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In today's rapidly changing digital age, there is an increasing demand for children to be well-versed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). With a growing demand for technological skills in almost every field, a strong STEM and coding foundation is critical for the future workforce. Moreover, even though coding is essential for all children to learn, the gender gap in STEM remains a persistent issue. Therefore, promoting and fostering STEM education and careers is crucial for both boys and girls, particularly encouraging girls to pursue these fields, from computer programmers, web developers and engineers, data scientists, and more. , it might surprise you that women are often behind the creation of the very cool gadgets, devices, apps, and services you use every day. Regarding technology While women frequently take a back seat in the annals of tech history, the truth is that they have been vital players just as long as men have. Today, estimates show that women comprise 26.7 percent (or less) of the industry. As we celebrate Women's History Month, it's essential to recognize the significance of women in STEM fields. This article will examine the influence of encouraging STEM education, especially coding, at an early age for girls. It will highlight the importance of this approach for all girls and its potential impact on their future to get more opportunities for well-paying jobs in tech. History of Women in STEM Women have made significant contributions to STEM fields. Ada Lovelace was a groundbreaking mathematician and writer best known for her contributions to Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. Her most significant contribution to computing was the development of an algorithm for the Analytical Engine, widely regarded as the first computer program ever written. This achievement was all the more impressive given that Lovelace was a woman living in a time when women were discouraged from pursuing careers in science or mathematics. Her work helped to lay the groundwork for modern computing and continues to inspire future generations of women in STEM. An African-American mathematician, Katherine Johnson was a brilliant mathematician and physicist who contributed significantly to NASA's space program. She was part of a group of African-American women known as "human computers" who calculated the complex mathematical formulas required for space travel. Johnson's work on the trajectory for the first human-crewed spaceflight was critical to the mission's success. She went on to work on numerous other projects at NASA throughout her career. Despite facing discrimination and prejudice as a woman of color working in a male-dominated field, Johnson remained dedicated to her work and inspired generations of women and people of color to pursue STEM careers. Despite these and other accomplishments, women have historically been underrepresented in STEM fields, with men outnumbering women in almost every STEM field. Outside of this commemorative month, it is critical to recognize women's achievements in this and many other areas to inspire the next generation of women in STEM. STEM Initiatives for Women According to the , women constitute only 28% of the STEM workforce. As they progress through school, girls tend to lose interest in STEM subjects, with only 0.4% of high school girls interested in computer science degrees. National Girls Collaborative Project This disparity limits women's career opportunities and hinders the potential for innovation and progress in the field. In addition to being a matter of gender equality, the underrepresentation of women in STEM areas has adverse economic effects. , increasing gender diversity in the workforce could boost the world economy by $12 trillion by 2025. According to McKinsey & Company research In addition, a also discovered that businesses with more diverse workforces frequently experience higher financial returns and are more creative. National Science Foundation study Despite these challenges, many organizations and initiatives are working to promote girls' participation in STEM education and careers. Tynker mission is to provide every child with a solid foundation in computer science, programming, and critical thinking skills to prepare them to become better architects of their future world. Tynker's Their is used in more than 100,000 schools worldwide to ensure that, by 2033, every high school graduate has been exposed to some formal coding education. award-winning curriculum Tynker coding courses for kids are intentionally designed to be engaging and accessible for all children, regardless of gender. Tynker offers a variety of classes and projects that cater to a range of interests, including music, art, games, and storytelling. Additionally, Tynker actively promotes diversity and inclusion in its courses, showcasing female role models in technology and highlighting the contributions of women in the field. Tynker also offers courses and projects specifically geared towards girls, such as the course and the "Women in Computing" project. These courses focus on empowering girls to pursue careers in technology and showcase female leaders in the industry. "Ada's Adventure" Girls Who Code is a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by Reshma Saujani to close the gender gap in technology by providing young girls with computer science education. Girls Who