Plutus Smart Contracts online course for non-native English developers

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Hoang Van Tam

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Not Incorporated)

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

5

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

Yes

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

We will create an online Plutus smart contract programming course using the native language, ensuring quality, comprehensive content that is easily accessible to learners.

[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] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

Project will be fully open source.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

Currently, the number of developers on the Cardano platform is not yet substantial. In our country, Vietnam, this situation persists despite a considerable number of developers. Based on our learning experiences, we've identified several reasons:

• Limited programming courses on Cardano with insufficiently structured materials, mostly available only in English, posing challenges for Vietnamese programmers, especially those new to blockchain technology.
• Courses lack interaction and discussion due partly to language barriers.
• The unique E-UTXO model of Cardano's smart contracts creates difficulties for developers transitioning from other platforms.

To address these issues, we recognize the necessity of creating localized learning resources. Our proposed solution:

We will develop a Plutus Smart Contracts course using the native language, offering structured and easily comprehensible content. This course aims to serve beginners in blockchain technology as well as experienced blockchain developers looking to switch to Cardano.

• The course will be presented through free online videos in the native language. This helps narrow the scope of learners, who use a common language, facilitates easier support, interaction, and engagement throughout the learning process. Initially, the course will be conducted in Vietnamese, and based on its success, we'll consider developing into other languages to serve students in other regions.
• The course content is systematically designed, starting from foundational to advanced topics, following the IOG Academy's Plutus Pioneer Program and Gimbalabs' Plutus Project-Based Learning. 
• Lecture videos will be segmented by themes, each lasting 10 - 15 minutes, to ensure optimal learning retention.
• We establish a community group to provide continuous support, a place for networking, and discussion among participants as well as instructors.
• Continuous collection of feedback from learners, conducting mid-term and final assessments, will enable us to enhance the course quality, ultimately offering a high-quality resource for Cardano developers in Vietnam.

The Lesson Plan can be found here.

Here are demo videos of the course:

Introduction to Plutus

Cardano Node Overview

Installing Cardano Node with Testnet Preview

This course aims to attract a diverse group of learners:

• Students and developers interested in blockchain and Cardano
• Experienced blockchain developers interested in transitioning to building on the Cardano platform

We believe that the project will attract a significant number of external developers to join the Cardano ecosystem, bringing their innovative ideas, products, and services to the Cardano platform.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

The project's value to the Cardano community:

• Eliminating language barriers for Vietnamese learners participating in the Cardano blockchain
• Ease of interaction and connection, reducing boredom during the learning process.
• Form a cohesive developer community that motivates long-term collaboration with the motto "Together we go further."
• Once equipped with a certain level of knowledge, members are encouraged to generate ideas, propose projects for Catalyst, and contribute to the ecosystem.

Key metrics for measuring project success:

• Number of enrolled learners
• Number of learners completing the course
• Evaluation survey results assessing course quality (mid-term and final survey)
• Number of proposals submitted to Catalyst by learners

The entire course content will be provided free of charge to the community. The Lesson Plan can be found here.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

We are currently maintaining a group learning Haskell and Plutus, which has been active for nearly a year. 

Here is our weekly schedule of activities and video recordings of our study sessions. Learning materials contributed by our members are provided here. 

(the screenshot from our online learning group)

After the above learning process, we want to share the knowledge and experience we have gained with the Vietnamese community and support programmers in the development process on Cardano.

Here are demo videos of the course:

Introduction to Plutus

Cardano Node Overview

Installing Cardano Node with Testnet Preview

Additional, we have established strong relationships with universities in Vietnam, with a team member serving as a lecturer in the Department of Information Technology at the University of Transport and Communications. This presents an opportunity to introduce the project to a broad audience of students, a primary target audience for our project.

With the aforementioned experiences, we are confident in our ability to carry out this project responsibly and reliably.

[Project Milestones] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1 (1 months): 

• Building the Learning Management System (LMS) website
• Release the first 2 modules:
• Module 1: Introduction
• 1.1 Introduction to Plutus
• 1.2 Role of UPLC in Decentralized Applications
• 1.3 UTXO Model and Smart Contracts
• 1.4 Hashing & Digital Signatures
• Module 2: Setting Up the Plutus Smart Contract Development Environment
• 2.1 Plutus Development Environment with Demeter.run
• 2.2 Setting Up Plutus Development Environment with Docker
• 2.3 Setting Up Local Plutus Development Environment

Milestone 2 (2 months): 

