Outdated teaching methods in Cameroon have led to students favoring non-educational gaming like gambling over traditional schooling, risking youth integrity and leadership potential.
This is the total amount allocated to Mental-ease: Learn through fun, Learn to earn!.
Develop an interactive and collaborative e-learning platform on Cardano (with Hydra) that gamifies education with a gambling element, making learning enjoyable, attractive and engaging for youth.
No dependencies.
Apache 2.0 License
Background & Motivation
This project builds upon our previously successful initiative, Mentalyse: Learn through Fun, which focused on researching, conceptualizing, and pre-prototyping an e-learning platform designed to gamify aspects of education and address youth's growing disinterest in traditional schooling.
The first phase of our implementation was centered on research, culminating in a strategy for integrating educational and pedagogical content into engaging educational games, as outlined in this in our final report you can find here. A pivotal moment in our research occurred during in-depth discussions with prominent figures in Africa's ancestral teaching paradigm, such as Jean-Philippe Omotunde /Mbog Bassong. They emphasized the importance of teaching from personal experience, stating,: "You must teach what you are. They added: "Nowadays, the African generation functions within a paradigm that is not theirs, and will only be able to suggest effective solution to their community once they truly understand where they came from and who they really are, one tangible path is taking initiatory journeys into ancestral practices" This insight led us to reassess our strategy and undertake immersive training journeys that delved into the African educational paradigm. This exploration uncovered valuable resources and information that significantly reshaped our initial approach. For more details, please refer to the final report mentioned above.
With all the information at our disposal, we decided to shift from our initial plan of delivering a complete product to focusing on deepening our research and creating a working MVP that illustrates our concept. We subsequently developed a MVP (dApp) that highlighted the primary use cases. After presenting the MVP to our local communities, we received positive feedback that encouraged us to seek additional funding for a fully functional product. This proposal is specifically designed to secure that funding.
Context
In recent years, the relationship between educators and students in Cameroon has faced significant challenges due to several interconnected factors:
Firstly, outdated teaching methods have stripped education of its fun component. This issue is compounded by harsh economic conditions that compel educators as well as parents to treat schooling as a crucial opportunity for students, leaving little to no room for creativity or choice. As a result, learning often becomes a rigid experience, lacking engagement and enjoyment.
Secondly, the predominance of colonial languages, namely French and English, has contributed to a lack of common linguistic ground among students. In addition to these so called "formal languages", there are over 200 local languages, many of which are disappearing in favor of the two colonial languages. Students, feeling lost in this complex linguistic landscape, often resort to creating a hybrid language known as ARGO, which borrows elements from multiple languages. Unfortunately, this only exacerbates communication barriers between generations, leading to further confusion.
Lastly, sports betting has become ubiquitous among youth circles, with the main issues being not only its centralization but also its potential to distract kids from their education. One major player, 1xBet, is notorious in the community for deleting players' accounts when they make significant winning predictions. You can find an example of this here.
This climate has significantly hindered youth interest in education, Many youth are turning to more enjoyable activities, such as sports betting—activities that most of the time are emotionally driven and devoid of educational value. It’s clear that youth prefer engaging and enjoyable experiences over monotonous teaching practices. The central question becomes: how can we transform this enthusiasm for games into a positive educational opportunity?
Our strategy
To address this, we considered several strategies that we can state as follows:
By embracing these strategies, we can channel students' love for games into a positive force that enhances their educational journey, fostering both engagement and deeper learning and fun.
In our previous research, we identified several transversal concepts and areas of interest that can be translated into values, principles, or criteria for validating our games. Here are the most important ones:
Historically, our ancestors and many influential thinkers of our time have recognized the power of learning through games and enjoyable activities. This approach was extensively utilized in educating youth. We became aware of this concept's effectiveness a few years ago when I we discovered a video by Simon Peyton Jones, one of the creators of Haskell. In this clip, children are challenged to solve a complex sorting problem typically introduced at the university level. Remarkably, they engage with the problem as a game, demonstrating that learning can be both fun and effective, regardless of the complexity of the subject matter. This experience reinforced my belief in the potential of gamified learning to revitalize education and foster a genuine interest among students.
The Mentalyse platform core and supporting modules
In addressing the identified challenges, we have strategically divide our solution space into highly cohesive key modules that whose integration will form the foundation of our overall platform.
Identity and Management Module
This module is designed to incorporate elements of Decentralized Identifiers (DID) wherever feasible, facilitating several critical use cases:
Mentalyse Token Module
Many digital token lack essential traits of a truly decentralized and fair token, often overlooking diverse perspectives, especially from Africa. Current strategies replicate outdated Western banking concepts focused on scarcity. The Mentalyse Token will be co-produced by validated network members, creating a Web of Trust for transactions on the platform.