Code The organization offers free coding education to girls in grades 3-12 through summer immersion programs, after-school clubs, and other initiatives. Since its founding, Girls Who Code has reached more than 500 million girls across the United States and expanded its reach to other countries worldwide. The impact of Girls Who Code on women in STEM is significant. According to their website, 90% of Girls Who Code alumni say that they have been inspired to pursue a career in technology due to their participation in the program. In addition, to pursue computer science in college than the national average. Girls Who Code alums are also 15 times more likely Code.org Another initiative, , is a nonprofit organization that offers free coding education to students of all ages, focusing on promoting girls' participation in coding. Code.org The organization's programs include curriculum and training for K-12 teachers, online courses and resources for students, and community outreach initiatives. Code.org's impact on promoting girls' participation in coding is significant. , in 2019, 45% of their students were girls. According to their website program has also reached over 100 million girls worldwide, exposing them to computer science and coding basics. More than half of Code.org's college-level computer science students are women, compared to a national average of just 20%. Code.org's Hour of Code Impacts of Women in STEM Beyond the success of the women themselves on a personal and professional level, there are numerous advantages for women in STEM areas. Society will gain when more women are inspired to seek STEM degrees and careers. Technology, healthcare, energy, and environmental sustainability depend on advancing the STEM disciplines. Women can bring a variety of viewpoints to the area, resulting in more creative solutions to challenging issues. Additionally, promoting female participation in STEM disciplines can aid in reducing the gender wage gap, a problem that has persisted in the workplace. The reported that in 2020, women in the United States made just 82 cents for every dollar males earn. National Women's Law Center However, women in STEM typically make more money compared to other occupations. According to a National Science Foundation study, women in STEM make 33% more money than women in non-STEM professions. The gender wage gap can be narrowed by increasing the proportion of women working in STEM areas. A lack of diversity in STEM disciplines can also result in a narrow focus on the problems and difficulties that particular groups of people face. For instance, a lack of female researchers in the medical field can lead to a lack of knowledge about women's health problems. Increasing the number of women in STEM can contribute to the field's diversity of views and experiences, resulting in more inclusive research and innovation. What Parents Can Do Women's History Month is an excellent opportunity to consider women's contributions to STEM fields and draw attention to the need for more diversity and inclusion. Parents and teachers can use various tools to promote girls' involvement in STEM education and careers and introduce them to female role models working in the area. By giving their daughters access to STEM-related activities and tools, such as attending talks, workshops, and networking events that highlight the achievements of women in STEM, parents can also inspire their daughters to pursue their interests in these fields. Many schools and libraries provide STEM resources and activities for kids and teenagers, sometimes free or at a reduced cost to families. Parents can play a vital role in encouraging their daughters to pursue STEM by embracing their hobbies, regardless of gender norms. For instance, if a daughter shows interest in coding or engineering, parents can provide access to resources like the ones above that allow girls to create digital games, animations, and more. Children can work through these resources independently without requiring much assistance from parents with little STEM or coding experience. Parents can create a nurturing environment at home that promotes their daughters' interests in STEM by reinforcement of gender equality and inclusivity. This approach can help girls feel confident and empowered to pursue STEM fields without limitations. Equal Access to the Top Coding and STEM education are critical skills for children in the modern digital age, so encouraging girls to pursue STEM education and careers is vital. By increasing girls' access to STEM education and resources and highlighting women's contributions to STEM disciplines, we can work to close the gender gap in STEM and create a more diverse and inclusive workforce. We look forward to the day when women and men are equally represented working in tech with equal access to a viable, successful career path to the top. About the Author is the Chief Growth Officer of Tynker, with 20 years of experience helping startups grow into successful businesses. Lomit Patel Lomit has previously played a critical role in scaling growth at startups, including Roku (IPO), TrustedID (acquired by Equifax), Texture (acquired. by Apple), and IMVU (#2 top-grossing gaming app). Lomit is a public speaker, author, and advisor with numerous accolades and awards throughout his career, including being recognized as a Mobile Hero by Liftoff. Lomit's book is part of Eric Ries' best-selling "The Lean Startup" series. Lean AI

