Translation, localization and implementation of the Gimbalabs’ Plutus Project-based learning program.

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Roberto Mayen-Hess

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

robertomh@gimbalabs.io

Additional applicants

• Yan Tirta
• Valdryan Ivandito
• Tien Nguyen Anh
• Sebastian Pabon
• Gorga Siagian

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

9

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.” .

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

Project will be fully open source.

[METADATA] Category of proposal

Education

[METADATA] SDG rating

SDG goals:

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

SDG subgoals:

By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI):

Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill.

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Many years after the creation of Cardano, we still need more educational resources for non-English speaking communities.

Background

The team driving the Gimbalabs' Plutus PBL translation and localization effort was born organically from the realization that non-English speaking developers face the impossible task of taking on Cardano's steep learning curve with very few educational resources or programs available in their native language. 

Our team's efforts are engaging communities from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Cardano communities in these regions eagerly await the release of the program's respective translation in their local language to make it accessible to their members. 

Gimbalabs’ Plutus Project-based learning (PBL)

Gimbalabs uses the PBL method for its Plutus program. The PBL methodology is student-centered, and the facilitator allows space for participation and discussion, incentivizing deep learning, creativity, and collaboration. 

Live coding

Through live coding sessions, students can get to know each other and collaborate to resolve problems, answer questions and even find partners for projects outside the program. Gimbalabs’ Plutus PBL is currently on its 4th iteration and has empowered more than 500 students to start learning Cardano development and gain invaluable real-world experience.  

Fig 1. The PBL Framework. A high overview description of a PBL module.

We will use the Andamio platform, a learning management system (LMS) built on Cardano with skill tracking, treasury management, and smart contract capabilities which hosts the current version of the Plutus PBL; you can see it here. The Andamio Platform provides a ready-to-use LMS that supports the outcomes of this proposal. A project-based onboarding course is one of the key deliverables in this proposal.

Fig 2. The Andamio platform: A) Landing page, B) Student skills and contributions record; C) Skills and contributions record dashboard; D) Student record aggregate

The Andamio platform records participant progress through the course, providing a certified record of skills acquired and contributions. It is an invaluable resource for new developers needing real-world experience.  

This platform, used with Gimbalabs' Plutus PBL, lowers barriers to entry for Cardano's developers in Asian, Latin American, and African communities and is the shortest path to adopting Cardano blockchain technology worldwide.  

This proposal aims to provide funding to:

• Finish the translation and localization of the Plutus PBL program in Spanish, French, Indonesian, Japanese, and Vietnamese.
• All written content and documentation.
• Videos
• Promote the release of the Plutus PBL in each language.
• Social media marketing
• Provide live coding sessions in each language to create thriving communities of developers.
• Provide learner support via Discord.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

The Developer Ecosystem challenge seeks to "... equip and support developers with tools” and make Cardano the first choice to develop dApps.

Most problems of developing economies in Asia, Africa, and Latin America are perfect use cases for blockchain technology. Cardano is especially suited for this as it is an efficient, low-cost, highly secure protocol. However, implementing solutions in these localities as an outsider carries significant risks and challenges. 

It is much more efficient and less risky to invest in the educational resources for individuals in these economies to understand and use this technology so they can implement solutions that adapt to their context, culture, and economic reality. We need to extend Cardano education beyond its current language barrier limitation. 

The proposal's timing is highly relevant considering the potential for widespread adoption of blockchain projects during the anticipated fourth bull run. With the world's attention towards blockchain technology, there is a unique opportunity for adopting and implementing projects like the Gimbalabs' Plutus PBL program.

The proposal aims to seize this unprecedented opportunity to engage non-English speaking communities. The availability of educational resources in multiple languages will facilitate their participation and enable them to take advantage of the growing blockchain ecosystem during this increased attention and adoption period.

The fourth bull run presents a favorable environment for this proposal, as it can effectively equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to capitalize on the opportunities arising in the blockchain industry.

Providing the Plutus PBL program in different languages will allow individuals to use Cardano blockchain technology to develop high-impact solutions for their communities. Additionally, because the Andamio platform is open-source, these same communities can use it to host educational content and onboard project contributors. This approach allows and incentivizes exponential growth.

