BLOCKCHAIN AND IT'S POTENTIAL IN EDUCATION
By Eric Charchi
OPINION PIECE
What is Blockchain?
The blockchain can be defined as a distributed digital ledger. It provides an un-alterable record of digital transactions based on timestamps that are identifiable via a cryptographic signature. All transactions are traceable and in essence, you can follow the trail to the initial transactions within the blockchain.
Perhaps the most widely known implementation of blockchain technology is the cryptocurrency known as bitcoin. A virtual currency that was created in 2008 with the publication of “Bitcoin; A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” by Satoshi Nakamoto. As the technology grew in popularity and use, various methods of implementation of blockchain began being explored.
Blockchain in Education
Recently, IBM unveiled the “IBM Blockchain” meant to provide a foundation for the building of blockchain networks and applications. Utilizing that platform, Sony then released a system that can be used to store and manage educational records on the blockchain. Such a system could be used by universities, high schools, accrediting bodies and even employers to provide an immutable education history of students and their learning through the various stages.
The idea would be to use blockchain as a way to provide trusted, authenticated & distributed credentials to student records as well as improve on the current paper based system where records are shared via disparate
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