While many of us think of Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency when we hear the word “Blockchain”. However, blockchain technology is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) that allows data to be stored globally on thousands of servers, letting anyone on the network see everyone else’s entries in near real-time. Making every agreement, process, task, and payment have a digital record and signature that could be identified, validated, stored, and shared throughout a decentralized fraud-resistant platform. While this might not be we will immediately engage as educators, this technology incorporated into the fabric of school systems and most of the technology we use.
Some Examples
Transcripts -Academic credentials must be universally recognized and verifiable. Blockchain or DLT technology could streamline verification procedures and reduce fraudulent claims of unearned educational credits.
Identity -With the increased number of learning apps and services, identity management is becoming a big problem in education. Blockchain technology can help users carry their identity around the internet. Users will be able access apps on decentralized networks and have data portability.
Cloud storage. As learners and education institutions store more data, Blockchain or DLT technology cloud storage could offer safer and potentially cheaper alternatives.
Can you think of any other examples? Or is Blockchain just a fad?
I absolutely love this topic! I am so lucky to be alive during this important historical event. We are all used to technology by now, especially the new generations, but imagine being part of the era when the first radio came out, it completely changed “communication” in ways we could never imagine. Then the TV came out! Woah! What a revolutionary invention. Well, Blockchain Technology is that nest “WOAH!”, and it will change the world in ways we could never imagine, like cryptocurrency, mind blowing. This discussion forum is in a way a form of blockchain because all the posts, comments, and overall content is stored globally (UBC being our world), everyone in the UBC community has access to it and see everyone else’s entries in real-time. We are all working together to validate that information we find and share. We keep a digital record of all the knowledge we are gathering in WordPress and share it throughout a “decentralized fraud-resistant platform”. This way we keep it safe from exterior factors altering the data we’ve worked so hard to collect and authenticate. So blockchain is defiantly not a fad, its technological evolution. As a high school teacher, I cannot wait for Blockchain Technology to be a mandatory curricular course in my school, province, country, and worldwide!
Hey Brittney! I agree! Blockchain technology is here to stay like you said the more traceable an asset is the higher the risk of being caught when involved in criminal activity! Transparency is something everyone wants’s with the government, large corporations, and major industrial developments. Blockchain will hopefully stop or at least make it harder to lie to the public and frankly each other.
Hi Michael:
I can’t see blockchain going away any time soon. In fact I was really surprised when many Asian countries removed the use of physical cash, China being one of them. By moving to digital transactions it makes it difficult for certain forms of criminality to exist because they rely on physical currency known as dirty money to exist. One benefit of blockchains and digital assets is that they can be traced. The more traceable assets are, the higher risk of being caught when one is engaged in criminal activity, so fewer players are able to participate.