Education and blockchain

Abstract

Blockchain is a shared, decentralized and secure ledger technology to record and store digital transactions of almost any digital assets including digital identities, medical and educational records, birth and marriage certificates, skill credentials and digital contracts.Promising initiatives with blockchain demonstrate that it is already possible to deploy the technology to cover credentialing and certification in both formal and non-formal learning settings. This publication demonstrates and assesses the emerging practices of applying blockchain technologies in education. Primarily targeting policy-makers, the publication is divided into four parts. Part 1 engages with a set of essential knowledge on blockchain technologies presented as questions and answers. Part 2 focuses on issues related to the emerging practices associated with the use of blockchain within an education context, highlighting the use of blockchain for digital certificates, credentials, intellectual data management, smart contracts and performance-based payments. Part 3 explores the applicability of the technology in a set of use case scenarios, including the notarization of intellectual property rights and educational funding. Part 4 iterates the humanistic principles to steer the use of blockchain in education to safeguard human rights, inclusion, equality, gender equality and the sustainability of the environment and ecosystems. This publication also sheds light on the implications of blockchain technologies for gender equality while drawing attention to the negative impact of the use of blockchain, especially on the environment and ecosystems.