Onboard - web3, in your hands | Ocean Academy Lite Pathway + Technical Updates | Round 21

Project Name

Onboard - web3, in your hands


Project Category

Outreach


Proposal Earmark

2nd/3rd Grant


Proposal Description

Onboard seeks to be the best onboarding and engagement tool for DAOs. Our current version is a no-code solution that allows DAOs to create onboarding pathways into their respective DAO, to ensure efficient placement of informed DAO members. Our team supports the process of creating gamified learning paths for partnered DAOs.

Our proposal for grant round 21 is twofold: (1) we will create learning pathways in the Onboard UI on the Data DeFi & ComputeToData Ocean Academy courses, and; (2) we will improve the UX when creating OceanDAO/Ocean Protocol learning paths. We will also be sure to post about this activity on our socials, in line with our past posts from official Onboard channels, as well as from our personal social media profiles. (1) and (2) will be discussed further below.

On (1): the Ocean Academy (https://www.oceanacademy.io/) is an excellent and comprehensive source of learning. However, it is designed for those that already aspire to become Ocean Ambassadors and may be considered daunting for newly onboarded members due to its length and complexity. For grant round 19, we distilled the necessary information from the Ocean 101 module, creating a short, ‘Academy lite’ version (proof to this effect is available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cP1GN2kMurRgvMRzcYFMRw56h3WUFjnV/view?usp=sharing). This acts as a primer to the actual 23-chapter, 3 hour-long, 101 module, and also leads to better retention of the key information in anticipation of Ocean Academy completion. Not only this, but it also crucially stimulates curiosity in new joiners, making it more likely that they will try to become Ambassadors.

For our Grant Round 21 proposal, we will do the same for the “Intro to Data Defi” and “ComputeToData” Academy modules. This will provide the same benefits as those mentioned above regarding the 101 module: stimulation of curiosity, a lower barrier to entry and better retention of key information, ensuring that the path to becoming an Ocean Ambassador is made as smooth and attractive as possible for new joiners.

Regarding (2): the user experience for creating OceanDAO learning paths needs to be improved. This would involve fine-tuning the technical connection between the quest builder and user interface, as we encountered bugs when trying to edit and save our Ocean 101 learning path. Furthermore, there are some issues related to UI/UX; for example, more intuitive placement of important buttons will be a priority, as well as ensuring that an overview of already submitted pages in the Quest Builder is readily visible, to decrease to the greatest extent confusion on the user side. We will also build in the functionality of allowing multiple-choice questions to have multiple correct answers, rather than just one correct answer.

To ensure a high standard of transparency is maintained, please see below a breakdown of the value of Onboard’s work on this proposal.

ROUND 21 cost breakdown

Liaising/researching DAO needs - 1500 USD - 20%

Going through Ocean Academy Intro to DataDefi + distilling most important elements - 750 USD - 10%

Creating Learning Path Ocean Academy Lite version of Intro to DataDefi - 1000 USD - 13.33%

Going through Ocean Academy ComputeToData + distilling most important elements - 750 USD - 10%

Creating Learning Path Ocean Academy Lite version of ComputeToData - 1000 USD 13.33%

Technical updates - 2500 USD - 33.33%


Grant Deliverables

(1) Learning pathways in the Onboard UI on Data DeFi and ComputeToData; and, (2) improvements to the UI/UX when creating OceanDAO/Ocean Protocol learning paths.

*DISCLAIMER: Due to the perceived value of our deliverables, if we were to gain our minimum requested value, we would only be in a position to deliver the Data Defi learning pathway and the technical updates.


Project Description

Past the use of cryptocurrenecies and NFTs, many people do not realise the different applications of crypto and web3. It is important for our generation to understand the power of blockchain technology’s ability to increase users’ data sovereignty and privacy.

Onboard will provide a data sovereignty course that covers Ocean, and eventually integrate a Quiz and Quest and more Ocean related features into our metaverse game, that will increase awareness and lead to a great number of individuals understanding interacting with protocols that increase our data sovereignty such as Ocean market.


Final Product

The end goal is to develop credentials based on the users learnings that can be used to prove web3 competency, and then also build data sets that enable information about the users’ onboarding process to be shared in a decentralized, privacy-embracing, and secure way to ease the process of contributing to our web3 partners.


Value Add Criteria

The key goal for Onboard in our partnership with OceanDAO is to drive value for the Ocean Protocol community, in support of Ocean's mission to give control of data back to those generating it.

 

We believe our current proposal will:

 

  • Increase the number of Ocean Ambassadors: as mentioned, a 'lite' version of the Academy will stimulate curiosity and lower the barrier to entry, priming people to become Ambassadors.
  • Increase the usage of Ocean Protocol by increasing the potential holders of Ocean and those that understand the importance of the mission, and Ocean's promise.
  • Improve the UX of our Quest Builder: the eventual goal is that members of OceanDAO can indicate where the DAO might need improvement, and use Onboard to bring this improvement about. This may be from Onboard itself, or our solution may be able to be made into a whitelabel solution. In any case, any improvement in the UX would make people more likely to use the Quest Builder to contribute key learning material.