Celebrating Women in STEM and Encouraging the Next Generation

Celebrando a las mujeres en STEM y alentando a la próxima generación

Célébrer les femmes dans les STEM et encourager la prochaine génération

एसटीईएम में महिलाओं का जश्न मनाना और अगली पीढ़ी को प्रोत्साहित करना

STEM 分野の女性を称賛し、次世代を奨励する

Celebrando as mulheres em STEM e incentivando a próxima geração

Tôn vinh phụ nữ trong lĩnh vực STEM và khuyến khích thế hệ tiếp theo

庆祝 STEM 领域的女性并鼓励下一代

With online card games such as Gwent and Hearthstone taking up a large chunk of the video game market, it was only a matter of time before blockchain-based card games would start gaining traction. The added value NFTs bring to players could give players an extra incentive to play games like Duelist King, where players own the NFTs of the cards they play with. Recently, the HackerNoon community spoke to Nicole Nguyen, the founder of Duelist King to learn more about the project. This thread by Limarc Ambalina, Zaeem Shoaib, Amy Shah, Mónica Freitas, Nicole Nguyen and Jack Boreham occurred in slogging's official #gaming channel, and has been edited for readability. Slogging Limarc Ambalina Sep 30, 2021, 8:46 AM Hey everyone please welcome Nicole Nguyen the founder of Duelist King, an awesome up and coming Blockchain card game that I had the pleasure of demoing. Please feel free to ask her anything about Duelist King, Blockchain games, game development, nfts, and anything else that comes to mind! Limarc Ambalina Sep 30, 2021, 8:46 AM Thanks for joining us Nicole I'd like to hear your explanation of just what Duelist King is and what sets it apart from normal online card games like Gwent or Hearthstone as well as how you differentiate yourselves from competitors like Splinterlands? Nicole Nguyen Sep 30, 2021, 3:36 PM Powered by in-house Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), Oracle and Random Number Generator, Duelist King offers dual values for investors from token utilities and card sales (projected at roughly 40 million USD). Duelist King aims to transform the way people play, participate and earn in card games through top-notch game play, asset designs and advocacy for the sustainable future of Win2Earn. In short our differentiators can be recapped as follows: - Absolutely randomized, verifiable and fair distribution infrastructure infused with gambling excitement through mystery box offering - Playable demo available ready - Top-notch game designs and game play in progress - Last but definitely not least, community empowerment. - Advocacy for #Win2Earn - encouraging people to Enjoy - Engage - Earn from the game for a more sustainable business model and earnings model for the community We do not just engage the community as gamers but collectors, designers and investors are more than welcome. Also our community members can get to vote and pick their favorite game play, game design and also propose how the game operations should take place. This will follow the DAO governing model that we have designed for Duelist King and also can be leveraged for other gaming studios who wish to pursue the fair distribution and community empowerment features that we advocate. Also our team are domain experts in blockchain and also gaming side so I believe you have every reason to be bullish about us. About us: Differentiators: Zaeem Shoaib Sep 30, 2021, 8:49 AM Welcome, Nicole! I would like to ask how and in what ways the advent of Blockchain technology has changed the way developers now approach starting development on a game that incorporates that technology as opposed to traditional games? 🔥 1 Nicole Nguyen Sep 30, 2021, 3:40 PM this question might be best addressed through our platform We built Duelist King as the first showcase of DKDAO - the ultimate platform for blockchain gaming. We offer no-frill solutions for gaming studios and developers from tokenization, fundraising, DAO governing model to other infrastructures. I think the most powerful feature of blockchain is to allow crowdsourcing for projects especially in gaming sector to pull together a vast array of resources from development, financing to community engagement (also the most powerful of all). Also blockchain game functions in a more decentralized and user-centric fashion vs. distributor-centric model in traditional games. https://www.dkdao.network/ Amy Shah Sep 30, 2021, 10:58 AM Nicole Nguyen Welcome! I am sort of confused by blockchain....How would you explain Duelist King to someone like me? Also, do you think the future for NFTs is particularly bright?  If so, why? Also, what draws you do game development as a career? Do you have some prior experiences that have shaped your interest in this field? Thanks so much for your responses! So excited to learn more about your company and game. 🔥 1 Nicole Nguyen Sep 30, 2021, 3:44 PM Amy Shah I think the core values of Duelist King can be recapped in fair distribution, different playmode/earning models for gamers and engagement of creators, gamers, collectors alike. NFTs are increasingly finding its use cases and utilities in a number of industries like gaming, arts and collectibles. Adding metaverse effect, the sky's the limit for NFT growth as a whole new emerging business instead of a contender to the traditional space. We aim to issue our cards as NFTs used in game as assets and also collectibles with more rare NFTs. So I believe we have real use cases with our NFTs and we have a big base and funnel to provide utilities and offerings for newbies, mainstream gamers and those who can afford more rare NFTs and collectibles. I've chosen blockchain as my career in the last 5 years - gaming is one of the first areas ripe for disruption back in 2016 and now with NFTs, gaming is poised to be the top area for blockchain adoption. My experiences for newbies is definitely get as much exposure as you can - talk to people, join community, get your voice heard and never stop learning. Only in blockchain do I feel alive and grow at an exceptional pace 😄 Mónica Freitas Sep 30, 2021, 12:38 PM Hi Nicole Nguyen. You organized the first Vietnam Blockathon. How would you describe that experience? And how do you think such events can inspire the next generation of blockchain innovators? Nicole Nguyen Sep 30, 2021, 3:48 PM Mónica Freitas Vietnam Blockathon was the first blockchain hackathon in Vietnam back in 2017. There was lots of sweat and tears for sure since we were the first to educate the market and the community through groundworks and real projects. But the feeling of being the first, the