Blockchain Technology and the Future of Education
Education is unarguably a strong force to catalyze development in all areas of an economy. Thus, an adoption of any technology within the education sphere is a step to mass and professional adoption. On the other hand, technological developments have also boosted educational capabilities in several ways. A recent University of Cincinnati study found that improvements in technology are extremely beneficial in the classroom, with 92% of teachers saying technology has a major impact on how students learn and interact with each othersource.
Societal interest in blockchain has skyrocketed in the past few years, yet, academic institutions have been slow to adopt and integrate this technology in the academic curriculum and operations despite the wide speculations of the innovative changes that could be offered by blockchain technology across a broad spectrum. The scope of coverage of blockchain technology by academic programs is available in the technical and financial aspects.
Blockchain technology has proven to be a catalyst of change across a wide variety of industries in the years since Bitcoin’s (BTC) inception in 2009. Thus, the question of whether blockchain has a way of reshaping the education sector of our economies is uncalled for. This is because technology in education has surged great strides over the last 20 years, but there is still a large latent area for maximization. Already the edtech sector is estimated that it will reach $93.76 billion by Q4, 2020. The blockchain technology is here to speed up the process.
With features such as Ledger technology, Artificial Intelligence, and bulk Financing being integrated into blockchain; smartphones and tablets, rapidly replacing bulky desktop computers and antiquated textbooks; blockchain technology would provide a huge benefit in the convenience and lucrative teaching/learning both for the educators and learners. Ledger technology for instance has the ability to better manage accountability, transparency and the overall educational experience for both students and teachers.
Adoption Priorities for Blockchain Tech in Education
We are still at the virgin stage of integrating blockchain technology to education. At this stage, there is dire need for awareness of the tangible usecases of blockchain technology through Blockchain Acquaintance Certification courses and the emergence of blockchain educators around the globe. Though there are some on-line programmes, there is need to integrate into local educational curriculum, to be able to link with local opportunities in host economies. Specifically, the latent potentials of blockchain technology in education could be enumerated as follows:
- Digital Certificates
- Making Education Affordable
- Talent Management
- Massive Open Online Courses
- Smart Contract