 

Part of Onboard's mission is to create new, capable web3 citizens. These can then be funneled on into DAOs like OceanDAO, for what we believe will be a better future of work. By establishing a platform that incentivizes users to learn about web3, and rewarding them with SBTs, we capture a group that can then shift their attention on to DAOs. Given Ocean's strong message and mission, OceanDAO is an attractive DAO to join. Onboard would consequently reduce the customer acquisition cost for all the different Ocean protocol projects.

 

Often, single grants can lack context and belie the effort that a team is committed to putting in when running a large-scale project. Many roadmaps change as projects develop, but we are happy to show OceanDAO the direction that we are headed in - and grateful to receive the inputs from the community at the same time. For our (current, dynamic (and, yes, somewhat redacted)) roadmap, please see the Miro board at the following link: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVPahcfDQ=/?share_link_id=844811085226.


Please note that this is a very preliminary sketch of what we plan to offer, and some elements are left out. In any case, we may not need to go down the route all the way to the full 100K USD - as we are iterating as we go along, please see the roadmap as flexible.


Core Team

Name: Nathan Vandy

  • Bio:

Nathan Vandy is a web3 legal and business advisor who has been researching, working, and building in the blockchain space since 2017. During this time, he not only supported blockchain-based projects with start-ups, FTSE 100 companies and governments but also supported the development of blockchain-based research with INATBA, an association initiated by the EU Commission.

With a strong background in entrepreneurship, wide knowledge of blockchain technology and background in educating various stakeholders on blockchain’s strengths and weaknesses, he now leads at Onboard, working with the team to build a metaverse game that educates the masses on web3 and the open metaverse.

Name: Daniel Okownkwo

  • Bio: Specialties: Digital Identity, Regulatory Compliance Applications, LDAP, SSO, API Specialist, Web Services, GUI and Blockchain.

Web development: Front End and Back End - Apache, Perl, Java, JavaScript (Backbone, Angular, jQuery, React), HTML5, CSS3, PHP, Python, DB (SQL, MongoDB, Postgres), TDD, CI (Maven, Jenkins and Selenium) and technology agnostic testing with Jasmine, Karma and Protractor.

Build tooling with Grunt and Gulp.

Blockchain: Cryptocurrency & Smart Contracts on ETH2.0 with Solidity - full stack development.

Systems development: UNIX, Hardware analysis, business process auditing and IoT solutions.

Mobile Applications: Mobile Connect, SMS, USSD, SMPP, GIS with MIDP/CLDC, native iOS development with Objective C, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry app development with PhoneGap/Cordova.

Cloud: AWS, EBS, Docker

Humanities: Overcoming communications difficulties between stakeholders in IT relationships and life skills mentor.

  • Role: Tech Lead
  • Background/Experience:
  • 20+ years experience as a programmer
  • 1-year experience as blockchain developer

Funding Requested
7500


Minimum Funding Requested
4000


Wallet Address
0xE416dE13e7859Ba860de0DE3563dA1e4e97dbd97


1 Like

Reminder to reach out to me to discuss these deliverables, as agreed after my request in the OceanDAO Townhall Wednesday 21st September.

At this stage no dialogue/engagement or alignment has been made with the Ocean Ambassadors, nor with the Ocean Academy, nor had any attempt been made.

I would like to re-iterate that it is not acceptable to use the Ocean Ambassador Program as part of your deliverables for a funding proposal with zero prior engagement or discussions with the team.

Hi Zippy1979, thanks for your comment. We wanted to build these deliverables and then open them up to the Ambassadors for comments/review. The purpose of the deliverables is indicated above, and since we’ve been voted through by now, we will be delivering as promised. We were thinking of adapting based on Ambassador input. How does that sound?

“Include ambassadors in similar proposals” – noted for the future. Thanks.

We wanted to build these deliverables and then open them up to the Ambassadors for comments/review.

I’m sorry but that is not how solutions are developed, and against any best practices I have been involved with in the last 15 years. You do not create a solution and then force it on to the users/customer without understanding their needs. This is also not what was agreed or discussed in the OceanDAO Town Hall meeting.

Please arrange a time to discuss these deliverables, as per the discussion in Town Hall, so that we can align what deliverables would actually create value for the Ocean Ambassadors and the Ocean ecosystem as a whole.

Hi Zippy, when I said we wanted to build, I meant just that - build, not yet release. We have a longer timeline planned for the release, which is highlighted in the Miro board linked in the proposal.
I will connect with you separately to set up a time so we can discuss further.

