The education sector is one of the important sectors that has been facing loads of challenges due to some stagnant processes as compared to any other industry. We can see numerous technological innovations evolving but few conventional ways still stay in action throughout the world. Educational institutes need to come away from those time taking procedures of maintaining loads of student records. Shifting to new systems and processes can be advantageous for students along with educators too. Learning processes must be devoid of any forgery and should be simple. Blockchain technology has started to offer numerous benefits to the education industry because of its inherent characteristic of security and immutability. Few laymen usually associate blockchain technology with currency but it is more than that. The principles of blockchain can have excellent effects on educational use cases if deployed properly. Blockchain secures documents seamlessly and users can secure their data.
What is blockchain technology?
Blockchain is a distributed, decentralized ledger & shared database consisting of every information in the digital form providing an extreme level of security for securing & sharing credentials. Record keeping of valuable data takes place without any middleman or third party.
Blockchain-based QR codes can help in securing data like educational certificates. Securing documents with QR codes is a great option to opt for institutes.
What are the main advantages of blockchain technology?
There are many advantages of blockchain technology. Have a look:
a) Decentralized nature: Blockchain technology extends data throughout its node network for ensuring no central point of failure.
b) Transparency: Due to the decentralized nature of blockchain, people can see every transaction transparently. It gets updated when new blocks are added, so users can easily track every transaction on the network.
c) Security: Blockchain offers a secure way of storing and sharing data without any risk of getting hacked.
How can blockchain boost the learning process?
Learning processes need a boost. Blockchain technology can streamline learning processes.
1) Enhancing data integrity
Blockchain is a good way to ensure data integrity without any loss of data. This technology guarantees several blockchain-based data is verified & resilient and it ensures all your data is secured and won’t fall into hackers’ hands. So the learning materials of students can be verified and can stay tamper-free. Pupils can access these materials anytime and anywhere. Data security is vital for a successful student program.
2) Optimises the learning process
Blockchain education can allow an effective and efficient method of learning. Through blockchain technology, the instructors can easily track every student’s progress and give feedback and accountability. Immediate assessment is also possible via blockchain. E-learning based on blockchain technology can be truly efficient as compared to conventional face-to-face education. It is especially for those people who have no access to classroom instructions. We have to remember that grades are not always vital. It is more about how good pupils are performing. So, a justified grading system based on blockchain technology can be beneficial. Pupils can be motivated and the learning process can get streamlined. With document security QR codes, users can generate QR codes and secure their educational credentials easily.
3) Helpful in verifying credentials
Blockchain technology can prove advantageous to offer verification of educational credentials like degrees, diplomas etc. This technology can be ideal to prove a specific person is really trained in a respective field who could have otherwise made a forged certificate. Blockchain can offer easy portability of verified education credentials that permit students to switch to new jobs or other jobs with no re documentation processes each time. Thus, verification of credentials takes less time. Blockchain secures documents in an impeccable manner and you can secure all your sensitive educational data.
4) Get affordable courses
A big barrier to the learning process in a few countries is – cost. Many pupils can not afford textbooks and have no access to libraries. With the help of blockchain, they can easily earn tokens by performing “work-for-hire tasks” for educators or teachers.
5) Smart contracts – an excellent option
Smart contacts are an excellent choice for both educators and students. Unleashing the power of smart contracts if applied to education can be beneficial. The teachers/ educators can set up a contract for executing when a few criteria are fulfilled with no requirement of arbiters for verification. In the education sector, the work of students can be submitted and graded when they are completed. Smart contacts can solve the issues of time taking processes for teachers. In short, users can automate the educational stream theoretically in a simple way where pupils can do things one by one systematically.
So, educational institutes can deploy blockchain technology in learning processes by offering the fairest system for every single student. Each pupil can have equal access to educational materials. Verification of credentials also becomes easy. Blockchain secures documents and users can secure their data with ease. We hope in the future more institutes implement this technology.
