What's The Future of Blockchain in Education?

Until a few weeks ago, I wasn’t super familiar with blockchain and hadn’t thought about how it applies to education. I’d heard about cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and even listened to an intriguing Radiolab episode called “The Ceremony” a while back about the elaborate steps the founders went through to make it secure and encrypted. Then, two weeks ago, I went to a session at the Learnit Conference entitled “Blockchain In Education”. I learned from a panel of experts how it will be coming to education in the near future and realized we should keep it on our radar to better understand it and its implications.

Blockchain image
from Wikipedia

First, let’s start with a short summary of blockchain by Wikipedia:

“by design, a blockchain is resistant to modification of the data. It is "an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way". For use as a distributed ledger, a blockchain is typically managed by a peer-to-peer network collectively adhering to a protocol for inter-node communication and validating new blocks. Once recorded, the data in any given block cannot be altered retroactively without alteration of all subsequent blocks, which requires consensus of the network majority. Although blockchain records are not unalterable, blockchains may be considered secure by design and exemplify a distributed computing system with high Byzantine fault tolerance. Decentralized consensus has therefore been claimed with a blockchain.”

So what does this mean for education? Panelists at the conference explained that blockchain has the ability to offer education universal, trusted records- things such as accreditation, transcripts, records, contracts, and management of all these things. For example, someone who learns something could receive credit for it that is recognized and accepted worldwide versus our current system that calls into question the validity of the institution and country. Panelists spoke of individuals receiving a doctorate in one country yet having to redo school in another simply to receive that country’s recognition of academic achievement. Another story from a panelist described the chaos in a country after a devastating tsunami in which all paper records such as birth certificates, insurance, home ownership, and records of education and more were lost. In multiple scenarios, blockchain was described as a potential solution to these problems.

Some quick research about blockchain’s role and importance in education explain the potential even more. Just a few months ago, Tom Vander Ark wrote 20 Ways Blockchain Will Transform (Okay, May Improve) Education. In it he describes additional ways that blockchain will bring changes to education, including badging, ride sharing, finances, publishing and digital access to resources. Further research yields many related articles citing the coming potential benefits of blockchain in education. It's too early to say for certain whether or not blockchain becomes mainstream, how soon, and if it actually improves education, but it will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the years ahead!