Intensive Co-Learning – An Educational Public Good for the Future Digital World
In this era of information explosion, high-quality learning resources are easily accessible, yet sustaining continuous learning has become increasingly challenging. Busy professionals can no longer simply sit in a classroom and study as before, and learning on their own online often falters due to a lack of motivation and peer support. Intensive Co-Learning uses strict study rules and an open collaborative framework to bring order and efficiency to online self-study. To date, it has helped hundreds of learners build lasting study habits.
Is the future of learning destined to follow the old model—having classrooms, teachers, and semester-long courses with systematic knowledge transmission? We believe there could be better solutions.
As alumni, we no longer have extended periods to commit to a fixed classroom. With the advancement of the internet, we can access excellent learning materials and choose to study only what truly interests us. However, the process often lacks the persistent drive, encouragement, and peer interaction needed to sustain learning. This is why co-learning has emerged as an effective educational and re-education mechanism.
What is Co-Learning and What Makes “Intensive Co-Learning” Unique?
When asked what co-learning is, ChatGPT replied: “Co-learning is the process where learners, sharing the same environment, work together through interaction, knowledge sharing, and collaboration to achieve common goals.” Today, co-learning is widely adopted in many communities and educational projects. Intensive Co-Learning differs by incorporating “intensive” rules, such as:
• A fixed 21-day learning cycle designed to build solid study habits—no late joiners allowed. • Mandatory daily study of at least 30 minutes (ideally one hour). • Study notes and proofs must be uploaded to GitHub for transparency and mutual accountability. • A maximum of two absences per week—failure to check in leads to elimination from the current cycle.
These seemingly simple rules are boosted by gamified elements, ensuring:
• Simplicity: No overthinking—just study every day. • Social Accountability: Public commitment and peer supervision enhance motivation. • Manageable Duration: Three weeks is sufficient to delve into a subject without being overwhelming.
Moreover, by leveraging a GitHub-based process, Intensive Co-Learning embraces blockchain-like attributes:
• Fully Remote: Learn online from anywhere with an internet connection—the check-in time is adjusted to your time zone. • Open and Transparent: All study notes are public and open-source, allowing anyone to learn from the collective resources—even if they didn’t enroll. • Decentralized: No teacher is required; anyone can start an Intensive Co-Learning session and invite peers. • Permissionless: Anyone with a desire to learn can initiate or join a session.
The results speak for themselves:
• Knowledge Acquisition: Emphasizing consistency and output avoids the typical “three-day enthusiasm” pitfall, enabling focused learning on what matters most. • Low Operational Cost: Whether it’s a book, video series, articles, or research papers, any material can form the basis of a session without elaborate preparations—learning itself is the reward. • Community Engagement: Collaborative learning strengthens bonds and deepens understanding, drawing in like-minded individuals and fostering inter-community exchanges. • Original Content: Each participant’s unique and creative notes often spark new ideas and insights, with outstanding work naturally recognized.
Over six months of operation, Intensive Co-Learning has attracted 356 participants with an average elimination rate of 60.32% per session. Even with its rigorous approach, many persevere until the end.
Official Launch of Intensive Co-Learning as an Educational Public Good
The Intensive Co-Learning model was first explored by Bruce Xu during his 2019 mathematics studies with promising results. In April 2024, while studying the Ethereum protocol (https://x.com/brucexu_eth/status/1775319533420736993), Bruce re-adopted a similar approach, receiving excellent feedback. This led to the formal launch of the Intensive Co-Learning project at LXDAO (https://forum.lxdao.io/t/topic/1654), with Muxin as the project manager. Over the past six months, LXDAO has organized nine sessions on diverse themes, including:
• “English Intensive Co-Learning” to boost international communication skills. • “Web3-URL Intensive Co-Learning” in collaboration with EthStorage, introducing new technologies to developers and gathering invaluable feedback. • “Narrative-Reading Intensive Co-Learning” with Uncommons, exploring the intersection of humanities and blockchain to shape the future society. • …and more.
Other organizations, such as DeFiHackLabs, have also adopted this model for sessions like Web3 CTF Intensive Co-Learning and Solidity Intensive Co-Learning, attracting many developers.
Based on its success and positive impact, we are confident Intensive Co-Learning will become a key educational public good in the cyber world of the future—a solution addressing educational coordination challenges, optimizing teaching materials, learner interactions, and operational efficiency. Our ambitious milestone is to have 23,553,806 participants join this learning model—enough to circle the globe.
The Intensive Co-Learning Roadmap
After official approval at LXDAO, we plan to invest R&D resources to develop a website and automation tools that simplify initiating sessions and searching for courses. We will index all study notes to make peer learning even easier. Future enhancements will include badges, certificates, staking rewards, and more. Our roadmap includes:
• Phase One: Launch the basic website and automation tools to support session creation, check-in tracking, and continuous operation, while promoting sessions across communities. • Phase Two: Refine and expand the model based on feedback, enriching the learning experience and achieving commercial sustainability. • Phase Three: Scale up brand promotion to expand participation and create a new learning trend, reinvesting extra revenue into other public goods.
We Need Your Support
In today’s restless Web3 environment, if you aspire to be an outstanding Web3 Buidler, dedicating time to deeply learn a skill is invaluable. We invite you to join us and even initiate your own Intensive Co-Learning sessions with like-minded peers—you’re sure to gain a lot!
LXDAO has already provided a quarter’s worth of incubation support and funding. The Intensive Co-Learning project is now seeking grants to secure at least one year of further development and operation. Funding will primarily support platform development, brand promotion, and incentives for key sessions. Although Intensive Co-Learning is a free public good that might not yield immediate commercial returns, we hope supporters will maintain realistic expectations—and if a viable commercialization model emerges, your support will be prioritized with corresponding benefits.
For questions or suggestions, please contact PM Muxin via Telegram (muxin_eth) or WeChat (_muxin_00).
For more information: GitHub: https://github.com/IntensiveCoLearning Discussion forum: https://forum.lxdao.io/t/topic/1654 Project proposal: https://snapshot.org/#/lxdao.eth/proposal/0xc23892686634688e48a7a140a8bdff9438cdfba03a2c57160a0ccb8412614533