Project Update
Hi all - we’re excited to share updates for Porium a distributed online learning platform designed to maximize learning by integrating a reward system using various web monetization standards.
Addressable Problems: Online education is built on a broken business model with consequences like theoretical vs practical skills gaps. Another problem we identified is the minimal number of web 3 developers in contrast to web 2 developers.
Executable Solutions: To build a better internet we need to grow the pool of not just web 2 developers, collaborators and builders with career goals linked to web decentralized. To meet this objective we are designing a distributed online learning platform specialized in the web 3 education ecosystem.
Tech Stack Evolution
We spent a lot of time streamlining our back-end architecture to create a tech stack that reflects the distributed nature of the platform, along with possible Interledger Protocol integration options. Our high level architecture overview of the Porium software runs as a powergate + filecoin client on Lotus. Refer to porium-specs for more details!
Using various Web Monetization standards, we believe a better online learning business model can be built into the web itself. By monetizing one of the critical components of our business model i.e partner course providers, we’ll create an earnings model where partner course providers earn micropayments for every course taken and completed by participants.
Progress on objectives
UX Design Hypersprint
Building on our user survey findings and draft user personas, we ran a User Experience hypersprint session to design the user journey and create the user map on the platform.
We identified two possible user journeys the protocol developer and the dapp developer. For both the protocol and dapp developer they’ll start their learning journey with an introduction to blockchain fundamentals for beginners and a deep dive into blockchain frameworks for intermediate and advanced learners.
We then created clickable figma prototypes based on these user journeys which form the baseline for the application frontend build. 
We welcome feedback on our prototype, tell us if you like our mascot, the learning giraffe as well. You can find the prototypes here.
Curriculum Development
Once we had a clear user map and user journey, we were able to identify the courses that we need to start writing. We have a three tier learning path that will take each learner through the levels in incremental difficulty.
We are developing our courses on three critical values that will maximize the participants learning experience:
Learning Paths: We provide the best way to learn a web 3 technology quickly.
360 Learning: We combine reading, videos and hands-on-labs to give an all-rounded learning experience.
5+ Frameworks: We are starting with courses on Interledger, Coil, Filecoin, IPFS and blockchain fundamentals.
Some great beginner courses we've started developing for the pilot include: Overview of Layer One Governance Systems, Introduction to Protocol-Extensible User-Interface, and Decentralized Data Structures. Each of the courses will cover various sub-topics and practice activities.
Communications and marketing
Go-To-Market
Client acquisition: Reach out to Web 2 developer groups on Discord & Slack
Digital Marketing: Create social media groups to start on boarding potential users on Twitter, YouTube etc
Partnership: Explore partnerships with RareBirds, Semsm, Blockchain Education Network & protocol networks.
What’s next?
- Create the app boilerplate and start building the MVP components.
- Experiment a badge/reward system created with tokens that can unlock benefits from the "sponsor" side.
- Refine the user management and wallet integration workflow. Also determine the best wallet for the pilot.
- Define a post-pilot community building plan.
- We’ll be reviewing capstone ideas and taking course feedback from a members of each networks dev-community.
What community support would benefit your project?
Connect with mentors, advisers and experts to provide feedback on the critical components of the project including:
building a commercial model into an open source project,
incentivization of learning to create a circular earning model between course partners and participants
optimizing the technical architecture of the platform
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