The traditional definition of Learn to Earn means learning a skill from employers that pay as you learn which is similar concept to being an apprentice. This definition was suitable for many years, however, it has changed a lot recently, thanks to the exponentially increasing development of digital technologies. We are witnessing the fourth industrial revolution. Almost every industry is subject to these changes right now. Even the gaming industry, which is still very young, is being disrupted by the blockchain technology. Play-to-earn games are getting more and more popular and some people can even make a living out of it. This is amazing, isn’t it? It also applies to the e-learning industry with some similarities. Same as the gaming sector, e-learning is also quite new, and with the massively increasing popularity of Web3 enabled Learn-to-Earn platforms that are fast-growing ecosystems this industry will be huge soon. New technologies allow such platforms to create amazing incentive mechanisms to bring learning and self-development to the whole new level or even to a new dimension. Let’s call it “Learn to Earn 2.0”, shall we? Now let’s discuss what the “new” L2E is and how the innovative technologies can impact the engagement of learners and turn the learning process into an exciting journey.
Social Networking and Specialized Communities
Everybody knows how important networking is in various aspects of our lives. It’s also crucial when it comes to accelerating the learning pace and finding a new job. Many people nowadays seek for a new job not by sending CVs and applying in a traditional way but by using LinkedIn and other social networking platforms. Modern L2E platforms, such as Skillsbite have job boards. Vision of finding a job may be a great incentive to join such a platform. Many e-learning platforms offer guaranteed work practices after finishing a specific course. It makes the whole path much easier and convenient from a logistics point of view and is a great time saver, incentive, and a reward that encourages potential learners.
Masterminds
Many people that achieved master level in various areas say that the breaking point in their careers was joining a group of people with the same goal to elevate each other and to share knowledge. It’s similar to Facebook groups and other forums, but much smaller and more valuable, where members share their knowledge more willingly, without non-experienced, misinformative users that are so common on public forums. Such groups are often called masterminds and this knowledge sharing model is very effective in which a synergy effect can be observed, where 2+2=5.
Easy access to mentors and experts
The Internet gives the ability to write directly to our favorite actor or musician, and there is a big chance that they will read it and even reply. Many people don’t realize how powerful the internet is in terms of the possibilities to contact almost anyone that we want. It is the same with the educational sector. L2E platforms allow for easy access to great teachers, experts and mentors from any part of the globe. This ability to interact 1vs1 with mentors that someone admire is a great incentive to engage learners.
Access to unlimited knowledge resources
The amount of data on the internet is growing exponentially. It is easy to fall into a knowledge pitfall while trying to learn something new, as there is so much high-quality content, as well as there is a lot of low-quality misinformative content. To solve this problem, Skillsbite provides a knowledge resources base curated by experts. Reviews and recommendations systems will help users to choose the resources that they believe are good and thus ensure them that they made a good decision.
Personalized content
Thanks to the sophisticated algorithms, AI, and an advanced search engine, each member will see a personalized content tailored exactly to his needs. This will increase the engagement rate, as users will only see what they are actually interested in.
Some people don’t like the idea of personalized content and to see shoes advertisements everywhere just because they searched for them in google five minutes ago and they call it living in an informational bubble. On the other hand, this kind of personalization may be a quality of life improvement if used wisely and it can save time and filter out the unwanted information. Skillsbite believes in the power of personalization.
Gamified certificates and incentives
Gamification — an incentives system with visual experience or reputation points progress bar and a skill tree with notable points and milestones are some of the crucial factors in terms of engagement. The hierarchy system is coded in our DNA — it’s just a part of our primal instincts. That is why people like to rank up in the games so much, and Skillsbite uses these mechanisms in its educational ecosystem to attract users and keep them engaged for a long term. Such achievements have no monetary value, but they are strong motivators and they have a high value for potential employers. Blockchain-based system of achievements and certificates that are immutable ensures users that their skills and experience can be easily owned, showcased and its authenticity can be instantly verified. This system also helps users to look forward towards long-term goals instead of just focusing on completing a single lesson or a short course. Long term planning and having a roadmap is essential in almost every aspect of our lives, both in terms of staying motivated and achieving goals.
Edutainment
Edutainment is a word that combines education and entertainment. The previously mentioned system of gamified digital rewards etc. is a great tool to turn a learning process into an entertaining, attractive or even exciting experience and to keep users motivated and satisfied. Having fun in what we do is crucial and that is why Skillsbite bets on Edutainment in its educational ecosystem. There are a lot of people that are hard-working and disciplined, but not dedicated because they don’t find joy in what they do. It is quite often that people with less discipline or those who just work less have better results because they are dedicated. They are often called more talented, but that is not always the case. Talent is a never-ending passion, and the best way to learn fast and work hard on self-development is to do it with passion. That is why Skillsbite aims to disrupt the traditional educational system and to make the learning process not only valuable, but also something to be passionate about.
Summary
It is inevitable that online Learn-to-earn platforms will soon replace the whole traditional educational system, including universities. Learn-to-earn can help people with barriers to employment such as young age or lack of experience to elevate themselves and to find a dream job. Employers don’t care about the study diploma nowadays that much as it was before, although it is still very good to have of course, to be clear. What they care about most nowadays is which specific skills a potential employee has acquired, and it is less important for them how or where did they get it. That is why Skillsbite platform is flexible and allows users to learn exactly and only what they need to and on top of that — to have fun while doing it.
We believe that the more educated people — the better the world that we live in will be.
Stay tuned- more information about Skillsbite and Digital University will be announced soon.