Decentralized LMS & Auto-Certification Platform on Cardano

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Dao Manh Tung

[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)

8

[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 develop a decentralized LMS to store information. Smart Contracts automate assessments and degree issuance, while NFTs provide certificates and degrees in immutable digital form.

[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.”

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

Our Learning Management System (LMS) platform, featuring decentralized certificate issuance, will be developed and released as open source software. Specifically:

• License: The project will use the MIT License, allowing the community to freely use, modify, and distribute the source code.
• Source Repository: All source code will be hosted on GitHub, a public code repository platform. This ensures:
• Project transparency
• Easy community contributions
• Ability to track and review changes
• Open Source Scope:
• LMS system backend code
• Smart contracts used for certificate issuance
• User interface (frontend)
• Technical documentation and deployment guides
• Benefits of Open Source:
• Enhanced reliability through community code review
• Encouraged community contributions and improvements
• Facilitation of system integration and expansion
• Support for transparency in the certification process
• Community Development Plan:
• Organizing hackathons to attract contributions
• Developing detailed contributor guidelines
• Establishing clear processes for code contributions

By developing the project as open source, we not only ensure transparency and reliability for the decentralized certification system but also create opportunities for the community to participate in developing and improving the platform.

[METADATA] Horizons

Education

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Blockchain-Integrated Learning Management System (LMS)

Overview:

• A secure, transparent, and immutable platform for issuing and verifying educational certificates.
• Tackles credential fraud and enhances trustworthiness of qualifications using blockchain.

Key Features:

1. Decentralized Certification

• Certificates are issued on the blockchain, permanently recorded and tamper-proof.
• Upon course completion, certificates are automatically issued and easily verifiable by third parties (employers) without needing to contact the institution.

2. Privacy and Security

• User data is protected through decentralized storage.
• Secure registration and learning management using wallets or decentralized identity systems, without disclosing personal information.

3. Transparent Credential Verification

• Blockchain-based certificates are publicly verifiable, ensuring authenticity.
• Eliminates credential fraud and reduces time and costs of manual verification processes.

4. Seamless Integration with Educational Institutions

• The LMS integrates with existing systems and institutions.
• Supports course management, assessments, and progress tracking, offering a complete solution for both academic and professional environments.

5. Efficient and Cost-Effective

• Automates certification using smart contracts on the blockchain.
• Reduces up to 70% of the operational costs for issuing and managing certificates by streamlining the process.

Impact:

For Students:

• Provides a secure, universally accepted, and instantly verifiable way to earn and store academic credentials.

For Employers:

• Instantly verify the authenticity of academic qualifications without intermediaries or institutions.
• Ensures credentials are genuine, reducing the risk of hiring candidates with fraudulent qualifications.
• Streamlines the hiring process, saving time and resources in verification.
• Trust in blockchain-based credentials leads to better hiring decisions and improves workforce quality.

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

Positive Impact on the Cardano Community

1. Promoting Blockchain Adoption: Our decentralized LMS will demonstrate the practical utility of Cardano in automating secure and transparent certificate issuance.
2. Attracting New Users: It will attract educators, learners, and developers, expanding Cardano's ecosystem and fostering innovation.
3. Building Trust in Decentralized Systems: By offering a scalable and transparent solution, it will enhance trust in decentralized systems and Cardano’s technology.
4. Supporting Long-term Growth: The project will contribute to Cardano’s long-term growth and utility in new sectors beyond traditional use cases.

[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?

Our Team Commitment

1. Passionate and Motivated Students:

• Our group consists of students with a strong interest in blockchain technology and development.
• We are dedicated to working diligently and responsibly on this project.

2. Team Composition:

• Project Manager: Dao Manh Tung
• Experience managing academic and technical projects.
• Awarded in school-level scientific research competitions.
• Full Stack Developer
• Blockchain Developers: Hands-on experience with the Aiken programming language for smart contract development.

Our Community Commitment

1. Transparent Reporting

• Regular updates and reports will be shared through dedicated platforms.
• Stakeholders will be informed about the project's status at every stage.