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

Once the program is live, over a period of 6 months, for each different language of the Plutus PBL, we will track:

• No. of students participating in the Plutus PBL in each different language.
• No. of students contributing to real-world projects by the end of the program.
• No. of initiatives created as a direct result of participating in the Plutus PBL.
• No. of organizations/projects created as a direct result of participating in the Plutus PBL. 
• No. of students participating in the Plutus PBL onboarded to Cardano organizations.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

• Our Gitlab repo (please see relevant links section)
• The Andamio platform generates contributor tokens that record student progress through the program on-chain (You can see an example here: https://plutuspbl.io/contributors).
• Live coding sessions
• Recordings shared via YouTube (find links to past and current live coding sessions in english here: https://plutuspbl.io/live-coding)
• Progress reports shared via Project Catalyst Town Halls and website.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

The Gimbalabs’ localization and translation team is active in the Cardano community and involved in numerous projects that have benefited the Cardano ecosystem. Each member has been actively working with their respective communities, offering support and engaging with potential partners to make the program available to as many new learners as possible. 

The localization and translation teams for the Plutus PBL have been working over the past six months without pay, creating versions of the Plutus PBL in Vietnamese, Japanese, French, Indonesian, and Spanish showing their commitment to the project.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goals of this proposal are to provide the funding necessary to:

• Complete the translation and localization of the Gimbalabs’ Plutus PBL.
• Promote the adoption of the program.
• Facilitate live coding sessions in each language.
• Support developers going through the program through Discord.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Over the past 6 months has worked on their own time with no pay on the translation and localization of Gimbalabs’ Plutus PBL to five different languages. This proposal seeks to provide funding to finish this work and implement the program in each community (Spanish, French, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Japanese). 

You can see the progress for the different languages here:

Spanish: https://es.plutuspbl.io/

French: https://fr.plutuspbl.io/

Indonesian: https://id.plutuspbl.io/

Japanese: https://ja.plutuspbl.io/

Vietnamese: https://vi.plutuspbl.io/

You can find an online version here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1L9u5YHxfoqMjRWmrWZT6UQCmzyvMDL9qGk_PBpG_4XM/edit?usp=sharing

Milestone 1: Complete translation and localization of documentation for Gimbalabs' Plutus PBL program [ month 0 to month 2 ]

• Translation
• Ensure that meaning, tone, and intent adapt to cultural and linguistic nuances of each language while maintaining technical accuracy and clarity (e.g., translating code snippets, comments, function names, etc.).
• Create a glossary to adapt specific terminology related to Cardano blockchain technology and the Plutus programming language.
• Create a style guide to facilitate further translation of the Plutus PBL into other languages.
• Localization
• This task involves the adaptation of idioms, expressions, references, and symbols, for example, adjusting visuals and date formats. 

Milestone 2: Complete translation and localization of video content for Gimbalabs' Plutus PBL program [ month 1 to month 3 ]

• Subtitling
• Create subtitles that synchronize with the audio and visual elements of the video.
• On-screen text and graphics
• Translate and adapt on-screen text, titles, graphics, and diagrams.
• Code
• Translate code snippets

Milestone 3: Develop PBL capacity [ month 1 to month 3 ]

• Recruit, hire and onboard Plutus PBL facilitators
• Define job description, find suitable facilitators and train them on PBL methodology

Milestone 4: Marketing, promotion and enrollment [ month 2 - 3 ]

• Marketing and promotion
• Create and share marketing content to promote the release of the PBL program.
• Carry out demo sessions to generate interest and register students.

Milestone 5: Gimbalabs' Plutus PBL is live! [ month 3 - 9 ]

• Implement PBL and Live coding sessions
• Onboard students and deliver two, ninety minute live coding sessions a week.
• Support student learning and foster community creation and growth through Discord.
• Monitoring and evaluating progress
• Conduct mid-course surveys to assess student progress and identify areas where additional support may be required.
• Mid-course feedback collection and analysis
• Gather feedback from students. Analyze feedback and provide insights.
• End of course feedback collection, program evaluation and analysis
• Gather feedback from students on course structure, content, methodology. Analyze feedback and provide insights.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

You can find an online version of this spreadsheet here

You can find an online version of this spreadsheet here

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

You can find an online version of this spreadsheet here

You can find an online version of this spreadsheet here

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

Our budget represents roughly 5.41% of the total budget allocated to the developer ecosystem challenge and represents a 5x multiplier of reach for the Cardano community. 

Diffusion and adoption of innovation is a tricky thing, and like it or not, market adoption can make or break any new product or technology. Cardano is an incredible innovation, a unique approach to a difficult problem. Carefully studied and developed, its potential to change hearts and minds is endless. 

Unfortunately, that is not always enough. We only have to look to the recent past to find evidence of great technologies lost due to lack of market adoption. This is why we need to invest in making this technology available to as many communities worldwide as possible and it is our fierce belief that education is the shortest and most efficient path to make this possible, we’ve seen it done through the Plutus PBL. 

Each of the members of the Plutus PBL translation team have shown their deep commitment to the progress of the development of the Cardano ecosystem. This proposal will fund further work towards that goal.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept