CogSkins: learning validation tool

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Maya Reyes-Ricon

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

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Co-proposers and additional applicants

Pedro Reyes Ricon de Freitas

Eduardo de Mello Castanho

Patricia Sá

Rodrigo Sul

Felipe Lorram

Giulia Marques

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

10

[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)

CogSkins is an AI-based tech that verifies through assessments skills developed in everyday informal activities, providing validation, tailored learning paths and autonomy to one's lifelong learning.

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

Yes

[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.”

Open AI

AWS

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

No

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

N/A

[METADATA] SDG rating

Unlocking Education for Sustainable Development: CogSkins' Role in Advancing the UN SDGs

In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), CogSkins emerges as a powerful catalyst for promoting quality education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), and fostering innovation (SDG 9).

By validating informal learning pathways, CogSkins addresses the pressing need for inclusive and equitable quality education for all. It enables individuals from diverse backgrounds to access education and skill validation, thereby contributing to the achievement of SDG 4.

Furthermore, CogSkins promotes gender equality by breaking down traditional barriers to education and employment. By validating skills acquired through informal means, it empowers women and girls, ensuring their equal participation in the workforce and economic growth, as outlined in SDG 5.

CogSkins also plays a pivotal role in promoting decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) by providing individuals with validated skills, thus enhancing their employability and facilitating access to dignified employment opportunities.

Moreover, CogSkins fosters innovation (SDG 9) by recognizing and validating diverse skills acquired through non-traditional means. This encourages creativity and entrepreneurship, driving economic growth and sustainable development.

In essence, CogSkins contributes significantly to the advancement of the UN SDGs by promoting inclusive and equitable education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and fostering innovation and sustainable development.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

CogSkins is an AI-based tech that verifies through assessments skills developed in everyday informal activities, providing validation, tailored learning paths, and autonomy to one's lifelong learning

Problem Perception:

Our project addresses a fundamental challenge within the ecosystem of the Cardano Network: the inability to validate and quantify skill development among its users. Despite the wealth of knowledge exchanged within the network, there's a crucial missing piece in assessing the growth and proficiency of its members. This gap not only hampers discussions but also inhibits the community's ability to gauge the expertise of its participants and the effectiveness of knowledge-sharing methods.

Approach Rationale:

We've chosen to confront this issue by crafting a pioneering MVP that introduces a novel method for evaluating skill development within the Cardano Network. Our approach revolves around enhancing the quality of discussions by raising the level of discourse through verified skill development technology. By furnishing users with concrete evidence of their progress and proficiency, our solution empowers them to engage more meaningfully and effectively within the community.

Engagement Strategy:

Our project will engage a diverse array of stakeholders within the Cardano Network, including active users, content creators, and community moderators. By furnishing a platform that enables users to demonstrate and validate their skill development, we aim to cultivate a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the community. Content creators stand to benefit from insights into the efficacy of their knowledge-sharing methods, while moderators can leverage the platform to enhance the quality of discussions and interactions.

Impact Demonstration:

We will measure our impact through both quantitative and qualitative metrics, encompassing user engagement levels, the frequency and depth of discussions, and feedback from participants. By tracking the evolution of discussions and the enhancement in users' perceived knowledge levels, we aim to illustrate the tangible benefits of our solution in elevating the overall quality of discourse within the Cardano Network. Through rigorous testing and iteration, we will continually refine our MVP to maximize its effectiveness and scalability, ensuring sustainable long-term impact.

The product

CogSkins revolutionizes the way we validate and engage with knowledge, offering users a dynamic platform to validate their comprehension of audio, video, or text content within customized knowledge pathways. Here's how it works:

Tailored Learning Pathways: Users embark on personalized learning journeys curated by one or multiple creators, encompassing a diverse array of content formats.

Gamified Validation: Through interactive quests of varying difficulty levels, users demonstrate their understanding and proficiency, earning "Skins" as tangible validation of their knowledge.

Empowering Learners: CogSkins empowers users to take ownership of their learning experience, providing a transparent and playful framework for skill validation and progression.

Inclusive Access: By recognizing skills acquired through informal means, CogSkins promotes inclusivity and equitable access to education, regardless of background or prior experience.

Elevated Engagement: Through gamification and playful validation mechanisms, CogSkins enhances user engagement and motivation, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

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

Through our platform, community members will have a transparent and verifiable method to showcase their expertise and track their progress over time. This will not only elevate the overall level of discourse within the community but also attract new members who seek to engage in an environment that prioritizes knowledge exchange and skill development.

We plan to employ a combination of quantitative and qualitative metrics to assess the impact of our project within the Cardano Community. 

