Blockchain, the technology behind the much talked about Bitcoin, is lauded as having the potential to transform the global economy due to its ability to increase transparency and trust. Why? Blocks of information (time-stamping of life events or financial transactions) are secured by complex algorithms that are hard to hack and cannot be erased or manipulated. Therefore, it has a huge role to play in validating identity management, without the use of an independent third party. It can verify that we are who we say we are and the goods we are buying are what they claim to be.

The benefits of blockchain are now going beyond the world of finance into other industries, including education, where trust is essential. The Blockchain in Education report by the Joint Research Council of the European Commission, is an exploratory review of the technology and its potential applications within Europe. It demonstrates how seriously the technology is being taken in the education space.

The increasingly fickle nature of employment means that more qualifications are needed as career paths deviate across organisations and disciplines. Often qualifications are obligatory just to be able to apply for a role, and with increased demand, educational dishonesty is on the rise. However, blockchain has the ability to be the backbone of educational proof, giving employers the information required to determine whether a candidate’s CV is accurate. Crucially, technology can determine if qualifications needed to get that all important foot in the door for a dream job are valid.

The portal essentially uses the digital ledger to locate the transaction ID (identifying when the digital record was added to the blockchain), verifying the keys, and confirming that nothing has been altered since the record was added. As each certificate or diploma is logged as a transaction on the blockchain network, it prevents tampering or fraud.

The benefits of blockchain are now going beyond the world of finance into other industries, including education, where trust is essential.

Smart learning

With lifelong learning more important than ever as employees face a constant need to improve their skills, education systems and recruitment processes need to be more efficient and immersive to adapt to different demands. This is why blockchain has great potential in the education sector. It can allow workers to build up a secure, verifiable digital record of formal qualifications, experience and soft skills gained over their lifetime. In addition, by using a smart contract, blockchain applications could provide students with the ability to gain greater control over their individual education through offering flexible access to content and courses suggested based on previous successes or failures and attainment.

Blockchain is still a developing technology, but we are already seeing real-world benefits. Education is a multifaceted sector where different systems need to adapt to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. Having a fool proof system that records a student’s academic history before and during a working life can not only help in battling dishonesty, but can also help to tackle the issues of bespoke learning. This will ultimately give people the best chance of determining their education path and a successful future career.