Study Buddy DAO of Education
Problem
Education (K-12, professional, ... ) takes place within centralized organizations that separate and categorize learners more than they nurture human creativity and skill.
Solution
We are launching the Study Buddy 3.0 DAO, building on our established protocol for guiding, structuring, tagging, sharing, locating, and monetizing the products of almost any learning experience.
Total to date
This is the total amount allocated to Study Buddy DAO of Education.
[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.
We have created and are building a platform that will be useful for virtually any kind of learning by virtually any learners across the planet, and that will bring control of the learning process and its artifacts back to communities world-wide.
How we perceive the problem we are solving
⦁ We recognize the need for individual learners to be rewarded for providing proof of learning. Our pioneering work in minting these "learning artifacts" was the first step in shining a light on this inexhaustible source of value.
Our reasons for approaching it in the way that we have
For effective learning experience, for credible validation of learning, for efficiency of finding useful learning resources, and to incentivize originators of highly-focused learning resources.
Who our project will engage, or who its stakeholders are
⦁ With F8 we have been able to build a complete onboarding process for learners entering our structured and supportive learning-focused environment. We will be engaging with virtually any learner of any topic. The basic model and the documentation required are (already) released on a Creative Commons CC-BY (Attribution) licensing basis.
How our project will be implemented
Funding in F9 will allow us to build out components of a scalable Modig DAO of Education infrastructure.
- Faciliation of learning (topic definition, group formation, demonstration protocol, ...)
- NFT Minting - "Learning artifacts" created by learners get minted as the valuable and unique intellectual property they truly are not only as records of individuals' progress and competence, but also as content for other learners.
- Tokenomics - Methods for learners to be rewarded for contributing to each other's learning
- Tagging and search of learning resources - Enabling future learners to find resources at the required level of specificity.
What you will produce (i.e. our outputs)
In addition to the outputs described above we are producing priceless qualitative data about how people approach various topics (e.g. Plutus programming).
What will happen as a result of our work (i.e. our outcomes)
⦁ Cardano community members and THE GENERAL PUBLIC will be able to participate in a open-source protocol for learning all kinds of topics, including technical and non-technical, specific and general. So far topics run from topics in crypto (wallets, staking, accepting payment, ...); programming (Plutus); art (realistic drawing); personal fitness; and others.
⦁ This will result for contributors and investors not only to participate in a token with a bedrock solid utility, but also to support a new, transformative mindset around education in general.
Extremely rich and specific qualitative data is being produced which will be highly relevant e.g. to marketing efforts e.g. to bring developers into the ecosystem.
What's unique about our solution, and what value it brings to the Cardano ecosystem
⦁ Cardano wants to be the go-to blockchain for DAOs, as indeed it should be. This project represents not just an investment opportunity (although it is), not just another company with an amazing product and service (although we are), but the creation of A WHOLE NEW PROTOCOL and INFRASTRUCTURE for thinking about education and training in a Web 3.0 DID world.
Who will benefit
a) our organization or company, insofar as we are we can confident continue to provide our cutting-edge products and services using an educational DAO protocol
b) the Catalyst community, insofar as F9 provides strong support for innovation in the DAO space
c) the greater Cardano community, insofar as Cardano aims to be the go-to ecosystem for DAOs, and the Study Buddy Education DAO has the potential to be a globally-adopted protocol.
d) a specific community in the wider world, insofar as "people learning anything" is a specific community. However in F8 we piloting our model with real learners of real (technical) topics. Meaning one community we serve is developers and potential developers.
[IMPACT] Please describe how your proposed solution will address the Challenge that you have submitted it in.
(Addressing "What Cardano needs," https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/campaigns/26594/about)
Effective Collaboration Management Platforms to Organize Community Intentions and Actions
In F8 we pioneered and created
⦁ a Collaboration Management Platform in Discord
⦁ An onboarding/intake form and process for matching incoming learners with suitable study buddy/group members
⦁ A competencies curriculum framework for guiding social learning on specific topics and sub-topics of interest to individuals and the community
Interested parties please contact admin@modigdev.com for access. This pioneering work in the Cardano ecosystem "creates additional not yet existing tools to give Cardano a distinct advantage."
