Borland: How my district of Oklahoma uses blockchain to store student transcripts and make it easier to share what they have learned

T.The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented upheaval in our society. Millions of people are out of work and nearly all students have been forced to drop out of their classes and learn from home this spring. Since then, some families have been forced to relocate and others are looking for new opportunities in significant variability in school plans for the 2020-21 school year.

However, changing schools is not easy for students or school administrators. When a student enrolls in a new school, administrators typically have to ask which school the student is from, then call that school and request the student’s academic records. Obtaining these documents can take weeks, delaying the student’s entry into the appropriate classes. This challenge is magnified when families are highly mobile and their children change schools multiple times.

Union Public Schools is a district in Oklahoma that serves students from the cities of Tulsa and Broken Arrow. About 70% of students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, and many families are short-term renters who often move beyond school boundaries. To make enrollment in a new school less challenging for both administrators and parents, the district turned to blockchain, a technology known for its role in powering digital currencies, such as Bitcoin, to overcome these logistical hurdles. .

Union has entered into a unique partnership with Tulsa’s 3Dream Studios to have student transcripts written in blockchain at the end of each semester. They are digitally stored in a secure, portable and permanent way for students to access and share at any time. Students have ownership of their own records and can take them with them if they transfer schools.

The goal is for blockchain to help these students avoid delays in bringing the transcript to their new school and demonstrate exactly what they have learned and can do, without relying on others to provide proof of those results. The district is also working with the state of Oklahoma and other high schools in the state to try and get approval for its digital degree – which is also written in blockchain and has the same benefits as digital transcription – to be accepted out. from the district.

Blockchain can also help students who take advantage of the flexible learning model of Union public schools to demonstrate their skills to people outside the K-12 system. The flexible learning model offers online courses and opportunities for students to gain college credit or work experience during high school. Using blockchain to document all of this learning, students can easily share their courses and learning experiences with colleges and employers.

The benefits of blockchain and other so-called distributed ledger technologies make them particularly suitable for helping students and educational institutions better manage student credentials. Because they are permanent, secure, and tamper-proof, colleges and employers know that the credentials or records they receive are legitimate. Students can rest easy knowing their information will be available at any time. These technologies can also be used to document different types of learning throughout a person’s life, which is essential in an economy where the jobs and skills required to do them are rapidly changing.

The American Council on Education hopes to promote further exploration of how blockchain can empower students and ensure continuity despite widespread disruption due to COVID-19. ACE recently announced a $ 900,000 Blockchain Innovation Challenge to demonstrate how blockchain can refocus the education and employment pipeline around students and workers, especially solutions that give students the ability to take action on their records, enable them to document the learning that occurs during their lifetime and helping them achieve economic mobility.

This is an incredibly challenging time for K-12 technology leaders. The challenge is not meant to add more to school dishes, but to help them reinvent how they can support student learning and connect with others who can help them do so. At Union, we have relied on the experience of an external supplier. This is one path, but not the only one. K-12 districts can partner with colleges, employers, and technology providers, many of whom are already involved and have expressed interest in finding a school or K-12 district to work with. Those interested in learning more or finding others to connect with can join the Blockchain Innovation group on ACE Engage, ACE’s peer-to-peer online learning platform.

Blockchain has been transformative for Union public schools and will continue to benefit students during these uncertain times. Other districts should consider similar partnerships that can help them meet the needs of their students during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Todd Borland is Executive Director of Technology for the Oklahoma Union Public Schools.

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