Blockchain and Blockcerts in Education - Chris Jagers
Channel: Knowledge Innovation Centre
Date: 30/01/2017

The blockchain provides a new technical infrastructure of trust that is used to store an immutable history of transactions. Issuing official records to students is an example of a transaction that can be cryptographically signed, permanently recorded on the blockchain, and independently verified by anyone whom has been given access to a record. Examples of learner-owned records could include diplomas, transcripts, memberships, professional certifications, licenses to practice, awards, and records of completion. Using the blockchain as a notary to record and verify claims allows workers, students, and citizens to build their own history of lifelong learning and professional achievement. This evidence can be directly shared with others, at whatever level of granularity the individual chooses to disclose, when applying for further education, employment, or immigration. Because these are official records, blockchain-based records protect individuals in circumstances where their school, employer or government have dissolved or when they have been displaced and are forced to begin again in a new land. The presentation will illustrate how this technology works and explain how it can be implemented today.

Presented at the State of Digital Education Conference in January 2017 in Malta, in the session on Future Trends in Digital Education.