PIONEERS is just out of this world - and it can propel you to new heights that you can never imagine when taking the first step. I believe we need more activities like that - with specific and real practitioners and projects to showcase how we can actually change ourselves and change the world with blockchain. Practitioners in NFT gaming space encompass not only gamers but also artists, creators, developers and investors. We are doing some arts creativity contest at Duelist King with a number of partners to demonstrate real use cases of NFTs and how indie artists can actually reap the benefits of this daunting and robust space. https://medium.com/ludena-protocol/duelist-king-digital-nft-art-competition-start-on-october-4th-in-korea-with-ludena-protocol-833202b1e54c Limarc Ambalina Oct 5, 2021, 6:06 AM Thanks for your thoughtful responses Nicole Nguyen. I've played the demo and can vouch for the animation, beautiful card design, sound effects, and more. However, one thing I'm worried about with every card game (not just DK) is how often big card games on the market foster a pay-to-win economy. "If I just buy the strongest cards, I have the strongest deck and no one can touch me" Does the gameplay mechanics and rules of Duelist King anyway offset pay-to-win and reward skill and strategy over who has the biggest bank account? Nicole Nguyen Oct 6, 2021, 4:40 AM Limarc Ambalina thats a really great question. Our cards are distributed randomly so it doesn't mean you can buy powerful cards at your own will. All cards are sold at a flat price of 1 USD in a box of 5 cards. You still can definitely pay to buy the more powerful cards on the secondary market but you need to be more strategic with your pocket as they are not cheap at all 😄 Our game economics do offer more earning opportunities and incentives for people who challenge others and participate in tournaments and battles. Also any upgrading option would be reset prior to tournaments to make sure people can participate on equal ground. The only way for you to climb up the ranking ladder is to duel against people of the same ranks so make sure you play your card rights and engage in the game as much as you can! Jack Boreham Oct 5, 2021, 7:55 AM Hi Nicole Nguyen, thanks for joining us. What do you think about the future of NFT’s? Do you think they will take off and become mainstream? How long do you think this will take? Nicole Nguyen Oct 6, 2021, 4:44 AM Jack Boreham Since joining the blockchain space in 2016, I believe NFTs are some of the few trends that will be here to stay. NFTs are increasingly finding its use cases and utilities in a number of industries like gaming, arts and collectibles. Adding metaverse effect, the sky's the limit for NFT growth as a whole new emerging business instead of a contender to the traditional space. Another important implication of this trend is increasing cross-chain collaboration - the NFT and metaverse so far have opened up significantly more crossover development and community development efforts and I think this is very healthy and conducive to further growth of the whole industry. There are still lots of things that need to be done on the onboarding, payment, and solution to expedite NFT adoption but I believe it's a matter of time till that becomes a reality. NFTs have started going mainstream and by next year I hope we can entice much more adopters. Mónica Freitas Oct 5, 2021, 8:05 AM Nicole Nguyen Thank you for your answer. How do you think we could get more people outside of this "blockchain world" and even the gaming world, to get interested? How can we translate the meaning of blockchain in a way that seems valuable for someone foreign to these topics? Nicole Nguyen Oct 6, 2021, 4:48 AM Mónica Freitas this is a industry wide challenge, however gaming is among the most popular catalyst for blockchain adoption. Personally I think it has a lot to do with specific use cases, simple onboarding for users and also the user experiences in game. From the last conference I've been to, people have been talking about the issue of lack of education, unpolished game play and designs and lack of user-friendly onboarding for mainstream audience. Once these challenges are addressed either by existing blockchain gaming startups or traditional gaming studios, blockchain can manifest itself as the underlying solution to games and people will hardly notice the difference between blockchain gaming and traditional gaming. The key value is still user's experience - the more we can enhance game UX the more valid blockchain use cases are to the audience. Limarc Ambalina Oct 6, 2021, 6:19 AM Very happy to hear you've thought about the competitive aspect Nicole Nguyen! What have you got in the pipeline in terms of development? There is a demo out now, but when do you imagine the full game to be released? Nicole Nguyen Oct 6, 2021, 9:05 AM Limarc Ambalina Upon receiving feedback from our partners and KOLs, we are fine-tuning the game play and game design so the Player vs. Environment feature will be ready early next year. Till then we are planning to do 2-3 rounds of card sales plus community activities like game play voting/art contest so people can gather a decent deck to try out the game and engage with the project. Make sure you follow our social media and check out our upcoming designs and game - our first NFT offerings of 250,000 NFTs have been sold out in less than 45 minutes 😄 Limarc Ambalina Oct 6, 2021, 9:07 AM That's awesome and where can people join said community activities? Can you drop us the links? Nicole Nguyen Oct 6, 2021, 9:41 AM Limarc Ambalina our news feed have been jammed with activities, AMAs and other community activities. Please make sure you are not lagging behind 😄 ✅Website: ✅Twitter: ✅Telegram group: ✅ Discord: https://duelistking.com/ https://twitter.com/duelistkingnft https://t.me/DuelistKingNFT https://discord.gg/6HzQR7Mf Limarc Ambalina Oct 7, 2021, 12:42 PM Thanks so much for your thorough responses and your time Nicole! We hope the best for Duelist King and hope we can do more collaborations with you in the future. 🔥 1 Nicole Nguyen Oct 8, 2021, 3:36 PM Thanks everyone for a very energetic AMA - looking forward to more collaboration in the future. Don't forget to check us out on Twitter and Telegram at @DuelistKingNFT and stay up-to-date with Duelist King! This article is part of The hosted by HackerNoon in partnership with Gaming Metaverse Writing Contest The Sandbox . Submit your today for your chance to win up to $2000. #gaming-metaverse story

