View source for Daemo as a RPG (Milestone 5) yoni.dayan

== Goal of this page ==

To expand and go deeper in the idea linking personal/prof development with crowdsourcing, that has emerged for a few weeks in the #learning Slack channels, #games, the general one and now the #ogov one, from contributors like @trygve, @arichmondfuller, @dilrukshi, @pierref, @yoni.dayan, and more.

== Problem statement ==

As shown by:
1) A simple observation and the use of most of the crowdsourcing platform 
2) Testimonials from crowdworkers, crowdrequesters, including during our hangout during Week 2.

We have a starting postulate that current crowdsourcing platforms have a three-fold problem:
1) Crowdworkers have this impression to be just a little ring of the long keychain, and trapped into a productivist frame where they feel they need to over-work on a task, over-achieve, and chain tasks that are often not interesting them but that are more rewarding in terms of money than others. This race for profitability (time/money vs task) is hindering their professional and personal developmet.
2) It's very difficult for newcomers to enter this crowdsourcing work world.
3) Issue of reputation system, pressurizing crowdworker (rating, etc.) as explained in [http://crowdresearch.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Wintermilestone_2_yoni.dayan Milestone 2].

== Experience as a gamer and learner ==

As i think the value of crowdresearch initiatives is to "leverage the crowd", e.g., use our diversity and the different expertise we bring, i will continue to do a sweep of my experience and tentatively apply it to Daemo.

=== Gamer ===

==== 1. Principles ====
I've been a gaming journalist for a decade and a gamer for more than 25 years. My favorite genre is RPG (role playing game), consisting of incarnating a character and developing his skills to be ready enough for some challenges (like killing a boss). This organization is giving players a sense of development, of effort, is incredibly satisfying, and addicting.

In RPGs, you usually have to choose a class of character with a set of attributes/capabilities, like mage (wise caster, throwing magic from distance), warrior (melee fighter), etc.

You don't have all what you ultimately are capable of doing, from the start. You need to master your first skill, then unlock other skills the mor you progress in your adventure.

==== 2. Progression mechanisms ====
1) By levels (like AD&D). The more you kill enemies (or talk your way through it through dialogues, etc.), the more you gain experience points. Once you've reached a specific amount of experience points, you gain a level. Once you gain a level, you can unlock a new competence.

2) By use (Elder Scrolls). The more you use a skill, the more you master it and gain levels in that specific skill, and then can unlock the following skill. Your competencies progression is less free than in case 1, but more natural.

==== 3. Visualization ====
Usually in the form of a "talent tree" of different tiers. It's allowing the player to visualize where he stands in terms of capabilities, and where he can go (either by attributing points to a talent like in progression mechanism 1, or working on that skill like in progression mechanism 2). It's also incredibly addicting to be able to concretely see where we are for now and the "adventure that lies ahead", this promise of progressing and fulfilling your own potential.

[[File:talent1.png]]

[[File:talent2.png]]

[[File:talent3.jpg]]

The last picture shows an example of talent tree applied to the real job, here, web development skill.

=== Learner ===

==== 1. MOOC hardcore enthusiast ====

===== a. Background =====

I'm working for a year now on a consortium project pushing leaders of the edtech (education technology) sector to gather and do R&D on best practices and even norms in digital learning, akin to the W3C and the HTML norm. Our goal is to develop interoperable tools (like API), allowing cross-providers pathways for learners. If i want to get a job at Google, then those bridges would allow me to start taking a basic course on Khan Academy, then chaining with a more advanced one on Coursera, blending the two with a workshop in real life, etc. This needs norms in learners identification, as well as certification.

===== b. What it is for now =====

For now, we have beginning of solutions to true digital curriculum, in the form of specializations. In Coursera for example, if i want to become a data scientist, i need to master 1) the basics of data science  2) R Programming, 3) and so on. Only when i will complete all the 9 courses, culminating in a project that i need to do and that will demonstrate that i've mastered each topic covered before.

It's the same in codecademy. If you want to acquire a big competence (like being able to design a website like airbnb), i need to master subsets of skills.

==== 2. Ecole 42 ====

A coding school rooted in innovative pedagogies, where there aren't teachers anymore. Each students has a dashboard showing a galaxy of his learning pathway. If he wants to become a data scientist, he will need to master skill X (learn about it, doing a project about it showing he has knowledge and skills that can be mobilized concretely), being assessed (mix of self-assessement + exams + portfolio), then it will unlock the following, harder, skill, and so on.

== Proposed solution ==

=== General principle ===
Inspired by the aforementioned examples, adding a strong personal and professional development component to Daemo and our guild system. Having the right skills (or developing them) for a task, will be the engine driving the whole system.

=== A few ideas on how it can materialize in Daemo and our ogov and guild system ===

'''Dashboard'''
* Each crowdworker would have a personal dashboard
* Each dashboard would have the name of the crowdworker, its rank/level, its main "tag" (competencies), last tasks done, a skillmap, a messaging system, a network of friends in the guild, etc.

'''Skillmap'''
* The map would have different objects (planets, stars, etc, or it could be geometrical shapes) depending on the type of activity. Like a round for a knowledge to acquire, a triangle for an associated activity to do, a square for an associated task, a rectangle for other, etc.
* The skillmap would be blank if the crowdworker is a beginner (cold start), or partially filled if he/she has actionable skills that would be assessed through first suited tasks or other methods (peer reviews, automated exams, etc.)
* The map would be personalized and different depending on the industry and goals of the crowdworkers as well as the nature of the guild or sub-group within the guild (akin to the idea of desk developed in [http://crowdresearch.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Human-Driven-Daemo_%28Milestone_5%29_yoni.dayan Human Driven Daemo]. A coder sub-group would have a code-heavy skillmap, but always with bridges to other fields (other "galaxies") for ensured interdisciplinarity.
* Crowdworker would start at the center of the galaxy, and would need to go deeper in a skill tree to reach an inner circle (warranting him more responsibilities in the guild, better tasks, opportunities in real life), then an outward circle (having head responsibilities in the guild, being invited in very sensitive and rewarding tasks, etc.)
* At some crucial points of the skillmap, there will be assessments of the skill apparently acquired in the form of self-assessment, exams, blank tasks (to avoid situations of having a crowdworker doing a real one without anyone testing his skill before), etc. Once the assessment is passed, the geographical shape will be greenlighted.
* Some of those assessement will be done by peer (peer reviews), allowing an intertwining of your personal improvement with your surrounding community (in Daemo and even more in the guild).
* Some of those geometric shapes in the skillmap, like projects, tasks, etc, could be done in groups, to get this sense of belongingness/relatedness.

[it would be great to had a mockup here]

=== What we hope it will do ===
* Adding a sense of professional and personal progression, of improvement, incredibly addicting, boosting commitment and productivity of the worker.
* Solve the cold start issue. Beginners will have clear pathways from the start, they will kno where to begin, where to go.
* Solving issue of trust. Crowdrequesters will be able to see crowdworker skillmaps, what skills has been developed, how it was assessed and concretely applied, etc.

== Contributors ==
@yoni.dayan