Work.Courses - Educational platform powered by Cardano

Collections 31.01.2024

Introduction

In recent years, as education increasingly shifted to online platforms, The Working Dead team identified an opportunity to create their own educational platform with a unique twist – powered by Cardano!

The Working Dead started as a collection of 6666 NFTs on Cardano - with an ambitious plan to develop a WEB3 educational platform with its own blockchain-driven economics. Addressing key challenges in traditional WEB2 educational platforms, The Working Dead team aims to address issues such as learner isolation, unfair conditions for educators, and the abundance of low-quality courses. And they've shown their abilities to deliver - the platform is already live.

Work.Courses - platform

At first glance, Work.Courses may appear similar to other existing course sites, but it comes with significant differences. The platform features a highly intuitive interface, with neatly organized courses and instructor categories, facilitating easy navigation. The team has done an excellent job in creating a platform that mirrors the familiarity of WEB2 while incorporating WEB3 technology, targeting both experienced users and newcomers to the WEB3 environment.

In the world of WEB3, your wallet serves as your account, eliminating the need for traditional email logins. Work.Courses offers login options with multiple Cardano wallets and the Metamask wallet, indicating their intention to reach beyond the existing Cardano audience.

Upon logging in, users are presented with a wide range of courses across various categories such as development, WEB3, trading, languages, art, and more. Currently, the platform offers almost 80 courses, with the catalog continuously expanding.

Another noteworthy feature is the ability for anyone to create their own course and submit it for review by the team. However, not all courses are approved, as mentioned in the project GitBook, ensuring quality control and maintaining high standards for course offerings.

Economics

To bridge the gap between blockchain and education, the Work.Courses platform utilizes the $WORK token as its primary currency. Learners utilize this token to enroll in courses, while educators accept it as payment for their courses. Additionally, lecturers have the option to include ADA as an alternative payment method.

Fees also play an important role not only in balancing the emissions from staking and platform usage, but also help develop fund the platform development and infrastructure, and importantly give the team more options to make sure the economics are balanced.

What sets Work.Courses apart is the introduction of a novel concept known as Learn and Earn. This initiative allows learners to earn additional $WORK tokens as they engage with the platform, complete courses, and provide feedback. The Learn and Earn mechanics aim to enhance platform interactivity, motivating learners to not only start courses but also to finish them. The team's roadmap includes the launch of an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and the gradual introduction of additional features.

Planned Learn and Earn reward mechanisms include $WORK rewards for course completion, daily streak bonuses, dynamic rewards based on course complexity, milestone rewards, and missions. The team aims to evolve the system based on community input and feedback.

These unique mechanics position Learn and Earn as a promising concept for implementing reward systems, where users actually own their progress and successes, potentially allowing them to trade rewards on the secondary market.

NFTs & Token

The Working Dead project consists of 6666 NFTs on Cardano and a collection of 10,000 NFTs on Ethereum. While these NFTs can make a great PFP, the team's primary focus is on delivering utility associated with the NFTs.

NFT holders can benefit from revenue sharing from the platform, gain access to exclusive course materials, Learn and Earn rewards system, and non-custodialy stake their NFTs for daily $WORK rewards.

Recently, the team introduced updated tokenomics for the $WORK token. Under this plan, 29.5% of the token supply is allocated to platform usage to incentivize learners, reward creators, and finance various activities. Additionally, 21.91% is allocated to NFT staking, with rewards emission gradually decreasing over time. Looking ahead, the team has ensured team allocations for future development and the project's treasury.

The recent changes might have played a role in driving up activity on the Work.Courses platform, alongside a noticeable rise in both NFT and $WORK token prices. Just in January, the floor price of The Working Dead collection on Cardano has increased by 360% (43 to 159 ADA) and even more from the all time low price 29 ADA in December 2023.

Conclusion

Work.Courses stands at the intersection of WEB3, blockchain, and education, offering a unique blend of innovative technology and education. The Working Dead team has demonstrated their ability to create a highly user-centric product with tangible real-world applications and its own integrated economy. The recent surge in NFT prices, alongside the price increase of the $WORK token and the growing user base on the platform, serve as clear indicators of the platform's quality and relevance in the market.

Furthermore, the introduction of the Learn and Earn mechanism highlights the platform's commitment to create interactive learning experiences and incentivizing user engagement, enhancing its overall appeal and success in the educational landscape. Through this initiative, users can actively participate in the learning process while earning rewards, reinforcing the platform's position as a leader in blockchain-based education.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information and summary of projects and protocols on Cardano. This is for educational purposes only. By no means should not be construed as financial or investment advice. Collecting and investing in tokens should be approached with careful consideration and research.