Here’s How Blockchain Is Going to Change the Face of Education

Blockchain, the public ledger system that holds universal data and is globally accessible to stakeholders, has revolutionised the world, one sector at a time. Originally designed for cryptocurrency transactions, blockchain technology has now found application in the medicine industry, agriculture and even education. It can bring about much-needed accessibility and transparency to change the face of education. Let us take a look at how it is possible:

Digitising transcripts: Verifying academic credentials remains a manual and arduous process. There is also a possibility of error. Many blockchain companies offer solutions that can provide this service digitally, thus reducing the tome and manpower cost associated with it. It goes without saying that this digitising process will also be error-free.  Many software startups like Learning Machine and Parchment have collaborated with universities to launch a software that can verify transcripts for any fraud, in a quick and cost-effective method using blockchain.

Digital badges: If you have acquired a special skill or completed a certification, there are software solutions which provide a universal badge passport where you can deposit all the badges you have acquired for your skills and have them verified quickly.

Infrastructure maintenance: Many educational institutions are installing high-end technology and security cameras with sensors. Hence there is an increased need to protect them from getting hacked. Companies like Xage can do exactly that. They sue blockchain to share security data across networks, so that the institutions can be centrally protected.

Energy management: With eco-consciousness on the rise, many educational institutions use renewable energy sources which they buy from third parties. With the help of blockchain startups like Transactive Grid, institutes can harness, buy from or sell energy to their neighbours, thus eliminating unnecessary procuring costs as well as making the society greener.

Reduced paperwork: The process of verifying documents can be long and tedious, and the paperwork following that for completing the admission process is an equally big burden on time and resources. With the help of “smart contracts” (Pieces of code which automatically execute agreements once a set of specified conditions are met) these processes can be cut down a lot and made much easier.

These are just some of the ways blockchain technology has started transforming the face of the education sector. The future holds limitless possibilities, and we can’t wait to watch.