level up my work environment. I can already think of a few ideas…
– Avelyn Ng, Senior Journalist