Blockchain-based digital programmes: Explore the technology
On 28th December 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched few blockchain-based educational programmes that will now be conducted by IIT Kanpur digitally. These online degrees will not only be recognised globally, but also verified as authentic by the Government of India’s Education Ministry for them to be viable abroad. The blockchain based technology that drives these courses has been developed by IIT Kanpur in collaboration with the National Blockchain Academy, as part of the ongoing National Blockchain Project. Starting from maintaining student records to grading and preparation of curriculum, this technology functions as an essential component in the education ecosystem. Let’s take a closer look at this technology and explore its futuristic prospects to shape India’s educational sector.
What is blockchain technology?
Blockchain is a system of recording information and data digitally that is not only permanent but also completely hack-proof. It is a distributed database built in such a way that once the blockchains are created, it is impossible to change or cheat the system, unless altered by the user himself. Blockchain technology is primarily used to maintain a secure record of cryptocurrency, like bitcoins.
What are the benefits of using blockchain technology?
The primary benefits of using blockchain technology are enhanced security and privacy of data stored, reduction of costs and improved speed during recording of information and individual control of data. Here is a detailed overview of advantages of this technology.
Blockchain technology is decentralised
The blockchain technology is developed based on the principle of decentralisation. This means that this technology is not monitored by any central agency but has been distributed among several private and public agencies. This will ensure that the data is secured even if one of the agencies is somehow compromised. Also, blockchain information follows a specific sequence and timestamp when recorded and stored. This makes it easier for each agency to be responsible for a particular sequence, turn by turn. Blockchain technology also ensures that the information is never altered, but only amended.
Helps in maintaining student records
The blockchain technology is designed in such a way that it helps in maintaining student records by making them sequentially digitised. It also helps students to access their own records remotely without any third-party help. This technology also helps in verification process, especially in case of student transfers or issuing degrees, without bothering for unnecessary and tedious paper documentation.
Makes grading and preparing curriculum easier
One of the key components of blockchain technology is algorithms that help educators to prepare their curriculum, plan their lessons and courses into a blockchain while programming them into a specified order. The algorithm understands the schemes set by the teachers and accordingly allots assignments to the students, verifies successful completion of each task and provides them with the next set of tasks. The same technology can be applied while grading as it uses algorithms to assess the questions, their answers and other scoring factors.
Blockchain technology is cost-effective
The blockchain technology is designed to lower costs and offer affordable scopes of learning. The technology requires less manual intervention, which reduces expenditure on human resources.