Learning directory

This page documents some of the many online courses and learning materials I’ve taken or consumed over the years, along with some learning outputs I made.

Coursera

While job hunting in 2023, I got myself a one-month subscription to Coursera Plus which motivated me to go through a few specializations that weren’t particularly essential for my career but helped me grow my general interests and abilities in many ways. Coursera specializations are series of courses that follow an intuitive sequence of learning, often given by the same institution if not the same instructors. I wasn’t too preoccupied with earning the most practically helpful certificates but simply went with my immediate interest. I saw these courses as an outlet for my personal fulfillment and curiosity more than pragmatic pathways to a job of any kind.

So, in between all the application filling, emailing, and interview prep, I spent a couple of hours each day going through one course after another. The best of them were ones where I got to really create something (the graphic design and UI/UX courses), as well as the ones where I got introduced to a whole profession, even at the very elementary level (the journalism, project management, PR modules). Below is the breakdown of all the specializations/courses I took and some of the (very raw and unpolished) outputs I produced for their assignments.

Specialization: Graphic Design by CalArts

  1. Fundamentals of Graphic Design
  2. Introduction to Typography
  3. Introduction to Imagemaking
  4. Ideas from the History of Graphic Design
  5. Brand New Brand

Learning outputs:

Specialization: UI / UX Design by CalArts

  1. Visual Elements of User Interface Design
  2. UX Design Fundamentals
  3. Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture
  4. Web Design: Wireframes to Prototypes

Learning outputs:

Specialization: Become a Journalist: Report the News! by Michigan State University

  1. What is news?
  2. Gathering and Developing the News
  3. Effectively Delivering the News to Your Audience
  4. Journalism, the Future, and You!
  5. Capstone: Create your own professional journalistic portfolio

Professional Certificate: Meta Social Media Marketing by Meta

  1. Introduction to Social Media Marketing
  2. Social Media Management
  3. Fundamentals of Social Media Advertising
  4. Advertising with Meta
  5. Measure and Optimize Social Media Marketing Campaigns
  6. Meta Social Media Marketing Capstone

Professional Certificate: Google Project Management by Google

  1. Foundations of Project Management
  2. Project Initiation: Starting a Successful Project
  3. Project Planning: Putting It All Together
  4. Project Execution: Running the Project
  5. Agile Project Management
  6. Capstone: Applying Project Management in the Real World

Specialization: Introduction to Public Relations and the Media by University of Colorado Boulder

  1. Principles of Public Relations
  2. Working with the Media
  3. The Nuts and Bolts of Public Relations

UN Climate Change Learn (UN CC:Learn)

The story continues… When I finally secured a job working on climate change adaptation back in 2023, I was reading through a lot of grey literature (UN publications and the likes) as well as academic works. To explore these subjects in a more enjoyable and engaging way, I took a few short courses on the UN Climate Change e-Learning platform called UN CC:Learn.

The UN CC:Learn courses are often a mix of videos, interactive lessons, and online quizzes. These courses exposed me to a different approach to online learning that isn’t limited to watching a series of video lectures and answering quiz questions. They packed dense content into fun little interactive exercises like matching word boxes, flipping cards, ranking or sequencing ideas and options. Thanks to the interactivity and instant feedback loop made learning, I got even more into online learning—not just taking it but also designing and developing it. Here are the courses I took on the platform, grouped by subject:

General climate change

Climate change adaptation & National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)

LinkedIn Learning

Because my job came with free LinkedIn Learning access, I tested out a few courses to see what it’s all about. As I guessed, most of the courses I managed to get through were hollow just like the stereotype of content posted on LinkedIn. In brief, I don’t recommend this platform at all. If anyone has found a genuinely interesting and helpful LinkedIn Learning course, please send it my way!

Learning design

Sustainability

Innovation and design thinking

General career skills

MasterClass

At some point in 2024, I got curious about the celeb-laden MasterClass. The polished seeming production and the big dazzling names certainly caught my attention. I wanted to try it out to see what the fuss was all about, so I went ahead and gifted myself year-long access.

I did enjoy many of these “courses” simply because I like the “instructors” and enjoy their work in general. I wouldn’t say there was exceptionally valuable learning packed in these “masterclasses”. If anything, they seemed to me like really well-packaged podcasts with pretty neat handouts and resources for future reference. I kept all the files and documents distributed in the courses. I still think it’s one of the better things to spend money on out of all the things that can cost you on the Internet, simply because of the high production value and the fact that it does afford you some immersion time in the storytelling and presentation from the celebrity speakers. So here’s the list of the “courses” I’ve watched, in alphabetical order.

  • Advertising and Creativity / Jeff Goodby & Rich Silverstein
  • Art and Creativity / Jeff Koons
  • Business Leadership / Howard Schultz
  • Conservation / Jane Goodall
  • Creating Change / Malala Yousafzai
  • Creating Outside the Lines / Issa Rae
  • Creativity and Leadership / Anna Wintour
  • Economics / Paul Krugman
  • Effective and Authentic Communication / Robin Roberts
  • Graphic Design / David Carson
  • Impactful Giving / Melinda French Gates
  • Inclusive Leadership / Bill Clinton
  • Independent Thinking and Media’s Invisible Powers / Noam Chomsky
  • Intentional Eating / Michael Pollan
  • Investigative Journalism / Bob Woodward
  • Leading with Purpose / Indra Nooyi
  • Mathematical Thinking / Terence Tao
  • Mental Strength / Robin Arzon
  • Navigating Change / Jay Shetty
  • Prepare to be Unprepared / Amy Poehler
  • Purposeful Communication / George Stephanopoulos
  • Redefining Feminism / Gloria Steinem
  • Reframe Your Thinking / Ava DuVernay
  • Relational Intelligence / Esther Perel
  • Science and Problem Solving / Bill Nye
  • Scientific Thinking & Communication / Neil deGrasse Tyson
  • Strategic Decision-Making / Mellody Hobson
  • The Art of Negotiation / Chris Voss
  • The Power of Personal Branding / Kris Jenner
  • The Power of Resilience / Hillary Clinton
  • The Science of Better Sleep / Matthew Walker
  • Turning Ideas into Art / Es Devlin
  • Writing / Judy Blume
  • Writing for Social Change / Roxanne Gay

Current and future learning

Currently, I’m getting more into learning about education/sustainability education as a sector and practice. There is frankly too much to learn given the time I have, but for now I’ve bookmarked these for my own learning in coming months and years:

If there are any courses, topics, or subjects you think I’d be interested in exploring, please share them with me. Thank you!

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