FEATURE – TECH IMPACT: UCT’s goal realisation app now available in 11 official languages

SABC News’ Tshepiso Moche reports on related tech developments in South Africa and globally. In this edition, he looks at University of Cape Town (UCT) WOOP goal realisation app.

A collaboration between the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of New York Professor, Gabriele Oettingen has resulted in the development of an app that is designed to help students track their goals and realisations in order to achieve their desired academic targets.

The WOOP app which stands for (wish, outcome, obstacle, plan) is a free, web-based app and is available on both App Store and Google Play Store.

The app has only just been released in 11 official languages in the country.

According to UCT’s Residence Life Division’s senior co-ordinator for learning and innovation, Sean Abrahams, the app was originally created as a workbook.

The app was introduced by UCT’s Residence Life Division to help particularly first-year students in residence manage their academic life.

WOOP is based on Oettingen’s research on how people think about the future and how this affects their cognition, emotion and behaviour.

The app has helped students set more realistic and attainable goals for themselves.

Abrahams says while the app is “a very useful and powerful tool in a student’s repertoire of growing skills,” goalsetting and achievement is not the linear process many expect.

“It’s being able to think about identifying and imagining their obstacle and making a plan to overcome it. This is a crucial skill at university,” he said.

WOOP has been translated into many languages and is used in over 100 countries worldwide.

Those who are using this app, have shared some of their experiences.

Student, Andrés González Salido says, “Since I began using WOOP, my anxiety and depression levels have been the lowest ever, I’m getting better grades and my interpersonal relationships are improving as this method has helped me internalise my thoughts, desires and feelings and channel them in the correct desired/wished path.”

“I decided to try it out for a change. After a few months of daily practicing this technique. I began to find progress. I was able to talk on stage (which was a frightening experience) and make some female friends. My social circle got bigger and I was no longer a shy person,” adds another app user, Lalit Thakre.