As the fourth industrial revolution is in play across the globe, emerging
technologies such as blockchain are increasingly affecting how students’ digital
academic documents and certificates are issued and distributed. Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs), students, employers, and other stakeholders in the educational
sector face challenges regarding the falsification of academic records and digital
certificates. However, relatively few adoptions of blockchain in education have been
carried out by HEIs and businesses. Blockchain promises credibility, immutability,
security, and consensus in light of issuing digital certificates and keeping academic
records. Although blockchain comes with implementation challenges such as legal
framework, scalability, and limited expertise, key stakeholders, including governments,
academia, and businesses, must collaborate to explore and ensure the usage of
blockchain-oriented educational solutions in the issuance of digital certifications
around the world.
Keywords: Algorithms, Blockchain, Blockchain management, Collaboration, Consensus, Credentialing, Digital certificates, Digital learning, Diplomas, Education, Immutability, Innovation, Interoperability, Ledger, Legacy system, Scalability, Students, Tamper-proof, Technology, Universities.