Value to the Cardano Community:

• Fostering a culture of continuous learning
• Skill development
• Higher level of meaningful discourse

Measurement of Impact:

We will measure the impact of our project by, with content creators, quantifying the increase in the quality and depth of discussions within the Cardano Community.

We will track metrics such as

• Engagement Rate
• User Retention Rate
• Net Promoter Score
• Number of Skills Validated

Additionally, we will conduct surveys and gather qualitative feedback to gauge the community's perception of the value added by our platform.

We will gather feedback from users regarding the

• Perceived improvement in the quality of interactions
• Effectiveness of knowledge-sharing methods
• Overall enhancement of community engagement

All in a Continuous Discovery fashion.

Sharing Outputs and Opportunities:

We will share the outputs and opportunities resulting from our project through various channels within the Cardano Community, including: 

• Official communication channels
• Community forums
• Social media platforms

Additionally, we will collaborate with community leaders, influencers, and content creators to amplify the reach of our project and ensure that the benefits are communicated effectively to all stakeholders.

Furthermore, we will actively seek partnerships and collaborations with other projects within the Cardano ecosystem to explore synergies and maximize the positive impact on the community as a whole.

CogSkins Is expected to:

Enhanced Educational Ecosystem: By providing a platform for users to validate their skills and knowledge within the Cardano community, CogSkins enriches the educational ecosystem, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Increased Community Engagement: CogSkins incentivizes community members to actively participate in knowledge-sharing activities and quests, driving engagement and collaboration within the Cardano network.

Empowerment Through Skill Validation: Users gain validation for their skills and expertise, empowering them to contribute meaningfully to projects, discussions, and initiatives within the Cardano ecosystem with confidence.

Attraction of Diverse Talent: CogSkins' inclusive approach to skill validation attracts a diverse range of talent to the Cardano community, promoting innovation, creativity, and inclusivity within the network.

Alignment with Sustainability Goals: By promoting equitable access to education and skill validation, CogSkins aligns with Cardano's commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, contributing to the achievement of broader environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.

[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?

Here's why we are well-suited to execute this project:

• Team background: The Wasi team leading this project has experience and an established reputation in the design and development of learning technologies. Our skills in developing engaging education products and managing agile and iterative products with multiple stakeholders, as well as the technical capacity of your developers are crucial to the success of this project.
• Transparent Communication: We will maintain open lines of communication with the community through regular updates and open project management tools. This transparency is essential for building trust, especially with a team participating in the community for the first time.
• Professional Financial Management: We will implement strict financial controls and regular audits to ensure that funds are used efficiently and for their intended purpose. This includes having a transparent budget allocation, planned disbursements and periodic financial reports, managed by a professional with solid experience in finance and controlling.
• Scalable Solution: budget planning for the project ensures that the solution we will develop is scalable and capable of adapting to the community's engagement with the project.
• Expert Team: Our team at Wasi is comprised of seasoned professionals with a wide range of expertise, including full-stack development, comprehensive educational experience, and project development. Our developers are proficient in handling complex systems from front to back, ensuring robust and scalable solutions. Additionally, our team’s deep background in education enriches our approach to designing user-centric applications that are both intuitive and effective. This combination of technical prowess and educational insight allows us to tackle challenges with a holistic and innovative methodology, ensuring the implementation of best practices throughout our project executions.
• Multidisciplinary: Our professionals have training in different areas and an appetite for learning, forming a highly adaptable multidisciplinary team. We are also a cohesive group that has worked together for a long time, sharing everything from the classroom to complex work. These two characteristics allow us to resolve any internal conflict and solve problems within the development with creativity, dynamism and effectiveness.

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

Project Planning and Structuring

• Duration: 1 month
• Objective: To establish a solid foundation for the project, defining scope, objectives, and work methodologies.
• Activities:
• Define detailed product requirements and success criteria.
• Set up the project team and define responsibilities.
• Plan the technical architecture and select technologies to be used.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Project scope and planning document approved by all stakeholders.
• Deliverables:
• Project planning document.
• Initial technical architecture.

Initial Prototype Development

• Duration: 2 months
• Objective: Build and test an initial prototype demonstrating key product functionalities.
• Activities:
• Develop the initial prototype with basic functionalities.
• Conduct internal tests to validate functionalities.
• Gather initial feedback from internal stakeholders.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Functional prototype receiving positive initial evaluations from internal testers.
• Deliverables:
• Initial prototype.
• Internal testing report and feedback.

