I just discoved DesignBay. It works like this: I want a some graphic design work done. I submit a "Design Contest", paying USD30 and providing a design brief and a budget. Designers respond to this, submitting proposals. If I find something I like, I choose one hand over the cash. Or not... and all I lose is USD30.

It is possible to browse the submissions, and this is what made an impact on me: this could be a great way of getting inspiration, but also for learning about design. I can imagine an assignment where students pick a brief and crit 5 submitted designs. Or you could simply spend some free time browsing the site and getting inspiration for a project. Quite an interesting approach to crowd-surfing.