2. Financial Management

• Effective management of project funds is our top priority.
• We will adopt a structured approach to budgeting and financial control, following specific steps:
• Financial Planning:
• Prepare a detailed budget outlining fund allocation for each project phase.
• Share the budget with all stakeholders for feedback and approval to ensure transparency from the outset.
• Cash Control:
• Implement rigorous financial monitoring to ensure expenditures align with the approved budget.
• Maintain accurate records of all expenditures and conduct regular financial reviews to identify and resolve discrepancies.
• Regular Reporting:
• Prepare and share regular financial reports with stakeholders.
• Reports will outline expenditures, revenues (if any), and any deviations from the original budget plan, providing stakeholders with visibility into the project's financial health.

Legal and Compliance Considerations

• Commitment to complying with all legal requirements and industry standards.
• Ensuring the project is both legal and aligned with best practices in blockchain development by adhering to financial and regulatory requirements.

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

Research, Planning, and Design (Month 1 - Month 2)

Outputs:

1. Technical Requirements Document
2. System Design Document
3. UX/UI wireframes and prototypes: Focused on course registration and certificate issuance.
4. API design: For course management, registration, and certificate issuance.
5. Smart contract and blockchain integration design

Acceptance Criteria:

• Approval of the Technical Requirements Document by all stakeholders.
• Clear outline of system architecture and blockchain integration in the System Design Document.
• Intuitive UX/UI design, with wireframes and prototypes aligning with user experience goals.
• Comprehensive API design covering core functionalities like course registration, verification, and automated certification.

Evidence:

• Meeting minutes confirming the approval of the Technical Requirements Document.
• Diagrams and flowcharts produced during the design phase.
• A sample certificate to validate the automated issuance process.
• API documentation detailing course management and certification processes.

Development of User Interface, Backend, and Smart Contracts (Month 3 - Month 6)

Outputs:

1. Backend Functionalities: Fully developed backend functionalities for course management, registration, payments, and smart contract interaction.
2. User Interface (UI): Complete UI for browsing and managing courses and certificates.
3. Deployed Smart Contracts: For course management and automated certification.

Acceptance Criteria:

• The UI must be user-friendly, with at least 80% of test users reporting satisfaction.
• All basic backend features, including course registration and certificate management, must function without critical errors.
• Smart contracts must meet technical requirements, effectively handling course terms, payments, and automated certification.

Evidence:

• User testing feedback on the interface.
• Functionality test reports confirming successful results for backend and smart contract features.
• Logs of test transactions documenting smart contract deployment and performance.

Comprehensive Testing and Debugging (Month 7)

Outputs:

1. System Testing Report: Covering functional, security, and compatibility testing.
2. Debugging Guide: Documenting all major issues resolved during testing.

Acceptance Criteria:

• The system must pass all functional and security tests, ensuring seamless integration between the frontend, backend, and smart contracts.
• At least 95% of automated certificate issuance must be successful during test runs.

Evidence:

• Functionality and security test reports.
• Logs of smart contract executions and blockchain transactions.
• Debugging documentation outlining issues identified and fixes implemented.

Production Deployment and Platform Enhancements (Month 8)

Outputs:

1. Fully Deployed LMS Platform: With blockchain-based certification on Cardano mainnet.
2. Marketing and User Engagement Strategies: Designed to promote the platform.
3. User Feedback Reports: Along with performance monitoring metrics.

Acceptance Criteria:

• The platform must be fully operational, with all core features functioning as intended.
• User feedback must indicate at least 80% satisfaction with the platform.
• Blockchain transactions for certificate issuance must be recorded and traceable.

Evidence:

• Logs from Cardano mainnet showing successful deployment and certificate issuance.
• User feedback surveys demonstrating satisfaction rates.
• Performance metrics and reports on platform usage and engagement.

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

1. Dao Manh Tung

• Role: Project Manager
• Email: daomanhtung4102003@gmail.com
• Background:
• Dao Manh Tung is responsible for overseeing the entire project, ensuring timely task completion and effective integration of blockchain into the LMS. With a strong background in web development and experience in blockchain technology, he leads the team in building a decentralized LMS solution on the Cardano blockchain.

2. Phan Dinh Nghia

• Role: Front-end Developer
• Email: nghia150204@gmail.com
• Background:
• Phan Dinh Nghia brings extensive experience in UI/UX optimization and front-end development for web applications. Skilled in modern technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, and Next.js, he plays a key role in creating user-friendly and optimized web interfaces for the LMS system.

3. Bui Dinh Giang

• Role: Front-end Developer
• Email: daica123nbbn@gmail.com
• Background:
• Bui Dinh Giang specializes in building appealing and user-friendly interfaces. With experience in frameworks like React and libraries such as Node.js, he contributes to enhancing the LMS system's performance and design.

