The European Commission has published a report on its study on the possible applications of Blockchain technology in the education sector. Among the things that were analyzed by the commission are the feasibility, challenges, benefits and risks of the use of the technology in schools and universities.

In the report titled “Blockchain in Education,” the commission focused on the possible use of Blockchain for the digital accreditation of personal and academic learning. The report is intended for policymakers in the education sector.

Part of the report read:

"This exploratory study addresses the value... Blockchain may bring to stakeholders within the educational sector, with a particular focus on its potential for digital accreditation of personal and academic learning."

The report’s eight proposals

The commission has presented eight scenarios on how Blockchain can be used to resolve the challenges in the education sector. Among the challenges are the accreditation and transfer of credits, digital certification, multi-step accreditation and student payment transactions.

In its conclusion, the commission cautioned that the applications of the technology in the sector are still in their infancy. It reiterated that only a “fully open” implementation can realize the real objectives, as well as the promise of Blockchain in education.

Growing adoption by educational institutions of Blockchain

Despite its infancy, a growing number of educational institutions are showing interest in Blockchain. Among them is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which recently awarded digital certificates or diplomas to more than 100 graduates under a pilot project involving Blockchain.

Moreover, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) has also launched a Blockchain pilot program that is focused on the digital certifications of medical students.

Under the program, the board tested the open-source standard called Blockcerts, which was developed by Learning Machine Technologies and the MIT Media Lab.