Among the myriad of prominent technology trends, Blockchain stands out with great potential, promising to create a real revolution in the field of education. So what is Blockchain? What outstanding benefits does Blockchain applications in education bring? Let’s find out in this article.

What is Blockchain?

Blockchain, also known as distributed ledger technology, is a type of decentralized database that operates on the principle of encryption and stores information in interconnected blocks. Each block contains information about transactions and is validated by the entire network.

Key features of Blockchain:

• Decentralized: Data is not stored centrally on a single server but is distributed across the entire network, ensuring security and resistance to attacks.
• Transparent: All transactions are recorded publicly and transparently on the Blockchain, and can be viewed by anyone in the network.
• Immutable: Information on the Blockchain cannot be altered or deleted, ensuring data integrity and accuracy.
• Secure: Blockchain’s complex encryption mechanism protects data from unauthorized access and the risk of attacks.

Thanks to these outstanding features, Blockchain is being widely applied in many fields, from finance and banking to supply chains, healthcare, and especially education.

Blockchain applications in education

Student record management and storage

• Electronic student records: Blockchain can be used to create secure, transparent, and immutable electronic student records. All information about grades, academic achievements, and extracurricular activities of students will be recorded on the Blockchain, completely eliminating the problem of academic transcript fraud.
• Electronic degrees and certificates: Blockchain allows universities and colleges to issue electronic diplomas and certificates, making it easy for students to share and verify them with employers. This saves on the cost of printing, storing, and verifying traditional diplomas.
• Student identity management: Each student will have a unique identifier on the Blockchain, enabling efficient management of personal information and learning progress.
• Example: The University of Nicosia in Cyprus has been using Blockchain to issue digital diplomas to students since 2014.

Curriculum enhancement

• Personalized learning: Blockchain combined with AI and Big Data can analyze the learning data of each student to provide personalized learning paths that match their abilities and interests.
• Decentralized online learning platforms: Blockchain allows for the creation of decentralized online learning platforms where learners can access courses from anywhere in the world and pay tuition fees directly to instructors through cryptocurrency.
• Smart contracts in assessment: Smart contracts can be used to automatically grade tests and assignments, ensuring objectivity and transparency in assessment.
• Example: ODEM is a decentralized education platform that allows learners to connect directly with educators and access high-quality courses at reasonable costs.

Issuing electronic degrees

• Diploma verification: Employers can easily verify the authenticity of electronic diplomas issued on the Blockchain with just a few simple steps.
• Cost savings: Reduce the cost of printing, shipping, and storing diplomas.
• Example: The Ministry of Education and Training of Malaysia is piloting a Blockchain-based electronic diploma issuance system to combat diploma forgery.

Educational data interoperability

• Student information exchange: Schools can exchange student information securely and efficiently through Blockchain, simplifying the process of transferring schools and credit recognition.
• Building a national education database: Blockchain can be used to build a national education database, enabling centralized management and statistics of educational information.
• Example: Estonia has used Blockchain to build a national education data system, allowing information sharing between schools and management agencies.

Tuition and scholarship funding

• Transparent scholarship fund management: Blockchain helps manage scholarship funds transparently and clearly, ensuring that resources are allocated fairly and efficiently.
• Supporting students in accessing funding sources: Blockchain helps connect students with sponsors and scholarship organizations easily.
• Example: BitDegree is an online education platform that uses Blockchain to manage scholarships and connect students with sponsors.

Building decentralized education platforms

• Empowering learners: Learners can choose courses, instructors, and learning styles that suit their needs.
• Reducing intermediary costs: Eliminating intermediary costs, helping to reduce tuition fees and increase income for instructors.
• Example: Khan Academy is an example of a decentralized education platform, providing free online courses to everyone.

In addition, Blockchain can also be applied in other areas of education such as:

• Library management: Tracking and managing the borrowing and returning of books and documents.
• Scientific research: Sharing research data and results transparently.
• School administration: Automating administrative and financial processes.

Practical applications of Blockchain in education

Notable projects worldwide

• MIT: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed the Blockcerts project, allowing for the issuance and verification of electronic degrees on the Blockchain platform.
  Sony Global Education: Developed a Blockchain-based education platform that enables secure storage and sharing of learning data.

Blockchain application projects in education in Vietnam

• VBC: Provides Blockchain solutions for education, including training, consulting, and platform building.
• FUNiX: Applies Blockchain in student management, certificate issuance, and building learning communities.

Challenges and opportunities of applying Blockchain in education

Although the application of Blockchain in education holds much promise, this path is not without its challenges. At the same time, alongside challenges, there are always great development opportunities.

Challenges of applying Blockchain in education

Awareness and knowledge

• Understanding of Blockchain is still limited in the education community. Many people still do not have a clear grasp of this technology, how it works, and its benefits.
• The lack of knowledge and skills about Blockchain can hinder the effective implementation and application of this technology.

Legal framework

• Currently, there is no clear and complete legal framework to manage and regulate the application of Blockchain in education.
• This deficiency creates legal barriers, making it difficult to implement Blockchain projects in this field.

Technical issues

• Integrating Blockchain into existing education systems can encounter technical difficulties.
• Ensuring the scalability, security, and stability of the Blockchain system is also a major challenge.

Cost

• The initial implementation cost for Blockchain projects can be quite high.
• Investing in infrastructure, software, and human resource training requires significant financial resources.

Opportunities of applying Blockchain in education

Digital transformation

• The government is strongly promoting digital transformation in education, creating favorable conditions for the application of new technologies, including Blockchain.

Demand for transparency and efficiency

• Society increasingly demands a more transparent, efficient, and equitable education system. Blockchain can meet this need by providing transparent and secure information management, storage, and verification solutions.

Technological development

• Blockchain technology is constantly evolving and improving.
• New Blockchain solutions with superior features and lower costs will appear, facilitating the wider and more developed application of Blockchain in education.

International cooperation

• International cooperation in research, development, and application of Blockchain in education is increasingly being promoted.
• This helps to share experiences and resources, and promotes the development of this technology globally.

The application of Blockchain in education is ushering in a new era for the education sector, with enormous potential to improve quality, efficiency, and transparency. Although there are still challenges to overcome, with the continuous development of technology and the growing interest from the government, educational institutions, and the community, Blockchain will certainly play an important role in shaping the future of education.

If you want to learn more about Blockchain applications in education or other fields, please contact Solution Of Blockchain today for answers and support!