4. Nguyen Hoai Nam

• Role: Back-end Developer
• Email: nguyenhoainam150604@gmail.com
• Background:
• Nguyen Hoai Nam is focused on server-side development and database integration. With expertise in SQL Server, Java, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL, he ensures the back-end of the LMS system is secure, reliable, and efficient.

Smart Contract Development

Developers: Dao Manh Tung, Bui Dinh Giang

• Role:
• Dao Manh Tung and Bui Dinh Giang are responsible for writing smart contracts that automate decentralized certificate issuance on the Cardano blockchain. These smart contracts will handle secure and transparent transactions, allowing certificate verification and issuance without the need for a central authority.

Testers: Phan Dinh Nghia, Nguyen Hoai Nam

• Role:
• Phan Dinh Nghia and Nguyen Hoai Nam are tasked with testing the smart contracts to ensure they are secure, functional, and meet the project’s requirements.
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[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Milestone 1: Development of Decentralized LMS

• Objective: Build the core structure of the decentralized LMS platform, ensuring an intuitive and user-friendly experience for managing courses and certifications.

Tasks:

• Perform requirement analysis and UX/UI design.
• Develop backend infrastructure and create templates for course management.
• Implement basic features such as user management and course registration.

Timeline:

• Duration: 1.5 months

Success Criteria:

• A fully functional LMS with a stable backend architecture, capable of handling course management and user data.

Projected Cost:

• Amount: 10,000 ADA

Milestone 2: Integration with Cardano for Auto-Certification

• Objective: Integrate the LMS with Cardano smart contracts to enable automatic certificate issuance for completed courses.

Tasks:

• Perform a feasibility study for Cardano integration.
• Design and develop smart contracts for automatic certificate issuance.
• Test blockchain integration to ensure secure and efficient certificate management.

Timeline:

• Duration: 1.5 months

Success Criteria:

• Successful deployment of smart contracts, with blockchain-verified certificates being issued automatically for completed courses.

Projected Cost:

• Amount: 7,000 ADA

Milestone 3: Content Creation and Integration

• Objective: Create educational content related to Cardano, blockchain technology, and decentralized finance, ensuring accessibility for users through the platform.

Tasks:

• Develop course materials and educational resources for users.
• Test and refine content to ensure its quality and relevance.
• Deploy content on the platform.

Timeline:

• Duration: 1 month

Success Criteria:

• At least 10 hours of high-quality content uploaded and accessible on the LMS.

Projected Cost:

• Amount: 2,000 ADA

Milestone 4: Platform Testing and User Onboarding

• Objective: Conduct thorough testing and begin attracting initial users to the platform.

Tasks:

• Execute comprehensive testing of the platform functionalities.
• Develop onboarding processes for new users.
• Gather user feedback to make necessary adjustments and improvements.

Timeline:

• Duration: 1 month

Success Criteria:

• Successful completion of testing with user feedback leading to platform refinements.

Projected Cost:

• Amount: 3,000 ADA (estimate for testing and onboarding)

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

Project Costs Overview

• Basis for Calculation: Costs are calculated based on the average salary of IT professionals in Vietnam. We have optimized costs by utilizing available resources and seeking sponsorship.

Factors Influencing Project Costs:

1. Time and Human Resources: Time required for the design, development, and deployment of the LMS system.
2. Documents and Tools: Software and tools needed for course development and management.
3. Marketing and Promotion: Costs associated with promoting the website across various media channels.
4. Unforeseen Circumstances: Additional costs that may arise from plan changes or technical errors.

Value of Costs to the Cardano Ecosystem

1. Promoting Development: Trained developers will contribute to building applications, services, and solutions on Cardano, enriching the ecosystem with diverse offerings.
2. Enhancing Reputation: The LMS application will bolster Cardano's reputation within the global blockchain community, attracting greater attention and investment.
3. Creating Economic Value: Applications and services developed on Cardano can generate economic value for businesses and individuals, fostering growth within the ecosystem.
4. Building Trust: The website will instill confidence in users and employers regarding the storage and verification of degrees and certificates, facilitating a trustworthy credentialing process.

Conclusion

We believe that the cost of developing the LMS system is justified by the significant value it will bring to the Cardano ecosystem. Our initiative will contribute to the sustainable growth and development of Cardano, positioning it as a leader in the blockchain education space.