Web of Trust or Module
African communities often form tontine groups, known locally as Djangui, to support each other and strengthen relationships through group initiatives. These groups operate as a trust web or reputation system, where members gain access through endorsements from existing members. They facilitate crowdfunding, borrowing, and lending, with the network serving as an informal credit score. We want to create a community using this model. Only members within it will be able to start co-producing the Mentalyse token at regular Intervals as soon as they join the network. See our relevant game white paper draft Kikembo (Money: Conscious Economy) for more details.
Game Inventory Module
This module is responsible for managing all aspects of game functionality, including creation, configuration, and execution. It is where newly conceptualized games will be developed. The key functionalities include:
Pricing Module
Pricing plays a pivotal role in establishing and implementing the platform's pricing strategy, particularly for subscriptions schemes. Its core functionalities include:
Payment and Subscription Module
The payment module is responsible for integrating and managing a variety of payment methods for players, including cryptocurrencies such as ADA. Its primary function is to facilitate payments, which translates into subscription management. Key components include:
Contract Module
The contract module is crucial for capturing all agreed-upon rules and pre-configurations of games. It will persist this information on the Cardano network leveraging smart contracts together with Hydra heads / Hydra parties. This module will serve several key functions:
Collaboration Module
This module is designed to foster teamwork among players, providing a platform for planning and strategizing. This is a key module in that it is the space where the player community will engage in some deep aspect of games. Key features include:
By integrating these modules, our platform aims to deliver a comprehensive and engaging experience for all users, facilitating seamless interactions and enhancing the overall gaming environment.
General Roadmap
Our road-map revolves around our milestones you will see detailed in the appropriate session below that can be summarize in phases as follow.
*Phase I - 3 months: Requirements Consolidation and Planning / Design and Prototyping
*Phase II - 7 months: Workflow Designed and Implementation
*Phase III - 1 month:Testing and Quality Assurance
*Phase IV - 1/2 month: dApp Launch and Deployment
*Phase V - 1/2 month: Post-Launch Monitoring and Iteration
*Phase VI - 1 week :
The proposed interactive and collaborative e-learning platform on the Cardano ecosystem will not only transform how individuals engage with education but also create significant positive impacts on the Cardano blockchain itself. By enhancing user engagement, showcasing the blockchain's versatility, boosting token utility, and fostering community growth, the platform can contribute to a more vibrant and sustainable Cardano ecosystem, encouraging innovation and broader adoption of blockchain technology.
Increased User Engagement with Cardano: By developing an interactive e-learning platform on the Cardano ecosystem, more users will engage with the blockchain, not only for educational purposes but also for transactions and interactions related to earning rewards. This can lead to a broader user base familiar with Cardano's capabilities.
Strengthening the Ecosystem:
Diverse Use Cases: The e-learning platform introduces a practical application of the Cardano blockchain, showcasing its versatility beyond financial transactions. This diversity in use cases can attract developers and entrepreneurs to explore and build on the Cardano ecosystem, enhancing its reputation as a robust and multi-functional platform.
Boosting Token Utility:
Incentive Mechanism for ADA: By integrating cash rewards for users participating in the learning process, the platform creates a direct demand for ADA. Users earning rewards will need to transact in ADA, increasing the token's circulation and utility within the ecosystem.
Community Growth and Network Effects:
Building a Learning Community: The platform can foster a community of learners and educators who actively use and promote the Cardano blockchain. This community growth can lead to network effects, enhancing the overall value of the Cardano ecosystem as more users engage with its features.
Improved Blockchain Literacy:
Educating Users about Blockchain: As users engage with the e-learning platform, they will gain insights not only into traditional subjects but also into blockchain technology and its applications. This increased blockchain literacy can empower individuals to utilize Cardano and other blockchain technologies more effectively in various domains.
Enhanced Security and Transparency:
Trust in Educational Credentials: By leveraging the blockchain for verifying course completions and certifications, the platform enhances the credibility of the educational process. This transparency can build trust among users and employers, showcasing the effectiveness of Cardano for secure and verifiable transactions.
Encouraging Innovation:
Inspiring Future Projects: The success of the e-learning platform can inspire other innovative applications within the Cardano ecosystem, leading to a ripple effect where more projects emerge, further solidifying Cardano's position as a preferred blockchain for diverse applications.
Traceable record of past delivered projects
In Africa, we say, "A tree is recognized by its fruit," meaning past actions are the best judge. DIT Cameroon has secured funding for multiple Catalyst projects in previous funds and delivered on all promises.
Our strategy involved training local developers and leveraging them for pre-prototype implementation of their multiple dApp prototypes. This approach has paved the way for a future Cardano community in Cameroon, including not only developers, but entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other local community groups.
Below are all the projects plus partners projects delivered successfully:
*DIT Cameroon Projects:
Spread Plutus in Africa
Clubs + Hackathon
Dev. Journey into DID Paradigm:
Small Change Wallet: (dApp)
Djangui: local savings accounts mgmt (dApp)
Treedano: Regenerative NFTrees (dApp)
Mentalyse : Learn through fun
Lost |&| Found:
*Co proposed projects:
Planting Roots in Africa
Nurturing Roots Part 1
Wada documentary:
Highly diverse and Capable Team on the ground
DIT is a multilingual team that has actively produced Web3 training content and prototype dApps in both French and English over the past three years. Our diverse, determined team is committed to their mission of integrating Web3 in Africa, with a focus on local community paradigms.