Duelist King is a New NFT Blockchain Card Game with Promising Gameplay

In this article, we shall see how one can make a simple single-page Flask application that uses a free education API called Gutendex to create a book search. But before that, let’s look at Gutendex - what is Gutendex? Gutendex is a JSON web API for Project Gutenberg ebook data. An online library of free electronic books or eBooks, Project Gutenberg, was, in fact, the first provider of these eBooks. Michael Hart, the founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971, and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related content. Pre-requisites for this project: A computer with an internet connection Python3 installed Basic knowledge of Python Python Modules Flask: https://flask.palletsprojects.com/en/2.0.x/ JSON Requests Front End: Bootstrap 5 More information on the API: More information on Project Gutenberg: https://getbootstrap.com/ http://gutendex.com/ https://www.gutenberg.org/ Concepts: API – Application Programming Interface API Request – A call made to the API Response – Data received as a response to the request Download the Flask cheatsheet from here: https://www.youngwonks.com/flask-cheatsheet.pdf STEP 1: Setting up the project Create a new folder. *Create a virtual environment and activate it (recommended but not mandatory). Install the Python dependencies. STEP 2: Testing the API Create a new file named api_test.py. In this file, import the requests and the JSON module. Fetch the results for a keyword. This displays the response in the form of a list of dictionaries in the format. Now we are mainly interested in the values of 5 keys for our website a.	Title: book['title'] b.	Image: book [ 'formats'][ 'image/jpeg'] c.	Text: book [ 'formats'][ 'text/plain; charset=utf-8'] d.	Authors: book['authors'] Step 3: Creating the Flask app Create a new file name . app.py Import Flask and initialize the app. Add the home route that renders the home.html file. Create a folder called templates. Create a file named home.html which just displays some text. Now run the app python3 . The result will look something like this: app.py STEP 4: Getting the data and rendering it on the page Use the code from STEP 2 and add it to the home route. Look for the parameter ‘book in the request arguments’ and use that for the date. Add the code to run the app. Setting the debug parameter to true, which developing will auto-reload the server. **You should remove this if you publish the website. STEP 5: Developing the front end with bootstrap Replace the contents of home.html with the bootstrap5 started template provided at: https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.0/getting-started/introduction/ STEP 6: Developing the front end as you please Use the documentation in bootstrap to create your desired page. For this tutorial, we are going to keep it simple. We have the following elements: You can find the carousel sample at: .
You can find the form group sample at: . https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.0/components/card/ https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.0/forms/input-group/ STEP 7: Final Step: Using Jinja2 to render the data on the html page Add the name for the input element. Add the book title, link to image, link to text, authors and other parameters to the card. Voila! Now, run the program and visit . http://127.0.01:5000

How to Create a Simple Flask Application for Book Search

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (continued).

Why we designed a Game to help make Blockchain more Human is a project which aims to engage people through design to learn and discover the potential of new technologies. We started out with Blockchain, since designers working with Blockchain, we had been inundated with requests from colleagues, peers, clients, family and friends to explain it — the problem was we couldn’t find any good existing material out there. What The Block So we decided to try and change this, by creating something that could make about fun, accessible and hopefully inspire people to build interesting projects. We ended up designing a game, which has now been played by over a hundred people, and has been nominated for , so we thought we’d share our story. learning Blockchain some awards By prototyping and testing our ideas we quickly settled on a logical set of components for the game, and a structure for gameplay. However somehow it didn’t seem fun, and when we tested it with people it was obvious that there was something missing. So for inspiration, we started to hang out at the local board game cafe to play games more often. They were indeed much more fun than our prototype, and while some of that came down to the subject matter, a lot of it came from basic game elements like rules, a clear structure, an objective and a winner. While we didn’t necessarily want people to win, giving people a clear objective, a reason to keep playing, was clearly important. The Game So we got to work designing a game which employed carefully written scenarios, specially designed cards, and Lego blocks to take people ‘from Zero to Blockchain hero’, over four rounds of play. What we settled on was a game that starts out as a simple trading game, evolving over the rounds, with participants gradually accumulating knowledge, which they can apply in later rounds. Here is a shot of some of our cards: The first four coloured cards represent resources which are traded in the game. The remaining four cards are ‘blank’ resources, used in later rounds to aid brainstorming. We created round, and overall game objective cards, scenario cards and a smart contract card that could be used to detail the rules of a smart contract. The