How Can Blockchain Work For E-Learning?

Blockchain technology has emerged as a game-changer across various industries, and the education sector is no exception. But what exactly is blockchain, and how is it transforming eLearning? At its core, blockchain is a decentralized and distributed ledger technology that records transactions across multiple computers in a tamper-proof manner. Each transaction, or block, is cryptographically linked to the previous one, forming a chain of blocks. This innovative technology is now being harnessed in the e-learning sector to securely store and verify educational records, credentials, and other relevant data, creating a transparent and immutable system for managing educational assets.

Blockchain e-learning relies heavily on digital platforms like Learning Management Systems (LMS), which are fundamentally about disseminating educational material and ensuring successful knowledge transfer. The credibility of this process depends significantly on the trust and verifiability of the information sources. If there's any doubt about the authenticity of an educator's credentials or the legitimacy of the issuing organization, the entire knowledge exchange process is compromised.

What is Blockchain in E-Learning?

Blockchain is a decentralized and distributed ledger technology that records transactions across multiple computers in a tamper-proof manner.

Each transaction, or block, is cryptographically linked to the previous one, forming a chain of blocks.

In e-learning, blockchain can be leveraged to securely store and verify educational records, credentials, and other relevant data. Thereby creating a transparent and immutable system for managing educational assets.

How Can Blockchain Work For E-Learning?

eLearning’s sole purpose is to disseminate educational material and teach or train learners for successful knowledge transfer. For this purpose, it relies on digital platforms such as a learning management system or an LMS.

Here, verifying the source from which information comes is crucial to ensuring that the knowledge transfer is credible.

The entire ecosystem of e-learning depends on trust and verifiability. For instance, if an organization doesn’t believe that the educator's credential earned is credible or that the organization that issued the credential is fake, then the knowledge exchange is also not plausible.

The system hinges on three major stakeholders: eLearning providers, eLearning students, and eLearning verifiers. To provide the right context, let us discuss each stakeholder in detail.

• eLearning Providers

eLearning Providers are responsible for designing and creating a curriculum for individuals interested in eLearning.

After completing the course, the individual is offered a credential that validates the qualification in the form of a digital badge, paper certificate, or digital certificate.

• eLearning Students

These individuals have completed the course successfully and earned the credentials. While educational classes are taken for multiple reasons, the most common reason is to earn a qualification that the students can use to secure a job or grow their careers.

This is why students share newly acquired credentials with their professional and personal social networks, including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

• eLearning Verifiers

Verifiers and employers validate an individual's declared qualifications and capabilities. In some cases, the verifier could be the current employer who checks the progress of existing employees. A potential employer leverages the verification process to make more informed hiring decisions.

Employers often hire third-party services for this purpose to ensure efficient recruitment.

Hence, verification parties need a secure and reliable framework that can easily validate credentials by verifying the issuing authority, the person who earned them, and their current validity.

The biggest problem in the entire process is trust. All parties must believe that all the stakeholders are presenting real facts. Having said that, gaps and issues do happen. This is where credential verification becomes crucial.

• Blockchain Solution

Blockchain technology is the only solution to eliminate the possibility of forged documents and fake degrees and enable secured background verification.

Blockchain has made it possible to procure official transcripts of a candidate’s educational qualifications and enabled the safe and secure preservation of credentials for a foreseeable period. 

For example, in the event of a fire destroying an entire university and the documents present in it or people feeling a country, there is a high possibility of losing one’s original documents.

It can be saved only if the documents are stored in decentralized storage networks of computers where both learners and credential issuers can access them. 

Blockchain provides bulletproof security for credentials. Employers and verifying agencies can also easily leverage blockchain technology for background verification to ensure that the learner has completed the coursework as declared. Verifiers can also efficiently verify the issuing authority of the credentials.

• Issuing Certification

Blockchain technology can also be leveraged to issue online certifications. The technology works because any new block added to the chain needs to be approved by another participant. This way, the record can never be forged or falsified.

It also stops rogues from creating fake certificates of any institute or university. You can easily verify the existing record of the certificate. 

Even the MIT Media Lab is testing blockchain technology to issue digital certificates. It offers an impenetrable trust for digital certifications and degrees that weren’t present before.

Conclusion

Blockchain technology revolutionizes eLearning by providing a secure, transparent, and immutable system for managing educational records and credentials. By ensuring the authenticity and verifiability of academic data, blockchain fosters trust among e-learning providers, students, and verifiers. This innovative approach not only prevents the issuance of fake certificates but also ensures that credentials are preserved and accessible even in the face of unforeseen disasters. Decentrablock, a top blockchain development company, is at the forefront of this transformation, helping educational institutions implement robust blockchain solutions. As prestigious institutions like MIT Media Lab continue to explore the potential of blockchain for issuing digital certificates, the future of eLearning looks more promising, credible, and resilient than ever before.