Blockchain in OER: students' perspectives on the use of blockchain technology for credential authentication

Abstract

The article outlines the potential benefits of blockchain technology in the education sector, particularly in open educational resources. The literature on open educational resources, blockchain technology and credential authentication is reviewed. The potential benefits and possible challenges of adopting blockchain technology to the process of verifying and authenticating students' academic achievements, which are crucial to ensure their credibility and recognition in other institutions as well as in the labour market, were presented. The main objective of this article was to provide students' perspectives on their familiarity with ORE, blockchain technology and how it can be adopted to verify educational credentials. The author of the article highlights the new benefits of implementing blockchain technology, primarily in terms of verifying the authenticity of diplomas and educational achievements, increasing their value and credibility in the eyes of employers. The introduction of these technologies can influence a more transparent teacher evaluation process and ensure secure storage of learner data. The results of this study indicate the potential of blockchain technology in enhancing the credibility and authenticity of academic achievement in OER. The study highlights the importance of further education and awareness initiatives, dealing with technical complexities and addressing data privacy and security issues to ensure the successful integration of blockchain into the education system. Through the use of distributed registries, a secure and transparent platform can be created to share and verify educational credentials.