The Study Buddy Education DAO has real-world applications and produces real-world data on learning progress on virtually any kind of topic. "Learning artifacts" (evidence of learning) are available as minted NFTs for others e.g. prospective organizations "to use in evaluating the features available in this Cardano-based DAO."
DAO Community Collaboration
Our F8 funded project "Cardano Learning Needs Assessment" actively sought and received community input in multiple channels. Specific suggestions and other data have been amazing, as have been lessons learned. While pedagogy and basic infrastructure have been our focus in F8, for F9 we shift our attention to creating an equitable and encouraging royalties model for creators (i.e. learners), while also providing opportunities for investment. While pedagogy and basic infrastructure have been our focus in F8, for F9 we shift our attention to creating an equitable and encouraging royalties model for creators (i.e. learners), while also providing opportunities for investment. While pedagogy and basic infrastructure have been our focus in F8, for F9 we shift our attention to creating an equitable and encouraging royalties model for creators (i.e. NFTs made from learning artifacts). This will allow the community to invest in the future of upcoming talents in virtually every domain.
DAO Governance
We are passionate about sovereign governance. Our vision of sovereign identity includes the idea that "what we've learned" is perhaps the VERY BEST statement of "who we are," our identity. We bring this philosophical orientation to everything we do and every detail in our builds is meant to support the values of freedom, competence, transparency, and human development. We need funding in F9 to continue this important work.
[IMPACT] What are the main risks that could prevent you from delivering the project successfully and please explain how you will mitigate each risk?
Lack of uptake
Complexity of tokenomics required
Include about scalable by F10
[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed plan, including timeline and key milestones for delivering your proposal.
Tokenomics
NFT Minting
Faciliation of learning
Tagging and search of learning resources
- Assess tokenomics and governance models for best fit to inform innovation. Include consultation with potential collaborators. Form alliances and partnership as applicable.
- Get the tokenomics aspect functional in a proof-of-concept state OR continue to evolve the underlying contract(s), if we are already at that stage by the time F9 funding is distributed.
- Continue pilot-testing by test users.
- Implement with existing and incoming Study Buddy/Competencies Framework learners.
- Fail rapidly, tweak and redeploy as time and conditions allow.
- Reflect and report.
[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown.
Coming
Tokenomics
NFT Minting
Faciliation of learning
Tagging and search of learning resources
[FEASIBILITY] Please provide details of the people who will work on the project.
Coming
[FEASIBILITY] If you are funded, will you return to Catalyst in a later round for further funding? Please explain why / why not.
We would like continue our relationship with Catalyst by
- Responding to identified needs, as we're doing here and did in F8
- Performing (e.g. see our infrastructure build-out partially enabled by Catalyst funding, https://modigdev.com/study-buddy/)
- Reporting transparently - Our F8 action in this regard speaks for itself.
[FEASIBILITY] Are you or any member of your team working on any other proposals in this Fund9?
No[FEASIBILITY] Are you or your team working on any other proposals from previous Funds?
Yes[AUDITABILITY] Please describe what you will measure to track your project's progress, and how will you measure these?
Coming
Tokenomics
NFT Minting
Faciliation of learning
Tagging and search of learning resources
[AUDITABILITY] What does success for this project look like?
Coming
Tokenomics
NFT Minting
Faciliation of learning
Tagging and search of learning resources
[AUDITABILITY] Please provide information on whether this proposal is a continuation of a previously funded project in Catalyst or an entirely new one.
Yes, it builds on our F8-funded proposal Cardano Learning Needs Assessment, by which we were able to roll out the Competencies Framework, which is the companion piece to the Study Buddy learner interaction piece.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Rating
Coming
Team
F8 resulted in our being funded to build out in Discord two related frameworks: Study Buddy for flexible group learning contracts; and Competencies Curriculum Framework for sharing and organizing IP created by learners. In F8 we tested specific use cases with real learners.