Advanced Development and Refinement

• Duration: 3 months
• Objective: Enhance the prototype and develop additional functionalities to cover all product requirements.
• Activities:
• Iterate on the prototype based on received feedback.
• Develop advanced functionalities and integrate with external APIs like OpenAI and AWS.
• Prepare detailed technical documentation.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Advanced version of the product with complete functionalities ready for external testing.
• Deliverables:
• Advanced version of the product.
• Complete technical documentation.

External Testing and Launch Preparation

• Duration: 2 months
• Objective: Test the product with external users and prepare for market launch.
• Activities:
• Conduct beta testing with a selected group of users.
• Collect and analyze feedback for final adjustments.
• Develop marketing materials and promotional videos.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Positive feedback from beta testers and identification of adjustments for the final version.
• Deliverables:
• Beta testing report.
• Marketing campaign and promotional materials

Launch and Post-Launch Monitoring

• Duration: 1 month
• Objective: Launch the product in the market and monitor initial reception and performance.
• Activities:
• Officially launch the product.
• Monitor user adoption and collect ongoing feedback.
• Adjust marketing and support strategies based on user response.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Successful launch measured by user adoption targets and positive feedback.
• Deliverables:
• Official product launch.
• Initial performance and user feedback report

Project Debriefing and Conclusion

• Duration: 1 month
• Objective: Evaluate the overall project performance, identify lessons learned, and plan for future scalability and improvements.
• Activities:
• Analyze project data and feedback to evaluate success and areas for improvement.
• Conduct debriefing sessions with the project team.
• Document the project's outcomes and prepare for future phases or scaling.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Comprehensive debrief report that includes performance analysis, lessons learned, and recommendations for future actions.
• Deliverables:
• Final project report.
• Strategic plan for next steps or expansion.

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

Maya Reyes Ricon - Idealization, Design & Project Management

Game Designer and Instructional Designer since 1995, Project Manager Since 2005

Licensed in Biology, Master of Public Administration, PG in NLP

Previous: Descomplica, Paper X, Cody Academic, FGV, Devir Livraria

Products for: FRM, Ediouro, Editora Moderna, Santillana, Richmond, Fala Clara, Árvore

Pedro Reyes Ricon de Freitas - Idealization, design & prompt engineering

B.A. in Natural Sciences and Portuguese. B.A. in International Relations

Previous: MIDI, Events Committee CPII

Products for: CPII, Hexplore RPG, Árvore

Patricia Sá - Operations & finances

35 years experience in developing products for the financial market

Previous: Anbina, Caixa Geral de Depósitos (Portugal), Bradesco

Products for: Anbina, Caixa Geral de Depósitos (Portugal), Bradesco

Eduardo de Mello Castanho - Product Management

Product Manager experienced in Digital Learning products

Computer Science, PG in Product Management

Current: Trustly | Previous: Descomplica, Paper X

Rodrigo Sul - Tech lead

Computer Sciences, Backend Dev.

Competencies: Project Management, Infrastructure, version control, CI/CD and AI programming

Felipe Lorram - Dev full-stack

Computer Sciences, Frontend Dev.

Competencies: Design UX/UI, Responsive Design, Frontend Frameworks, Mobile Development

Giulia Marques

Graphic Designer, UX & UI Designer

Previous: CEPERJ, UERJ, Freelancer

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

Project Cost Structure Adas

Total Headcount ₳ 224,347.83

Total Overhead ₳ 73,913.04

Total (10 months) ₳ 298,260.87

Details

Headcount Monthly

Project Manager ₳ 4,565.22

Financial and Ops Manager ₳ 3,695.65

Prompt Engineer ₳ 3,130.43

Infrastructure Dev ₳ 3,130.43

Full Stack Dev ₳ 3,130.43

Trainee Dev ₳ 1,739.13

Designer UX/UI ₳ 1,521.74

Product Consultant ₳ 1,521.74

Total ₳ 22,434.78

Overhead Monthly

AWS ₳ 1,304.35

OpenAI API ₳ 1,304.35

Marketing & Promotion ₳ 1,739.13

License & Software ₳ 869.57

Legal & Administrative costs ₳ 2,173.91

Total ₳ 7,391.30

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

With this platform all knowledge produced and shared by content creators in the Cardano network can be verified and validated, which is necessary to build a solid ground for qualified discussion, knowledge exchanges, and further development of the think tank. To give an example: this solution can be used to onboard new proposers to Catalyst by a self-assessing learning process that will improve the quality of the proposals.

A ball park valuation:

In the Cardano network, roughly 60k people use Cardano every day

A formal 30h certification can cost about ₳ 400

Certify 60k people for ₳ 400.00 each means a value of ₳ 24,000,000.00

For this value, an investment of ₳ 298,260.87 represents an ROI ≈ 7.900%