INTRODUCTION
In today’s world, the verification of an individual’s identity is absolutely crucial in the education sector as it acts as a deterrent to credential fraud, allows for proper authorization for the use of services and helps in administration. However, the verification methods of individuals’ identities are time consuming, they can be faked and they have a single point of failure that can be exploited. These problems do reduce effectiveness in the work but they also make it difficult for students, organizations and employers to have faith in each other.
Using blockchain technology solves this problem completely as it allows for a simple way of verifying an identity in the most secure, transparent and decentralized way possible. The blockchain is supported by smart contracts and cryptology that guarantee the protection of both credentials and identity without violating the right to privacy. Also, new possibilities emerge where students own their data, and institutions trust that their identities and accomplishments can be honest and accurate.
This paper highlights how blockchain will influence the identification of individuals in the educational sphere and vice versa. It surveys 4 areas: taking care of students records, making it easier to prove credentials, increasing the chances that the education will be received and creating conditions for interconnectivity of the systems across the world. The topics addressed here show how the players in the field of education can leverage implications of blockchain technology to relevant problems they have and help formulate future identity verification frameworks for the cyberspace.
- Preservation of Student Records
Student records are further secured as they are encrypted and placed on an unalterable record. The risks of disclosure associated with a conventional system in which records are kept in one centralized and local point are reduced. The immutable records provide assurances that the information held in the student records would be preserved at all times.
However, it should be stressed that students’ records, Once put on a blockchain, is secured in cyberspace and can neither be modified nor erased. In this way, academic institutions can put spare parts like transcripts, diplomas, and records of classes taken on the blockchain. With time, these documents would still be existing and unchanged. This helps build trust among students, institutions, and employers since everyone can easily attest to the legitimacy of the documents.
Moreover, students can have direct control of their information with the aid of blockchain technology. Employers and other companies and institutions can interact directly with students who will bear the digital wallets containing their academic qualifications thus eliminating the need for third parties. Such a state of affairs not only increases security but also allows students to have more control over their academic identities.
- Streamlining Credential Verification
In traditional systems, the academic credentials verification process is lengthy and requires a lot of resources. Employers and institutions are forced to use manual checks and third-party services, which take time during hiring, admissions and certifications. Senior academics will come up and say that, the blockchain makes the verification of credentials easier and faster. It is an automated and cost effective approach.
Across blockchain-enabled systems, institutions can issue a digital credential which is instantly verifiable. The process of confirming such credentials, which were created as unique cryptographic tokens on the blockchain, no longer involves any form of physical involvement. Say, for example, a university graduate can easily show potential employers a degree certificate which has been captured on a blockchain and any employer can instantly confirm this by checkIng the blockchain.
Additionally, the possibility of credential fraud also goes down. The degrees and the certificates which are always faked in the education sector completely vanish in a blockchain. Further security is reaped as the credential is attached to the entity’s unique ID and confirms the institution. This develops trust and reduces the time in academic and professional fields.
- Improving The Education Ecosystem
Blockchain technology has the potential to provide assistance in registering for education across the board including giving help to groups who tend to be more disadvantaged. When looking at third world countries for example, a number of individuals do not have access to proper documentation or formal identification places which include educational and job sectors. Things become more convenient with a unique identification solution where a student academic record can be stored safely while being permanently able to access them.
During dire situations people such as refugees and even displaced persons tend to misplace credentials which keep them from gaining access to their education. Under such torment, blockchain solves this issue by saving such persons credentials in a digital wallet, thereby allowing them to have 24/7 access to the files and being able to present them to the institution or employer as required, hence easing the entire process.
And most importantly, the inequality problem of the learning system we always talk about can be conquered with block chain scaled 'certificates' issued regardless of a person's social status, therefore making it affordable for people to create a complete history of learning. Students would be able to earn credits from different institutions, even through online courses. Which would enable students to be more focus-driven while de-stressing them by moving away from the traditional rigid education system.
- Promoting Global Interoperability
Globalization has made it imperative to utilize academic qualifications without any borders. However, differences in record-keeping, regulatory regimes, and verification measures sometimes hinder access to education and employment opportunities across nation states. Blockchain can respond to these problems by giving digital representation of whose qualifications is needed a single standard structure and an interactive dual structure for verification processes within education.
This is made possible by the fact that all information which are in a record form are at all times protected regardless of the system used as a means for retrieval. For instance, a credential registered on the blockchain in one country can be verified by any institution or employer in another country without the need of quotas and third party service provider. This in turn helps to enhance the processes of international student admission and recruitment of transnational professionals.
In addition to that, blockchain provides for the developement of common standards for digital credentials. Some of these initiatives include the Learning Machine and MIT’s Blockcerts which seek to provide a framework for the issuance and verification of records using blockchain technology across the globe. This promotes blockchains purpose of cross country mobility and exchange of professional or student services.
Conclusion
This technology also has the capacity to transform digital identity verification processes in the education industry by ensuring increased security of student records, simplifying the process of credential verification, enhancing education opportunities and promoting worldwide interaction. By eliminating the weaknesses of conventional systems, blockchain provides students, organizations and workforce with safe, clear and easy means of identity management. Although there are issues which include scalability, adoption and compliance with regulations, further innovation of blockchain based applications across education will significantly improve inclusivity, efficiency and reliability of the academic ecosystem. As stakeholders adopt this innovative technology, the chances of future digital identity verification process in education being successful increase.