Technology and Innovation in Higher Education – Blockchain technology

Usability of blockchain in higher education.

Arguably one of the most innovative technology over the last decade is blockchain technology. While this technology is not fully understood, scaled, or adopted by many sectors. Many researchers, particularly in computer science believe it is the next step in computer evolution. In this article by Harthy et al. (2019) (link here), they argue for the potential adoption of blockchain technology in higher education.

The figure above provides a summary of some of the utilities of blockchain technology in higher education. Two of the most important are:

1. Transaction: The ability to directly transfer with each other without the need for mediating third parties.

2. Securing student records: Blockchain offers the opportunity to initiate, validate, record, and distribute students’ records. According to the study, the MIT Media Lab has been using Blockers for issuing digital certificates since 2015.

Additionally, there are other utilities such as data storage, and online education, which are already paired with blockchain technology in other industries. Recently, there have been discussions around virtual reality software and the impact it may have on higher education, particularly the way faculty teach, collaborate, and students learn.