Hess: Co-Founder and CFO at DIA, Wada Hub Liaison, Wada Cameroon Hub Co-Lead, Maths & Physics teacher, bilingual (French & English)
Manfo: Co-Founder and CEO at DIA, Cameroon Hub Co-Lead, Senior software architect & developer, 16+ years of experience programming, 6+ years in functional programming paradigm (F#, Haskell, Elm, Purescript), Multilingual (French, English, Italian, Ngiembo), Regenerative Farmer
Nkalla: Co-Founder and CTO at DIA, Senior software architect & developer, 16+ years of experience programming, 4+ years in functional programming paradigm (Haskell), Mathematics teacher (Education Systems Engineering), Multilingual (French, Italian, English, Mbo), Farmer
Mermoz: Cultural liaison at DIA, Researcher in African Crypto communication, writer, farmer, poet and engineer.
Maureen: Community builder, event & communication coordinator.
Ntet: Junior software architect and developer, 4+ years of programming experience, 1+ year in functional programming paradigm (Haskell), Smart contract development (Plutus) multilingual (French, English, Bassa).
Neudjieu: Junior Software Engineer with 2 years of experience, multilingual (French, English, Medumba), 2D/3D Computer Graphic Designer experience. Entrepreneur oriented and self-taught who loves new challenges.
Tiotsop: One year of experience in applying machine learning and data science to financial markets. His work has been on extracting insights from financial data, enhancing decision-making processes, and addressing challenges specific to this domain, multilingual (French, English, Italian, Ngiembo).
Maffouo: Maffouo holds a Bachelor degree in Physics, he is a Physics teacher and Farm supervisor. He is passionate about applying physics to his farming endeavor. Bilingual (French, Ngiembo).
Community held events / Hackathons
Summary:
Total funding received & accomplishments over the past 2-3 years ($160K)
Requirements Gathering and Planning / Design and Prototyping
**This will build on top of all the documentation previously produced
Milestone Output:
A comprehensive requirements document outlining the application's features, user stories, and technical specifications.
Creation of wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes for the application’s user interface.
Acceptance Criteria:
Evidence of Completion:
Workflow Designed and Implemented end to end
Milestone Output:
Development of the backend infrastructure, including APIs, database setup, and server configuration.
Implementation of the frontend application, integrating it with the backend services.
Acceptance Criteria:
Evidence of Completion:
Testing and Quality Assurance
Milestone Output:
Comprehensive testing of the application, including unit tests, integration tests, and user acceptance testing (UAT).
Acceptance Criteria:
Evidence of Completion:
Launch and Deployment
Milestone Output:
Successful launch of the web application to production.
Acceptance Criteria:
Evidence of Completion:
Post-Launch Monitoring and Iteration
Milestone Output:
Monitoring application performance and gathering user feedback for future iterations.
Acceptance Criteria:
Evidence of Completion:
Close out report & video
Lead software Architect / Project Manager / Backend & Smart Contract Developer
UI/UX Designer / Frontend Developer
Business Analyst Tester & Marketing Specialist
DevOps Engineer & Security Analyst & Technical Writer
On ground NFtrees Operations Lead,
Farm Manager, Farm related Workshop Lead
Budget Breakdown
Requirements Gathering: ADA 5,000
Stakeholder interviews, user stories, and documentation.
Design and Prototyping: ADA 10,000
UI/UX design, wireframing, and high-fidelity prototypes.
Smart Contract Development: ADA 15,000
Development and testing of smart contracts.
Back-end Development: ADA 72,000
Server setup, API development, and database integration.
Front-end Development: ADA 20,000
Building the user interface and connecting to back-end.
Testing and Quality Assurance: ADA 13,000
Comprehensive testing (unit, integration, UAT).
Launch and Deployment: ADA 5,000
Hosting, initial marketing, and user onboarding.
Post-Launch Support: ADA 5,000
Bug fixes, monitoring, and minor updates post-launch.
Administrative & Coordination: ADA 5,000
Project management and coordination activities.
Contingency Fund: ADA 10,000
Reserved for unexpected costs.
Total Estimated Cost: ADA 160,000
Our project represents significant value for money for the Cardano ecosystem by transforming a working MVP into a fully functional product, reducing development risks and ensuring a faster path to deployment. By utilizing Cardano's Hydra scaling solution, we aim to create an interactive and collaborative e-learning platform that incorporates gamification and a gambling element, making education more engaging and appealing to the youth. This innovative approach not only drives user adoption but also helps expand Cardano's reach by attracting a younger audience. Furthermore, by building educational infrastructure within the ecosystem, the project contributes to Cardano's long-term growth and supports the development of a vibrant, innovative community.