Blockchain in Higher Education: A Secure Traceability Architecture for Degree Verification

Abstract

College fraud, driven by the demand for diplomas in the labor market, has become a pervasive global phenomenon. This multi-billion-dollar industry poses a significant challenge, as almost every employer is susceptible to encountering fraudulent diplomas. The lack of transparency in the accreditation process and university data systems necessitates trust in intermediaries, including students, faculty, and university officials, to verify the legitimacy of credentials. However, this trust-based system leaves room for errors and fraudulent activities, leading to the proliferation of fake diplomas. Blockchain technology emerges as a potential solution, promising trustless and transparent systems that eliminate the need for intermediaries or central authorities in transactions between strangers. By leveraging blockchain, a distributed digital platform can be developed, fostering integrity and trust among participants from different industries. Within the context of certificate systems, blockchain offers the means to establish a secure and tamper-proof record of credentials. Each certificate or diploma can be digitally signed and stored on the blockchain, ensuring its authenticity and preventing unauthorized modifications or forgery. This enables direct access and verification of credentials by employers, bypassing the reliance on potentially untrustworthy intermediaries.

1. Introduction

Blockchain technology is a transformative innovation with applications across various industries. Initially introduced in 2008 as the underlying technology for Bitcoin transactions, blockchain has since evolved to offer benefits beyond cryptocurrencies. Its primary goal was to enable direct transactions between users without the need for intermediaries. In essence, blockchain operates as a decentralized network of interconnected data blocks, protected by cryptographic techniques to ensure security and prevent tampering. Each node within the network maintains a transaction log, verifies and records transactions, and cross-checks its own record with others in the network to maintain consistency and integrity [1, 2].

Blockchain operates in a decentralized manner, eliminating the need for a central authority and relying instead on consensus among network participants. Each node within the network maintains a copy of the entire blockchain or relies on lightweight nodes for blockchain data. As new blocks are added, the blockchain data grows, and once added, data cannot be deleted without the agreement of network participants. Blocks are interconnected, with each block containing the hash of the previous block, ensuring data integrity and protection against tampering. Modifying data within a block alters its hash, making any changes easily identifiable [2].

The blockchain structure, as depicted in Figure 1, comprises a header block and transaction data. The header contains elements such as the hash of the previous block, timestamp, Merkle root of transactions, difficulty, and nonce [2]. The transaction data holds all the transactions within the block. The genesis block, being the first block, does not have a previous block hash. All blocks can be traced back to the genesis block for verification purposes.

Figure 1.

Blockchain structure [2].

Each block has a specific storage capacity, and once filled, it is closed and connected to the previously filled block, forming a data chain known as a blockchain. New information is added to a new block once the previous block is complete. Blockchains are designed to be resistant to data modification [3].

Blockchain is a decentralized public network that can store and verify records, which is a necessary requirement in the education system for transcripts and other authentication certificates used for employment purposes. It offers several features that can streamline various processes in educational institutions. The main features of blockchain, as outlined in [4], include decentralization, immutability, security, smart contracts, payment registry, and transparency. These features contribute to the reliability, efficiency, and transparency of educational record-keeping and verification processes.

Blockchain possesses several notable features that have contributed to the success of Bitcoin. These features, as outlined in [2], include:

1. Data redundancy: The blockchain can store identical data from multiple nodes simultaneously. If a node loses its data, it can be recovered from other nodes that have a copy of the blockchain, ensuring data integrity and resilience.

2. Data integrity: Any change made to a block is reflected in the hash of the subsequent block. This makes it easy to detect any alterations in the data since any change in a block will affect the hash of subsequent blocks.

3. Transparency: The blockchain’s data is stored on complete nodes, allowing anyone in the network to view the activities recorded in the blockchain. This transparency enables fraud detection and enhances the accountability of public services.

4. Decentralization: Blockchain eliminates the need for intermediaries, resulting in autonomous systems that operate without central authority. This decentralization also removes associated costs and allows for more efficient processes.

5. Efficiency: By eliminating intermediaries and streamlining processes, blockchain enhances the efficiency of various systems and transactions.

6. Interoperability: Blockchain provides a platform for data sharing and synchronization of services, enabling interoperability among different entities and systems.

7. Data verification: Blockchain enables easy verification of data authenticity, such as through the use of digital signatures, ensuring the originality and integrity of the stored information.

