Blockchain technology for sustainable education

Abstract

Blockchain—a digitally distributed, decentralised, peer‐to‐peer shared ledger technology that exists across a delimited network—is recognised as a disruptive technology for the next socioeconomic mega trend. Most of the researchers in education theoretically speculate upon blockchain's extraordinary potentials for enterprises, finance, administration, and management of education. Little attention has been paid, however, to the problems of socially inclusive knowledge transformation, sustainability, and equitable access to quality education for marginalised communities. This paper aims to describe an approach and method for leveraging education blockchain as a possible means to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the social inclusion of marginalised communities of teachers and learners. This theoretical paper adopts a reflective research approach to critically analyse the current state of blockchain applications in education, and discuss its prospects for building educational commons for sustainable development. This paper contributes to the field of educational technology by exploring blockchain's prospects to building educational commons through four strategies: (a) network cooperation; (b) diversity of interacting agents; (c) shared resources; and (d) educational logistics. It also contributes to the conceptualisation of knowledge transformation for sustainable education by modelling blockchain‐supported educational commons and informing educational practitioners and technological innovation policy makers. What is already known about this topic Blockchain is a digitally distributed, decentralised, peer‐to‐peer shared ledger technology that can be adopted across education networks. Blockchain is regarded as a disruptive technology and a key driver of the next socioeconomic mega trend. The extant literature on blockchain in education are technology‐centred and limited to applications in financing, administration, and management of education. Blockchain's potential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education and in favour of marginalised communities remain unexplored. What this paper adds A critique of the mainstream literature and its utilitarian and business‐oriented paradigm for leveraging blockchain technology in education. An operational definition of ‘education blockchain’ as a set of affordances of a blockchain technology that empowers educators and learners to achieve sustainability of their education system. Conceptualisation of a ‘sustainable education blockchain’ for the knowledge transformation of marginalised communities. A framework of blockchain for building educational commons through network cooperation, diversity of interactive agents, shared resources and educational logistics. Implications for practice and/or policy This paper calls for re‐orienting blockchain technology in education from pro‐profit to human‐centred adoption. This is to ensure a balance among technological advances, knowledge transformation, and safeguarding of privacy and i...

Using expertise as an intermediary: Unleashing the power of blockchain technology to drive future sustainable management using hidden champions

“…This traceability enhances accountability and enables consumers to make sustainable choices based on reliable information. Thirdly, blockchain technology enables the integration of expertise as an intermediary, facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders [ [55] , [56] , [57] ]. By leveraging blockchain, experts from different disciplines can contribute their knowledge and insights to sustainable management practices, leading to more innovative and effective solutions.…”

“…The immutability and encryption features of blockchain protect data from tampering or unauthorized access, ensuring the reliability and authenticity of the information. This is particularly important when dealing with sensitive sustainability data, such as carbon credits or renewable energy certificates [ [56] , [57] , [58] ].…”

“…Blockchain technology offers several unique features that can revolutionize sustainable management practices. Firstly, blockchain enhances transparency and accountability by providing a decentralized and immutable platform for recording and verifying transactions [ [52] , [53] , [54] , [55] , [56] , [57] ]. This transparency enables stakeholders to have a clear view of sustainability-related data, such as supply chain information, carbon emissions, and energy consumption.…”

“…With blockchain, it becomes possible to track the origin and journey of products or resources, ensuring compliance with sustainability standards and reducing the risk of environmental or social violations. This traceability enhances consumer trust and empowers individuals to make sustainable choices based on reliable information [ [56] , [57] , [58] , [59] , [60] , [61] ]. Thirdly, blockchain facilitates the integration of expertise as an intermediary, enabling collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders.…”

Emerging technologies for diverse and inclusive education from a sociocultural perspective

“…The theoretical study by Savelyeva and Park (2022) discusses the applications of blockchain in education regarding sustainability. They conceptualize a "sustainable education blockchain" for knowledge transformation in marginalized communities.…”