A Blockchain Education Network: The New Era of Scholastics

August 29, 2018

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Blockchain technology continues to see expansion into every business sector, including the education system. The added efficiency and security of implementing of a blockchain protocol is undeniable.

The paper-based system that dominates most of the educational networks of the world is grossly outdated, and there is no real global consensus on the overall status of education. These systems have left educators in a state of confusion regarding the level of understanding that students possess. Blockchain technology could be the answer to so many of the current problems facing the world’s schools. As you are about to learn, there are already some impressive blockchain-based platforms doing their part to further the cause.

Blockchain technology could allow us to change both the way we teach and the way we learn, by improving our ability to monitor these critical attributes in real-time. Let’s take a moment to examine a few ways in which this revolutionary technology can be employed to improve the global educational network.

Blockchain Student Database – Permanent Record

Your school transcripts, or permanent record, are a critical part of the education system’s monitoring process. Unfortunately, the current paper-based system is expensive and closed to the public. A blockchain-based solution could cut costs by providing each student with a unique identification tag that could easily be referenced by educational systems requiring info from anywhere in the world.

Perhaps even more important is the fact that the transparent nature of blockchain technology would allow students to be able to access the information as well. This untethered access could help students to monitor their academic progress and find out where they are going wrong.

Sony Headquarters via Boyanov

IBM and Sony have teamed up to create a platform to tackle the current mess that is school transcripts. The program is combining a Sony built blockchain with IBM cloud technology to create a revolutionary system for tracking and sending school transcripts globally.

Global Blockchain Education Networks

Imagine that this information is part of a more extensive global blockchain education network. This network would allow students to transfer schools without the need of sending their transcripts. It would also eliminate the majority of costs associated with storing, monitoring, altering, and updating this data.

A global blockchain education network allows for large-scale monitoring. This ability would give the world its first glimpse at the actual educational status of the world’s schools and students. Each student’s blockchain fingerprint, along with all of their relevant data, provides an in-depth overview of the students progress. In addition, this data allows professors to pinpoint areas in need of improvement.

Blockchain Education Network – Shared Curriculum

In the current state, the educational system consists of localized districts. Teachers instruct students with a national curriculum. Then, tests confirm the level of understanding achieved by students. The problem is that there is no way to ensure that the best curriculum wins out on local levels. Storing an approved curriculum on a blockchain network could ensure that all students are getting the most up-to-date approved information possible.

The price of books is no small matter, and a digital curriculum could be implemented to create a universal and more cost-effective system than the current paper-based version. These savings could benefit schools in lower income regions because these schools usually lack the resources to continuously update their curriculum to reflect changes.

Blockchain Graduation Systems

The US Department of Education is looking to create a blockchain learning system. The project goes by the name of “competency-based learning” and it is raising eyebrows in the educational community. The flexibility built by such a system could improve students results significantly.

Blockchain-based education networks that award merits to students based on the completion of their curriculum could automate one of the most expensive parts of the education system. Imagine a student taking a test and their passing score recorded as accomplished on the blockchain curriculum.

Now, imagine if that after completing the curriculum in total, the student automatically graduated to the next grade. This automation would allow the education system to both become more individualized in its teaching, as well as, more global in its ability to self-monitor. The best students excel at their own pace, while exceptional minds stick out amongst the crowd.

Trust in Certification

One of the most significant advantages of blockchain technology is its ability to prove ownership of a particular asset. In the case of the educational system, this technology integrates into the verification of certifications and accreditation. Researchers from MIT already use a blockchain-based system to prevent falsified documentation from being used. The system tokenizes records onto the blockchain to prevent fraud. It also allows students to retrieve their records at any time without the need for third-party involvement.

Arts at MIT

Crowdfunding

One of the best features gained through the use of blockchain-based protocols is the ability to crowdfund. Schools could use this to revolutionize their fundraising procedures. A school could present a concept or project to the parents of the students, and they would have the ability to vote on the topic and if approved, fund the venture.

The innovative platform Usizo utilizes a blockchain-based protocol to facilitate crowdfunding for the development of Schools in Africa. The platform allows donors to track their donations. The added transparency has proven to be crucial in achieving higher levels of public funding.

School Spending

School spending issues have become a huge concern over the last couple of years. Consequently, parents are showing increased interest in school expenses. Monitoring this data on the blockchain would be easy. Therefore, if platforms such as Usizo adapt to these needs, they help both public and private schools operate more effectively.

Blockchain Education Network – It is Upon Us

It is easy to see why there needs to be a strong push for the development of a blockchain education network. The decentralized nature of blockchain technology makes it the ideal keeper of the world’s knowledge, and by cost-effectively introducing this technology, all parties involved benefit.

Poverty no longer has to dictate the level of education students receive. Thanks to blockchain technology the future of education is looking brighter already.

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