• Release the next 3 modules:
• Module 3: Interacting with the Cardano Blockchain - Testnet Preview
• 3.1 Introduction to Cardano Node
• 3.2 Installing Cardano Node with Testnet Preview
• 3.3 Wallets and Addresses
• 3.4 Creating Wallet and Receiving tADA with Nami Wallet
• 3.5 Wallet Recovery via CLI Command Line
• 3.6 Interacting with Cardano via Full Node - Cardano-cli
• 3.7 Transactions - Performing a Transaction with Cardano-cli
• 3.8 Creating Asset Lock Transaction with Alwaysucceed Smart Contract via Cardano-cli
• 3.9 Creating Asset Unlock Transaction with Alwaysucceed Smart Contract via Cardano-cli
• 3.10 Using Bash Script to Create Transactions
• Module 4: Interacting with the Cardano Blockchain using Lucid - Browser Interface
• 4.1 Creating a Simple Transaction
• 4.2 Creating Native Tokens
• 4.3 Minting and Burning NFTs
• Module 5: Writing Plutus Validators and Interacting with On-Chain Code - Using Cardano-cli
• 5.1 Writing and Using Low-Level Plutus Validators with AlwaysSucceed Smart Contract
• 5.2 Writing and Using Low-Level Plutus Validators with AlwaysFails Smart Contract
• 5.3 Writing and Using Low-Level Plutus Validators with "FortyTwo" Smart Contract
• 5.4 Writing and Using High-Level Plutus Validators with "FortyTwoTyped" Smart Contract
• 5.5 Writing and Using High-Level Plutus Validators with "CustomTyped" Smart Contract
• Mid-term Review

Milestone 3 (2 months): 

• Release the last 3 modules:
• Module 6: Writing Advanced Plutus Validators and Interacting with On-Chain Code - Using Web Interface
• 6.1 eUTxO Model Representation in Plutus
• 6.2 Writing Smart Contracts using Datum and Redeemer
• 6.3 Script Contexts
• 6.4 Handling Time
• 6.5 Writing "Vesting" Smart Contracts
• 6.6 Writing Parameterized Smart Contracts
• 6.7 Interacting with Smart Contracts with Off-Chain Lucid Code
• 6.8 Interacting with Smart Contracts with Off-Chain Lucid Code using "Reference Scripts"
• Module 7: Comparing On-Chain and Off-Chain Code; Some SDKs for Off-Chain Code
• 7.1 On-Chain Vs. Off-Chain Code
• 7.2 Off-Chain Code with Cardano CLI and GUI
• 7.3 Off-Chain Code with Kuber
• 7.4 Off-Chain Code with Lucid
• Module 8: Native Tokens
• 8.1 Introduction to Native Tokens
• 8.2 “Value” Data Type
• 8.3 Simple Token Minting Policy
• 8.4 Realistic Token Minting Policy
• 8.5 Non-Fungible Token (NFT) on Cardano
• Final-term Review

The Detailed Lesson Plan can be found here.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Nguyen Kim Sao, PhD., lecturer at the University of Transport and Communications

Cardano Foundation's CBCA completion certificate

Participated in several training programs including the Haskell Course, Plutus Pioneer Program #4 (IOG Academy).

Role in this project: Project Manager

  Email: saonkoliver@gmail.com

  Telegram: t.me/saonkoliver

  Github: https://github.com/saonkoliver

Cao Xuan Truong, Stake Pool Owner

Cardano Foundation's CBCA completion certificate

Participated in several training programs including the Haskell Course, Plutus Pioneer Program #4 (IOG Academy), Emergo Academy Cardano Haskell MOOC

Role in this project: Instructor, Community Administrator

  Email: truongxuanc@gmail.com

  Telegram: t.me/truongcx

  Github: https://github.com/truongcaoxuan

Hoang Van Tam, passionate about programming on the Cardano platform.

Participated in several training programs including the Haskell Course, Plutus Pioneer Program #4 (IOG Academy), Emergo Academy Cardano Haskell MOOC, Plutus Project-Based Learning 2023 (Gimbalabs).

Cardano Foundation's CBCA completion certificate

Role in this project: Instructor, Community Administrator

  Email: tam.hvan@gmail.com

  Telegram: t.me/tam_hv

  Github: https://github.com/tamhoang89

  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tam-hoang-67396b195/

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Budget breakdown:

• Building the Learning Management System (LMS) website: 600 ADA
• Creating course content (42 lectures ~ 210 working hours): 21000 ADA
• The process of creating 1 lecture: ~5 working hours
• Structuring knowledge, Preparing lecture content
• Integrating and guiding the necessary Haskell knowledge related to the lecture
• Creating presentation slides
• Drafting the video script
• Recording and editing the video
• Writing lecture materials
• Total content production time for the course: 42 videos x 5 hours = 210 hours
• General management (2h x 20 weeks): 2400 ADA
• Mid-term/Final-term Review: 4000 ADA
• Take a survey
• Analyzing feedback and assessing the level of interest in the course
• Improve lecture content
• Marketing: 4000 ADA

Total: 32000 ADA.

The detailed budget breakdown table is provided here.

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

We believe that the project brings significant value to the Cardano ecosystem. Providing this course for free to the community will make it easier for the Vietnamese programmer to access the smart contract development platform on Cardano and the Plutus programming language. This will create more opportunities to attract developers to engage in innovative projects within the Cardano ecosystem. We are always prepared to support and accompany the learners participating in the course, even after the project is completed.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agrees to Fund 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