These features make blockchain a powerful technology with applications beyond cryptocurrencies, including in the field of educational record-keeping and authentication.

Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the field of education by enabling secure verification and sharing of educational credentials and qualifications. Its features of interoperability, transparency, and data integrity make it a promising tool in this context.

In the education sector, blockchain can be used to issue, transmit, share, and verify educational qualifications and experiences [5]. By leveraging blockchain’s interoperability and portable accreditations, students can have access to their competencies and certification documents from anywhere in the world.

The use of blockchain in education helps reduce fraud, streamline the hiring process, and minimize bureaucracy. It gives individuals greater control over their own data and enables instant and secure validation of qualifications and characteristics. Blockchain serves as a common and trusted source of truth, ensuring the authenticity and security of educational records.

Although the adoption of blockchain in education is still in its early stages, some institutions have already started utilizing it. For example, the University of Nicosia became the first university to certify its degrees through blockchain [5]. These early adopters aim to validate and share academic certificates and student results.

Blockchain technology also holds potential for improving teaching and learning processes. It could facilitate collaboration and partnerships among educational institutions, allowing for the sharing of information about individuals’ academic studies. Smart contracts, a feature of blockchain, could streamline administrative processes and provide students with access to a wider range of educational programs. This, in turn, has the potential to increase the pass rate and decrease the dropout rate. Additionally, the use of a common infrastructure through blockchain can help reduce operating costs [1].

Overall, the use of blockchain in education is still evolving, but it has the potential to bring significant advancements in credential verification, data security, and collaboration among educational institutions.

There has always been fraud in academic records. Some studies state that a multitude of degrees are purchased annually. It often happens that individuals can buy fake diplomas from real schools or schools that can be called diploma factories. Another common problem is the modification of academic records to the advantage of the professional gain of the respondents.

Fraud can be avoided through the blockchain, so that students’ credentials are protected from illegitimate access and modification. In this sense, cryptography is used in combination with digital signatures to validate the origin and recipient of a document. Changes to an accreditation can be viewed via the blockchain by modifying the hash and can be validated by the issuing organization. The termination or expiration of some credentials can be done instantly.

There are many studies that try to demonstrate the usefulness of blockchain technology in education. One of them, called the Blockchain in Education report by the European Commission, points out that the blockchain can be used to meet a number of challenges, such as accreditation, digital certification, transferring credit to students or making payment transactions for students. The study mentions that blockchain applications in the educational field are still in their infancy and still do not reach all the proposed objectives, are not completely safe and do not eliminate blockages of any kind. However, we can conclude that the interest for this type of application is growing. As mentioned in [6], MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) released 100 digital diplomas to graduates through a pilot project. This project focused on issuing digital certificates.

1.1 Analysis of current state-of-the-art of European Digital Recognition using blockchain in comparison to best practices in the world

There is no official information on the adoption of blockchain technology at European level in an organized and regulated framework, the examples specified in the paper are small initiatives, but with great potential.

1.2 Malta

Since the beginning of 2017, Malta has started to implement a pilot project to store and issue blockchain certificates. Currently, the project includes all academic entities in Malta.

1.3 Spain

Spain has faced several cases of fake university diplomas. This topic came to public attention in 2018 when Cristina Cifuentes (the former president of the Community of Madrid) was accused of falsifying her master’s degree diploma. As a result, the Red Blue project was born. It aims to validate diplomas and certificates using blockchain technology. According to [7], in December 2019, a number of 76 universities were involved in the project.

One of these universities is The University of Murcia, which recently has organized sessions on topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, Internet of Things, Data Analysis, and Big Data. Following this event, the University issued blockchain certificates to the participants. This initiative aims to promote the use of blockchain technology in general activities [8].

Certificate holders can access and import it using the Blockcerts application. On the official Blockcerts page [9], the application is described as “an open standard for creating, issuing, viewing, and verifying blockchain-based certificates. The digital records are registered on a blockchain, cryptographically signed, tamper-proof, and shareable”.

1.4 Germany

A technical university in northern Germany, the Technische Hochschule Lubeck, is involved in a publicly funded project called the Digicerts Project. The goal of this project is to use blockchain technology to store student certificates, an upgrade from the current centralized database. At the end of the project, the certificates could be accessed and managed securely by the university, students, and companies—potential employers of students. Thus, the cases of forgery and lying regarding the accreditations will be minimized. In addition to storing certificates, blockchain technology would be used to manage and schedule exam sessions [10].

