The presentation examines current inefficiencies in educational systems, and how new technologies, in particular blockchain might be used to address some of these issues.

1. A BLOCKCHAIN APPROACH TO
EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT
BEYOND THE HYPE
Anthony F. Camilleri
#EDEN 18 Annual Conference, Genoa, 19th June 2018

2. WHAT IS
BLOCKCHAIN?

3. Blockchain is a digital way for
people to transfer assets
directly between each other
without an intermediary

4. BLOCKCHAIN IS THE
TECHNOLOGY BEHIND
BITCOIN

5. A PUBLIC
DECENTRALISED
LEDGER

6. Central
Database
STRUCTURE OF A MODERN DATABASE
Users store
their
information
Institution
manages &
controls
Parties consult database

7. WHAT CAN GO
WRONG?

9. A CENTRALISED LEDGER OPERATOR COULD
•the rules for recognition of credentialsChange
•access to the database to institutions or individualsRestrict
•parts of the databaseDelete
•the database in an unauthorised mannerMisuse
•credentials by changing database entriesRevalue

10. BLOCKCHAIN SOLVES THESE PROBLEMS
BY REMOVING THE INTERMEDIARY
 Each user (node) stores a
complete
copy of the database
 Each user (node) has to
approve each entry
 The version with the most
copies is the ‘true’ version

11. DECENTRALISED

12. TRANSPARENT

13. IMMUTABLE

14. THREE THINGS YOU CAN STORE IN A LEDGER
ASSET
TRANSACTIONS
01
NOTARIZED
CERTIFICATES
02
SMART
CONTRACTS
03

15. ASSET TRANSACTIONS

16. BLOCKCHAINS
STORE ASSET
TRANSACTIONS

17. Currency Stocks
Property
FINTECH

19. NOTARIZED
SIGNATURES

20. HASH
FUNCTIONS
PROVIDE UNIQUE
IDS FOR ANY
DIGITAL
DOCUMENT

21. NOTARIZATION ON
THE BLOCKCHAIN
MEANS STORING
ITS HASH ON THE
LEDGER
THIS ALLOWS YOU
TO CERTIFY TRUTH
AT A POINT IN TIME

22. NOTARIZATION ON
THE BLOCKCHAIN
MEANS STORING
ITS HASH ON THE
LEDGER
THIS ALLOWS YOU
TO CERTIFY TRUTH
AT A POINT IN TIME

23. AUTOMATICALLY
VERIFIABLE SECURE
CREDENTIALS
 Any institution can issue a
digital credential (in any
format) to a learner and
register the hash of that
credential on a blockchain
 The learner can hold the
credential themselves on their
own device or in an online
wallet
 Any person wishing to check
the authenticity can simply
compare the hash of the
document against the entry
on the chain.

24. AUTOMATICALLY VERIFIABLE SECURE CREDENTIALS
tamper-proof
revocable
user-held
independently-verifiable

25. APPLICATIONS

26. APPLICATIONS
Verifying
Accreditation of
Institutions
Registering
(and tracking) IP

27. POTENTIAL TO
DISRUPT
Issue and
recognition of
credentials
Tracking of Research
Impact
Research Lifecycle
Management
Prevention of
Diploma Mills

28. SMART CONTRACTS

29. SMART
CONTRACTS
STORE CODE
ON THE CHAIN

30. SMART-
CONTRACTS
ARE
SELF-
EXECUTING

31. IN A SMART-CONTRACT
 Contracts may require votes to take effect –
voting is technologically incorruptible
 Voting is linked to an action – not a
proposal for an action
 Once a contract gets the required votes it
automatically executes
 Contracts can be changed, but only in
relation to the votes received
 Everyone has full visibility into each step

32. CREATE
PERFORMANCE-
BASED
INCENTIVES

33. AUTOMATE
CREDIT
TRANSFER

34. AUTOMATE
ADMINISTRATION

35. DECENTRALISE
ENTIRE
COMPUTER
PROGRAMS

36. IN THE LONG-TERM, BLOCKCHAIN
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DISRUPT THE
GOVERNANCE AND EXECUTION OF
EVERY SINGLE PROCESS CONTROLLED
BY A DATABASE

37. OPEN VS CLOSED BLOCKCHAINS
Open Chains
• decentralized governance
• data portability
• independent verification
• direct access to wallets
• open standards
Closed Chains
• centralised governance
• data silos
• Verification through intermediaries
• Mediated access to wallets
• Proprietary closed standards

38. ONLY OPEN BLOCKCHAINS
BRING CLEAR SOCIAL
VALUE

39. BLOCKCHAIN IS STILL EMERGING TECH

40. CONTROL
OF DATA IS
NOT
ABSTRACT

41. FROM A FAUSTIAN BARGAIN
more convenience
more connectivity
less privacy
less ownership

42. TOWARDS A MORE IDEALISTIC WORLD
more convenience
more connectivity
less privacy
less ownership

43. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
ANTHONY F. CAMILLERI
ANTHONY@CAMILLERI.COM