Blockchain technology has led to the creation of crypto currency, bitcoin being the most prominent and popular one. This is the technology that has shown us a new way to perform transactions digitally, without being under control of any bank or financial regulatory agency. This virtual transaction system is unregulated, secure and flexible. Over the years, the technology behemoths and MNCs hailing from sectors like healthcare, retail, insurance and finance have felt its potential and they have been experimenting with this technology. However, the industry experts feel block chain tech can be utilized in education sector in a big way.
Prospect for using Bitcoin in the education sector
Education is a huge sector and it has already embraced technology in a big way. There are plenty of operations in this sector that can be enhanced by deploying the right technology and experts think Block chain can be the right contender! Cutting edge technologies like AI and virtual reality are already being deployed in education sector- on a global scale. Smart classrooms are no longer a concept as well.
How blockchain can be utilized in the education sector
As a matter of fact, blockchain tech can be used to handle many activities that take place in education sector on a daily basis. This is not only limited to conducting exams or storing information.
- Student data security- While online data storage can be convenient for the schools and colleges, the risk of data breach can also be there. Cyber criminals can hack student data stored in school or university websites and then target the students with profiles matching their needs. The schools and educational institutions can do what the banks and hospitals have done to keep data safe by using blockchain storage. Even in healthcare sector, blockchains are deployed to keep risk of data theft and breach at bay. There is no reason the schools cannot do the same. The assurance of registered data being tamper proof cannot be overlooked.
- Certifications and degree issuance-In many instances, plenty of time is required in assessing and fetching certificates for verification. If the universities and schools start using blockchain to store and retrieve digital certificates, they will become publicly available, shareable, and tamper-proof. So qualification verification related hassles will become a thing of the past. In fact, the MIT- Massachusetts Institute of Technology is among the pioneers in adopting blockchain. They are using the technology to issue certification. They are actually deploying Blockcerts- an application for this purpose.
- Storage of skills- As the students grow up and enter professional life, they acquire many new skills and achieve certifications. It would be nice if the entire skill set and achievements of a student could be stored safely, and digitally. This can be done using blockchain tech and The Ledger Project is the right example. It would not matter if the students lose or end up damaging printed copies of their diplomas and degrees.
This ensures the students won’t lose any degree or certificate and in future background verification will become simpler for the employers. It will also become simpler and faster for universities and institutes of global repute to assess credential of applicants for scholarships and study grants. The risks of forked applications and cheating in such cases will be eliminated by deployment of blockchain. The talented and deserving students and scholars will get their due. - Access to published educational content- Blockchain tech can be deployed to safeguard interest of research scholars and academicians as well. For practical reasons, they seek safety of their research and published content. They can keep track of published content and use smart contracts for enabling access to their work. Besides, by using this tech, citations and usage may be tracked very well.
- Educational administrative content storage- Much like student data, the schools and educational institutions need to store a mammoth amount of data pertaining to the teachers and non teaching staffs. Safety of such data is of utmost importance. To make this data safe and tamper proof, blockchain can be deployed as well.
Some more possible usage of blockchain in education sector
In the near future, the schools and institutes can also deploy blockchain in tech in unprecedented ways to impart better teaching and experience to the teachers and students. Some of these are:
- The schools and colleges can use blockchain track to store data of extracurricular events like sports, picnics, excursions and cultural events. This can be immensely useful in addressing any disputes or issues at any time pertaining to such events.
- The educational institute can also use blockchain to make the process of conducting tests smoother. In fact, Russian platform Disciplina has started functioning and it is harnessing blockchain technology for recruiting and education. TeachMePlease-which is among the Disciplina apps, is serving as a higher education platform- bringing the students and teachers together. The chatbot app of Opet Foundation is another blockchain platform worth a mention.
Conclusion
Using blockchain in education sector can bring many benefits to all the parties involved- the students, parents and the teachers. Even the school and university administrations will enjoy the benefits. However, this is very much an evolving technology and the lack of regulation on crypto technology still poses a hurdle for global adoption-especially in sector like education. However, once the legal cobwebs are sorted out- its deployment will eliminate a number of hassles that plague education sector, say the experts.
