2. Ease Credentialing for Online Learning Environments
As the popularity of online learning environments grows, so too does the necessity for those learning environments to have robust and verifiable credentialing systems. Currently, universities are reliant upon complicated rules and procedures when issuing credentials since they must be carefully contained within the pre-cut “boxes” of a Higher Ed setting.
Blockchain allows data of various types to be included in a user’s credentials, and so the completion of any nontraditional learning might be recognized accordingly. In 2015, MIT began to issue Blockchain certificates to participants in various media lab programs. Such credentialing can help alternative learning environments gain credibility as viable options for Higher Ed students.
3. Provide Easy Cumulative Credentials
Because of the nature of Blockchain, credentials can be stored as a single set of data rather than multiple disparate pieces of an individual’s past. This allows continued ease of access, and ease of review for Blockchain credentialing systems.
Imagine a world where a user might present a dossier of credentials held in a single, secure location (or wallet) rather than having to chase down paperwork from various corners of their lives. The Blockchain wallet system allows credentials of various types to be streamlined into a single, cogent system and allows ease of representation as well as ease of access.
4. Allow Credentials to be Easily Accessed
Digital technologies allow data to be transported and accessed simply, quickly, and almost anywhere. Digital credentialing means that information is easy to store, easy to find, and easy to produce. Having credentials be easily accessible (MIT has developed a system wherein they can be stored on a user’s phone and shared on-the-fly) allows students the opportunity to showcase and verify their background on-the-go.
Additionally, it means that the expense of providing university-official credentials can be either cut significantly or eliminated. Digital credentials eliminate both the physical necessity of such an expense as well as the labor necessity, creating a system where credentials are free and easy to access for users and whomever they choose to share credentials with.
Blockchain technology could change the way we view and use credentials in Higher Ed if universities begin to invest in these systems as robust and simple answers to the complexities of credentialing.
[Editor’s note: This post was originally published on Optimal Partners Blog.]
Danielle R. is a writer for Optimal Partners Blog.
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