game itself is played using a board. The board becomes a hub of activity, a system where socio-economic interactions occur, rules and conditions are defined, and relationships are built, all recorded on a Lego Blockchain. Our board ended up looking something like this: The game board from What The Bl*ck game While Blockchain is a digital technology, our approach purposely involved using an analog game format, to create something tangible. From our research we understood that using physical objects helped people retain information better. Thus, each element in the game was carefully thought out and considered to help people build a mental and physical representation of core Blockchain elements such as Tokens, Blocks and Ledgers. Participants playing the trading game at Techfestival 2018 The game evolves over four rounds. Rounds one and two involve a simple trading game, during which participants learn about the most fundamental concepts and features of Blockchain. In round one gameplay is extremely simple, with the objective being to help participants get familiar with the rules and format of the game. Even at this early stage they begin to learn some of the basic features of a Blockchain such as blocks, a ledger and cryptographic tokens. In round two, the teams are introduced to more complex ideas, such as decentralization, mining, and double spending. In addition to the main game, they play an online game that we coded up to simulate the epic battle that occurs between machines to obtain new value, also known as Proof-of-Work mining. The winners of the mining game get to open a magic chest, which similarly to the mining in a Blockchain world, offers new value in the form of tokens. A winning miner opening the magic mining box (on loan from colleagues at CIID) In round three, we use the accumulated knowledge of the first rounds to develop new concepts for , a very difficult concept, and far more difficult to understand than how a Blockchain works. Each team brainstorms to come up with an interesting new concept, packaging it within a Token, before attempting to trade it with other teams. As the round evolves, teams are able to iterate and build upon their ideas. value Participants learn by doing, building mental and physical representations of Blockchain concepts. In round four, we bring governance into play through the use of smart contracts. Using our smart contract cards, the teams seek to create rules which apply to the overall economic system that is now in full flow. This marks the climax of the game, with teams trading new concepts of tokenized value, governed by smart contracts all recorded on a public ledger. This is what a smart contract looks like Through the game, we inspire curiosity and allow people to learn without any prerequisite knowledge, in a fun and fast-paced manner. We do this through a technique known as top-down learning — immersing participants in the world of Blockchain, building their knowledge, and allowing them to start asking relevant and insightful questions. This usually evolves into a group discussion facilitated by us, using tools like slides, stories and examples to reinforce knowledge and develop a precise technical vocabulary. Does the Game Work? To date, we have used the game in our ‘Designing with Blockchain’ workshops, which range from half a day, to five day sessions. In longer sessions we run a full design workshop, in order to help people come up with robust concepts which employ the features of Blockchain — facilitating value transfer, in transparent systems, where trust is a feature. We’ve taken the game from Copenhagen to Kochi Thus far we have had more than 100 people play the game, held workshops from Copenhagen to Kochi, and the feedback has been great. We’ve had computer science graduates tell us that it has helped them make sense of Blockchain. We have inspired a commerce professor to go down the Blockchain rabbit hole. In general the game has proven to be a great equalizer, making the technology and its potential accessible to a wide audience. We’ve heard from many people that they’d struggled for months trying to grasp even the basics of Blockchain, but by playing our game, in just a few hours they not only could understand what Blockchain is, but could begin to craft their own concepts. We’re especially proud of the feedback we’ve received from participants who work within the philanthropic, NGO and public sector, who have told us that our approach has helped them uncover a world of new opportunities. What’s Next We have had an amazing response to the game, been nominated for some awards, and have been inundated with requests to run workshops ( ). and we’re always happy to receive more As we are currently a team of two, it is proving to be quite difficult to run enough workshops, so this year, we will be developing a stand-alone game that could be used in organizations, classrooms, and even at home. Coming to your favourite crowd-funding site soon! What’s been most satisfying is that our approach to making education fun, and creating a new way of engaging with Blockchain, seems to have struck a chord. While this article has focused largely on the game, we will be publishing a further article explaining our take on Blockchain and some of the outcomes of our Designing with Blockchain workshops in the coming weeks. and are co-founders of , Making Blockchain More Human. We are alumni of The with whom we will be running later this year. (sign-up!) Cyrus Clarke John Ferreira What The Block Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design workshops We’d love to hear what you think, so do reply with any questions and comments you might have. And of course feel free to get in touch with us here

