The availability of high-speed internet and innovative technologies has played a pivotal role in transforming the education sector. Amongst the different use cases of Blockchain technology, the focus of this blog will be to highlight how Blockchain professionals are creating some amazing solutions to make the education sector far more effective and useful.
Blockchain is the distributed ledger technology that works on peer-to-peer networking. It means that the two parties directly interact with each other without relying on the third-party. Since the third-party involvement gets completely nullified, Blockchain becomes a cost-effective and seamlessly running platform.
Some of the key characteristic of Blockchain, which has made it the attention gainer of many investors across the different industrial segment are:
Table of Contents
1. Decentralization
It is a distributed network that has various nides for verification and validation. With no central governing authority, the data or the information is easily accessible.
2. Traceability
The next differentiating factor is that Blockchain offers traceability. Since it becomes easier to track every information which is time-stamped, block-chain becomes a good solution provider to all those who are looking for an easy to tracking and tracing system.
3. Security
Though we have fast-paced into the digital era and are growing fast, the fact of the matter is that we are still witnessing the surge of data breach cases, and theft of digital identity. So, what is the solution, the conventional platforms offer two-step verification, and other verification methods, but are still prone to attack and theft, but with Blockchain, we can surely overcome this problem? Blockchain developers are working to create a platform that is infallible and is free from any threat or attack.
All these factors are useful for all the business segments, but here we will be focussing on how some of the Blockchain apps are creating a huge difference in the life of students, teachers and educational institutions.
Blockchain and education:
1. Online Education
So, the first solution which Block-chain has to offer is online education. Yes, we are still continuing with web-based education, but honestly, how much the information is correct and verified is still a matter of concern for many. With the intervention of Blockchain, the ideal solution will be provided to the online instruction. With the help of Blockchain, we can create a non-modifiable learning record for online education, and that too without depending on the third-party, In fact, students and teachers can directly interact with each other. Here is how block-chain will be benefiting:
- Learning record of students: All the information and data on the DLT is stored in a sequence after time stamping. Hence there can be no addition or deletion. So, one is assured that all the information present on it is right and valid.
- Verified certification of learning results – Blockchain provides an efficient system where student certificates can be verified easily. Blockchain makes use of an asymmetric encryption algorithm in cryptography which ensures credibility if the information on the DLT.
2. Student consent and data privacy
As a parent of a student, one has to sign various types of documents, and many of the parents are not even aware of where and how these documents will be used. Moreover, most of these forms give authority to the institution to use student data. But parents may not be able to differentiate between the consent form and where it will be used. To overcome this hurdle,
Gilda, Shlok & Mehrotra, Maanav have suggested the use of hyperledger fabric and composer. The latter makes use of digital agreement to be executed without relying on the third party requirement. This framework blocks repeated authorization, which allows the educational institutions to grant access to data for any legal purpose.
3. Education records-
Another probable use of Blockchain application will be in maintaining the education records. Since a lot of information needs to be saved in college and institution, while having an efficient system, but their data volume is increasing, and hence there will be a need for a platform that can provide a solution where one can store the data and access it. Since Blockchain allows easy access to all the information, and all this data is time-stamped and encrypted cryptographically. Thus making this system completely safe and secure. Mostly the private blockchain is used for this purpose. There have been various developments in this case where permission Blockchain platforms are used to make the system absolutely safe and tamper-free.
4. Smart contracts–
One of the most revolutionary changes that Block-chain has brought forth is smart contracts. These are pre-programmed contracts that get executed, once the conditions of the contracts are met. This contract can be used by the teachers to assign the task to the students, and once they complete the task, they will get access to the next course. The teachers can decide the date, course and timeline of the assignment, and students have to follow it. Once they complete the assignment, they will get the credit to access the next course set.
Some of the examples:
Blockcerts:
It is an open-source platform that allows storage and verification of digital certificates.
APPI
It is a career experience verifier and a recruitment platform. On this platform, students can craft their resumes, and add all of their credentials like qualifications and achievements. The Blockchain platform verifies this data by sharing the same with the educational institutions.
Concluding thoughts
So, this was the basics about how Blockchain is transforming the industry, and how students and teachers are benefitting from this. There are many other Blockchain applications like Sony Global Education, ODEM, Bit Degree, and more that are leveraging Blockchain technology for the betterment of the education segment. Blockchain developers are working on creating such technologies that can help in making the system even better. You can also be a part of the Blockchain bandwagon by opting for Blockchain certification. Visit blockchain-council.org to explore more about the right certification program in Blockchain. The technology is moving ahead and is engulfing all the business segments and making them more efficient. So, enroll for Blockchain certification, and start learning more about this technology.
Also Read: 10 Mistakes To Avoid During PSD To WordPress Conversion
