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Oh! I explored the head-turning sandbox learning tool - Eth.build!

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@paragism
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The pattern of learning is ever-changing. I started to use Yahoo and Google search almost 20 years back and that time I never imagined that this thing would be so huge. Using a search engine was only an experiment for me. That time search results were not very structured. Now, most probably Google knows me more than anyone else. I was brought up in the environment of highly structured traditional learning with deep-chested books and fat notes. I miss those days now, but only the change is constant. Internet came as the catalyst for bringing new learning environment.

I don’t read the newspaper nowadays. Sometimes I go through the e-editions. Generally, I get all the news feeds from the news aggregator apps. Social media has also become the biggest source of news. All the popular news makers depend on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube now to generate traffic to their content. User-generated content has become wildly popular. Definition of entertainment is changing along with the changing information environment. The change is taking place rapidly. Source - A theatre build in Minecraft

Play how you want

Minecraft is a game developed using Java. The public alpha was released in 2009 and the game officially saw the light of the day in 2011. Since then it has been the best performing video game of all time. Minecraft has 126 million active monthly users now. In Minecraft, the players explore a computer-generated 3D world and they can discover materials or they even craft tools. It is a creative game where the players can modify the resources and create new items. The success of Minecraft lies in equipping the users with the tools to create their own game pattern. Again, it is a big shift from the traditional pattern. Same philosophy of gaming can be seen in Fallout 4, Assassin’s Creed. These games have no structured goals. Play how you want!

Laissez-faire approach & Sandbox Learning

‘Laissez-faire’ is an economic model where transactions are not monitored by any centralized authority. I can relate the approach with Minecraft game. It increases the dynamicity of the game by converting the user from passive to active mode through engagement. The main purpose of a game is to provide entertainment. Entertainment value gets enhanced when the contents are consumed as per the user’s wish. If we focus on the natural right of the user’s freedom, it creates a free environment of engagement. Let me try to draw a parallel with learning. Is learning possible without engagement? Actually, no! The learning content must engage the learner for proper learning. It doesn’t happen many times and that’s why we find learning new things boring. In sandbox learning, the learners are able to learn directly by interaction with the content. Sandbox learning provides the power of learning to the user. It is not about personalization. It is about providing the environment for the creation of enhanced engagement with content. Just imagine learning while playing! Learning with the enjoyment of gaming! It can be full of fun and can unearth a goldmine of knowledge.

“Anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn't know the first thing about either.” - Marshall McLuhan

WTF is Eth.build?

Eth.build is an educational sandbox for Web3. It has drag-and-drop programming and open source building blocks. Any layman with zero or minimum knowledge of cryptocurrency and blockchain can visually understand how Ethereum works with the help of this tool. It is made by developer Austin Griffith and he made it with a lot of passion. Recently he posted a head-turning video in YouTube to depict how the platform works and it gained rave reviews. You can play with blocks, diagrams in Eth.build and get deep insights about Ethereum. Eth.build is completely interactive and made with the objective of providing a learning environment while you play.

Often we talk about mass adoption blockchain and cryptocurrency. Without imparting knowledge in layman’s language, this won’t be possible. We need to have a proper mass learning environment. Learning through augmentative communication and interactivity can be the key to mass adoption of blockchain technology. A sandbox approach like Eth.build can surely kick-start the self-directed & non-supervised organic learning in the blockchain field. This is time to embrace creativity and innovation for creating the next generation learning standard.

Cheers! [paragism]