What the Bl*ck is Blockchain?

Despite the boom in the demand for educational products for adults, the current average completion rate of the courses is quite low. For example, for MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)  it is . As a founder of an EdTech startup, I’m sure the main metric for the educational product is not how many people bought it, but how many completed it and then apply the knowledge form it in practice. approximately 15% And our completion rate is currently 65%! To create the course that people will complete, it is essential to know the motivational design principles and build a program based on them. Together with learning experience designer Karina Arushtova, we have created educational programs that students are excited and motivated to complete. Let's explore how to do it! What is motivational design and how does it function? When was the last time you promised yourself to start something new - to study, to lose weight, or to save money? Adults quite often promise to "start a new life on Monday," but by "Wednesday," many go back to the previous scenario. Why does this happen? At the beginning of the journey to a new goal, we clearly imagine the final result - buying a car, a perfect shape, a dream vacation. But then the motivation becomes less intense and disappears altogether. To prevent this from happening, it is important to know the cycles of adult motivation and take it into account in the program, so that the adult student gets support, advice, and recommendation in time and admits the progress. The itself is defined as the process of arranging resources and procedures to bring about changes in people's motivation. motivational design To properly motivate the audience, it is important to understand what their vision of the final result is and periodically remind them in the process of learning about the result that the student will get if he doesn't give up. For instance, in exploring the Refocus students' motives during CustDevs studies, we identified two key groups of people with different motivational drivers: - learners who need to acquire new skills required to switch a career. A successful result as they see it is a complete change of occupation to earn more, often working remotely, and fulfill their talents. Re-skillers - want to systematize knowledge, get promoted, and make the transition from one marketing position to another. At the end of the course, they imagine how they can earn more and buy a house, a car, and improve their quality of life. Up-skillers Segmenting is important because it proves that people buy the same product for completely different reasons. So, it’s impossible to create a motivational design without knowing what are the pains and needs of the audience. Recognizing intrinsic motivation is concerned with the pleasure the adult learner gets from the process of learning. It includes the interest and enjoyment the student feels when performing a given task. To engage students, educational startups should handle it in the first place. To recognize students’ intrinsic motivation, we have a 4-step process: Intrinsic motivation at the beginning of the course, where students determine the results they want to achieve in the program. To make this process effective, we introduce a , which means goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. This approach eliminates generalities and guesswork, sets a clear timeline, and makes it easier to track progress and identify missed milestones. 1. Goal-setting meeting SMART goal-setting system SMART Goal Example: I will apply data analyst skills in my work (for promotion) within 6 months after graduation from the course. Students are working with 3 tables and stickers: GOALS, FEARS, and WHAT WILL HELP/SUPPORT, and the results are discussed in a group.  This help students not only understand that other have similar fears but also gain support from the community. And this is working! When such sessions are held, students write that they appreciate the goal-setting they get and motivation from others 2. Miro board introduction. To learn it, we conduct CustDevs qualitative studies where we ask newcomers about their experience and expectations. During this part, we found, for instance, that among their expectations are: ‘’to learn the programs required to do data analysis’’, ‘’collaboration with other classmates and instructors/mentors’’, ‘’timely feedback for each project during the course’’. Moreover, we regularly ask for feedback during the live session and receive similar results. That helps us focus on things that are actually important for our students. 3. Recognizing the student's expectations from the education. Students are describing their feelings now, what they will take with them after the session and what they wish for themselves. 4. ’Final reflection’’. That’s how it looks: Analyzing extrinsic factors Extrinsic motivation is related to the rewards that the student receives at the end of the course. Usually, the key reason adults attend courses is to gain more income. This is confirmed by statistics – 55% of adult learners named "increasing my earning potential" as a desired benefit of additional education. After market research, it became clear that adult students in Asia value certificates very much — it is really considered prestigious, which is why we also emphasize that and give them even free webinars. LinkedIn Also, during our training, we implemented various elements of gamification and rewards for completing tasks. Shortly, we want to add a mentor for each cohort of students, who will monitor progress and give encouragement. Implement the results in the educational program framework The results of student motivation research are worthless without knowing how to apply them. To properly engage motivational incentives in the learning process and inspire students to complete the course, we use the . SSDL model The model aims to help the student go beyond regular learning and find the correlation between education and the further use of knowledge. If you just give content in a course without practical cases, the adult learner will quickly get bored and his or her engagement will drop. After all, we live in the information age, and any knowledge can be obtained from Google or free webinars. As an educational startup, your task is to encourage the student to examine the relationship between study and work. For example, that’s the reason why we apply mentors who do have real-life experience in the sphere: students get the feedback almost as if they’re already working. SSDL model consists of 4 stages, and that is how you can increase students’ performance in each: . At the beginning of the course, students rely completely on the professor, since he is more experienced, and has already gone on this journey and achieved the result that the students themselves want to achieve. Stage 1. Learners of low self-direction (Dependent) Practice tools: Educational startups can build interest with such instruments as providing instant feedback, analysis of needs and goals, and "quick success" - activities that lead to positive results and give students confidence in their abilities. Here students become interested in learning, and it is crucial to reinforce it. That can be done through strong personal interaction with the mentor, inspirational stories from the lecturers, and clear explanations: "This tool helps develop this skill, that's why it's valuable’’. Stage 2. Learners of Moderate Self-Direction (Interested). : One of the great instruments at this stage might be exercises on the LMS –small assessment methods like tests or similar things. It takes around 1 hour to interact with all the content and all the exercises. For example, ‘’please choose a correct definition of "Target audience". The platform itself usually assesses these tasks. Practice tools We also provide case studies during outro sessions. After each module, our students join a 3-hour live session that a community manager hosts. The first half is the cognitive reflection of the module combined with getting feedback on the module from the students. The second part is hosted by a mentor. A mentor gives case studies — 20-minute tasks in tiny groups to do right then & there. Groups present their solutions before each other and get feedback from the present mentor. . At this stage, the student wants not only to pose questions but also to seek answers to them and collaborate with other students enjoying the friendly interaction of a welcoming group. The role of the instructor in the third stage is a facilitator. Stage 3: Learners of Intermediate Self-Direction (Involved) : We usually give students real-life tasks and discuss challenges they encountered during the assignment. For it, we suggest live sessions with the community manager as a moderator, where interested students can collaborate and do tasks together. Practice tools These are already autonomous students who need teachers as advisors.  Students here already want to work and do internships to put what they have learned into real life quickly. Stage 4. Learners of high self-direction. : Refocus provides students with real client briefs as close to real life as possible. To achieve it, we have partnered with some local companies that are interested in hiring our students later. The project assignment is assessed both by the client and mentor. While the client gives oral feedback during the presentation, the mentor provides oral and written feedback based on assessment criteria. Practice tools Screenshot from onboarding Internship meeting for our students To sum up It’s not enough to launch an educational product that satisfies market needs - it should also be useful and for your audience. Key tips for EdTech startups to boost completion rate: comfortable Analyze your audience and their explanations - what is the ambition of each segment, Identify students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation by implementing goal-setting meetings at the beginning of the course, Add hands-on assignments and work with real-world cases into the learning process, Provide regular meetings with a mentor to help students achieve their goals. Give feedback and help improve performance. Use gamification to engage students Link theory to the practical application of knowledge - let students work with real client briefs.