Thank you for reaching out. Please don’t build anything without planning what the end state should look like and aligning it with the end user, it is far easier (and much cheaper) to make something correctly, than to change course after the product is ready for SIT/UAT. We can review the plans in the upcoming meetings, and members from the Ambassador program will help you with whatever input you need.

2 Likes

Project submitted deliverables:

The deliverables that Onboard promised for Grant Round 21 were the following:

  1. Create a ‘lite’ version of the Ocean Academy courses “Intro to Data Defi” and “ComputeToData”
  2. Improving the UX of the Onboard app for creating learning pathways. This primarily involved enabling users to see the content that they had already created, more intuitive placement of buttons, and enabling multiple correct answers in the multiple choice questions created by a user of our Quest Builder app.

Our Grant Round 21 deliverables are also viewable at https://port.oceanprotocol.com/t/onboard-web3-in-your-hands-ocean-academy-lite-pathway-technical-updates-round-21/2056.

DELIVERABLE (1)

Deliverable number (1) builds on the work delivered in Grant Round 19 (https://port.oceanprotocol.com/t/onboard-web3-in-your-hands-onboard-gamified-onboarding-paths-for-web3-communities-round-19/1928). Taken together, Onboard’s Grant Rounds 19 and 21 deliverables form the basis for an ‘Academy Lite’ version of the Ocean Academy, meant to inform and educate new and existing users of Ocean Protocol on the Onboard platform, as well as spark curiosity and potentially drive a willingness to becoming an Ambassador.

It is notable that (1) was completed with a comparatively high degree of input and collaboration from OceanDAO members. After receiving comments on our Grant Round 19 and 21 deliverables (see comments at https://port.oceanprotocol.com/t/onboard-web3-in-your-hands-ocean-academy-lite-pathway-technical-updates-round-21/2056/2 and discussions in the OceanDAO channel in Discord in the period of 21/09/2022 – 05/10/2022), we engaged with two Ocean Ambassadors and the person chiefly responsible for the Ocean Academy (personal details available on request), to ensure that our Ocean Academy Lite is not prejudicial to the goal of the Ocean Academy - i.e., that it does not function as a ‘cheatsheet’ for Academy completion. We opened up our deliverables to comments as well, and implemented the suggestions that were made, such as adding links to allow for a funnel into Ocean’s Academy.

Deliverable (1) was completed on 26/10/2022. For proof hereof, please see the links to two completed learning paths:

In line with our complete offering to OceanDAO (please see the Onboard x OceanDAO roadmap at https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVPahcfDQ=/?share_link_id=844811085226), our deliverables from Round 19 and the one mentioned here form the basis for content that will be able to be hosted in the Ocean Protocol/OceanDAO hub on Onboard’s platform.

DELIVERABLE (2)

The idea is to eventually enable the Ocean community to take control of the learning path creation and maintenance, to allow for an environment in which NFTs can be minted by users, which Ocean can then use to token-gate environments or activities, if they so choose. This would be in our Quest Builder environment. In the app, we created the functionality enabling users to click between the pages that they had created. This allows users to view the content that they have already created, and means they don’t have to remember everything that they have already inputted. This reduces confusion and amount of work on the user side.

This screen recording shows the functionality of already submitted pages in the quest builder being made readily visible: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WB6ZRZGC2rWhu5LZxAKaym0_QElEj2p3/view?usp=sharing

You can see in the recording how the user can click between the pages. Also, the user can drag the pages to rearrange the order. This functionality improves the overall UX of the app.

In this screen recording, you can also see how we changed up the layout. Previously (see the screenshot below), there were two save buttons on the quest builder - one to save the individual page, and one to save the entire quiz. This led to confusion, so, as promised, we made the layout more intuitive; we do this by now having one save button for the quiz, represented by the ‘floppy disc’ save button, visible in the top right of the video, and removing the bottom right button.

Regarding the “functionality of allowing multiple-choice questions to have multiple correct answers, rather than just one correct answer”: in the above screenshot you can see the code for the ability to have multiple correct answers in the multiple choice questions. We are displaying it in this fashion as regrettably our app went down at a very inopportune time (i.e. in the run-up to deadlines with submitting proof of delivery and application to Grant Round 23), so we were not able to make a screen recording of the option. However, this code enables the state of correctness of an option to be directly tied to the option component added so that whenever a new option is added the option can be either correct or not.

The above code shows how we render the option tbs that are added on clicking the “Add Option” button. There can be any number of options and those will be rendered as added and each of them can be correct by themselves.

This concludes our proofs of delivery for Grant Round 21. In keeping with the roadmap available at https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVPahcfDQ=/?share_link_id=844811085226, Onboard remains committed to driving value for the Ocean and its members. We are grateful for the opportunity that OceanDAO has provided, and continues to provide, and look forward to engaging with the community moving forward.

Admin:

Based on the demo’s shown so far, the images above, and the corresponding write ups around the Ocean ecosystem, I am moving to accept these deliverables