How To Create a Useful Educational Product for Adults using Motivational Design

The conflict has revealed the importance of information warfare in the modern era more than any other in history. Social media has often been the battleground, with Russia using various platforms to promote propaganda and disinformation to hide the truth. However, Ukrainian volunteer groups and advertising agencies worldwide have fought back using digital marketing campaigns to counter Russian propaganda, which, despite their limited resources and prospects of daily terror, have had a huge impact on turning the tide back in Ukraine’s favor on the digital battlefield. Russia-Ukraine A lot of companies and agencies are involved in this fightback, using their resources and extensive networks to accomplish hugely impressive goals. Examples include the Ukrainian ad agency Banda, which struck a deal with the Ukraine government in the early weeks of the war to being shown by regular people and inspire mass resistance; the  German web agency that which, when included in a web page with a Russian IP, pushed a pop-up ad to the visitor telling them that their government was lying to them; and the London digital marketing expert who that pushed Russian readers to independent Russian-language news sources about the conflict. By late 2022, this latter effort had reached two million people, with volunteers even discussing how to hack into digital billboards on the Moscow Metro. promote the everyday bravery posted a script crowdfunded targeted ads These achievements, and many more that are yet to even be conceived, represent an incredible blend of willpower, creativity, and dedication, sometimes in extreme circumstances. The Fightback Begins Few would have expected digital media companies to be at the heart of the effort to repel the Russian advance, but this is exactly what is happening. The prospect of a unique and, to those companies based in , very personal challenge, has fostered a new mindset and has energized the individuals working for these companies. As a result, they have come up with unique ways to not just counter Russian propaganda and cyber terrorism, but take the challenge to the Russians. Ukraine Early efforts focused on digital ad campaigns aimed at raising money for Ukraine's armed forces, but when misinformation and propaganda from Russia’s famous St Petersburg ‘troll factory’ via social media, adverts, and Telegram groups, these groups changed their mindset - soon, the aim was countering these lies. These efforts were by those under direct threat of attack. began to spread across the world conducted from the front line One of the companies that have really stepped up to the plate is the crypto-focused advertising agency Bitmedia, which has found itself not only influencing the opinions of Russian citizens in their own country but has also had a direct impact on the front line. Bitmedia is focused on the cryptocurrency space, typically working with clients in this sector, and if anything has proved the power of crypto in recent years it’s the Ukraine conflict; the various organizations campaigning for crypto donations have raised over $70 million, including through the . sale of government-issued NFTs Bitmedia started by deploying its internal resources to counter Russian propaganda and paint a picture of the actual situation in Ukraine, using information from less partisan organizations so that people across the globe could get a more honest perspective of the effect the war was having on Ukraine and its people. Another aim was to show people in Russia and its Russia-controlled neighbor Belarus the massive loss of life and property that was taking place in Ukraine, which was being hidden from them. The hope was to help these citizens evaluate their support for the war and take steps to stop the mindless destruction by holding their government accountable. The digital outreach achieved by Bitmedia has reportedly yielded massive results - the company says it has recorded more than three billion impressions of banner ads shown to people living in Russia and Belarus and more than two billion impressions for the content shown to people in Europe. Public support for the war in Russia has reportedly diminished in the year since it started, with the British Ministry of Defence that it found public backing to be “falling significantly” at the time. Similarly, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace that the number of hardline supporters has “not grown substantially” as the Kremlin would have hoped. This shows that the messages regarding the truth of the war are getting through, and Bitmedia’s role in helping the truth get to the usually sheltered citizenry can’t be underestimated. claiming in December 2022 found in March Front Line Impact Bitmedia hasn’t just taken the fight to Russia on the virtual front. It has tapped up its extensive network of contacts and supporters across Europe and has helped equip Ukrainian soldiers with crucial equipment such as vehicles, walkie-talkies, clothing, and most importantly, food and medical supplies. With a solid pipeline to the front line in place, it focused on restoring a sense of normalcy – as much as the situation would allow – for those most affected by the war, launching a fundraiser to support orphans in children's shelters in the West of Ukraine and the Kyiv region. The funds raised were deployed to spread the spirit of Christmas in the shelters to create an environment of love and care and give them a sense of belonging and happiness during a particularly difficult time. Ukraine’s Post-war Vision The war in Ukraine has brought to light the shifting nature of information warfare in modern conflicts and the various ways in which online media can be used to de-escalate conflict as well as stoke it. With the rise of social media and the decentralization of traditional media sources, ordinary people have become crucial players in disseminating information to counter government propaganda. The ability to use modern communication methods to wage wars beyond a combatant’s borders is not a new phenomenon, but the internet has destroyed traditional barriers to mass communication and has allowed individuals to engage in information warfare on a bigger scale than ever before. In Ukraine, ordinary citizens have taken to social media to share their stories and experiences of the conflict, posting photos and videos of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians standing up to Russian forces to spur on the country’s defenders and citizens. This has been facilitated by the country's high level of computer literacy and education, allowing for more sophisticated use of social media for resistance and information sharing. Companies have been inspired by these grassroots movements and have built on their efforts to make a real difference in the conflict. Attention is already turning to how the talents, creativity, and dedication already shown by these digital freedom fighters in Ukraine can be used to benefit the country once the war is won. Plans are already in place to rebuild the most affected and least-developed regions of the country, providing its residents with internet access and promoting cryptocurrency adoption as an independent means of payment. Bitmedia and its charity organization also plan to invest more of its resources into educating Ukrainians nationwide about the massive transformational potential of cryptocurrencies so they can understand the role that the new form of currency can play in democratizing financial freedom and security. Bitmedia Charity Fund It’s fair to say that companies would not have expected to be in the position of using their talents and experience to influence an international war taking place so close to home, but the real-world results that they, and all online Ukrainian resistance members, have shown to date is an example of what can be achieved today on the digital battlefield.

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