1.5 Estonia

Estonia is known as one of the most digitized countries in Europe. Its citizens can pay, sign, request official documents in various public sectors such as administration, health, transportation, etc. This digitization is based on well-developed and respected legislative regulations.

Although blockchain technology is not currently used in higher education in Estonia, the country’s prestigious technical universities offer courses for learning and researching blockchain concepts. These courses are taught in technical programs, but do not have a 100% focus on the blockchain. They are currently working on a specially developed curriculum for blockchain technology, which will prepare future engineers for ambitious and innovative projects.

1.6 India

India aims to increase enrollment in primary and higher education by 2030. This will be achieved by developing a Digital Education Ecosystem. This digitization involves the adoption of blockchain technology for storing notes, activities, certificates, diplomas, attendance, and much more. Educational institutions, potential employers, and certification agencies will have access to this ecosystem through integration [11].

1.7 United States

It can be said that MIT was the first educational institution to use blockchain technology to store and verify certificates. From a pilot project, Blockcerts, the open-source program for storing digital certificates, was born in 2016. Because Blockcerts is open source, this solution was quickly adopted by other US universities, which favored digitalization at a broad level.

1.8 Canada

McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, created its own Blockcerts issuing system, which issues certificates for graduated students. The Canadian Colleges Association also declared that it is partnering with a private company to create a record-keeping system with blockchain technology that will be used nationally in higher education.

According to [12], the implementation of blockchain technology in higher education is also present in the Middle East, North Africa, Pacific Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

2. Methodology for collecting data

2.1 Objectives of the study

The main objective of this chapter is to present the advantages of adopting blockchain technology vs. the Higher Education diploma/certificates management. To achieve this, we have started with questionnaires to students from a technical university (i.e. University POLITEHNICA Bucharest) to gauge their familiarity with blockchain concepts and gather their opinions on implementing this technology. Additionally, interviews have been conducted with education and IT experts to explore the advantages, disadvantages, potential applications, and specific needs related to adopting blockchain in the education sector. By gathering insights from both students and experts, the study aims to determine their perspectives on the topic and contribute to understanding the potential adoption of blockchain technology in Higher Education starting from a double perspective: that of the beneficiaries (students) and that of the implementers (IT experts).

3. Development of hypothesis vs. questionnaires/interviews

For this study, we have developed six hypotheses, also represented in Figure 2, regarding the use of blockchain in higher education, which also capture the possible advantages of this technology.

Figure 2.

The hypothesis structure.

The hypotheses considered are presented below:

1. H1: The high level of security on which blockchain technology is based leads to improving the management of student’s records.

2. H2: The high level of security on which blockchain technology is based leads to securing a collaborative learning environment.

3. H3: The management of student’s records through blockchain technology contributes to a better control of data access.

4. H4: The collaborative learning environment that blockchain provides leads to improving learning performance.

5. H5: The management of student’s records through blockchain technology implies lower costs for students.

6. H6: The efficient control of data access through blockchain technology implies lower costs for students.

The first hypothesis highlights the fact that security is a very important factor in terms of storing student certificates and diplomas, a factor that blockchain offers at a high level. Along with the growth of online education, the market for fraudulent certifications and degrees is expanding. For many corporations and educational institutions around the world, this is starting to become a big concern. In order to solve this problem, the institutions could register the certificates on the blocks as immutable entries, which would allow a blockchain to easily solve the certification management issue. Furthermore, in their email signatures, social media sites, and resumes, students can easily distribute these credentials by including the precise URLs.

The second premise presents how one of the most important characteristics of blockchain technology, high security, influences the eLearning industry. By its nature of protecting data, this application of blockchain creates a collaborative learning environment, where learning materials are verified and students are helped to develop their critical thinking and their communication accomplishments.

According to the third hypothesis, the management of students’ records through blockchain facilitates data access. Thus, blockchain offers the students a digital identity. As a result, they have ownership of their records and can prove the authenticity of their academic achievements whenever needed. For instance, by allowing access to the blockchain, it is simple to transfer students’ records when they transfer from one university to another.

The fourth hypothesis highlights the fact that, with the creation of collaborative learning environment in which students work together, emphasizing communication and interaction between them, learning performance increases. Blockchain technology has the potential to enhance collaborative learning by providing a secure and transparent platform for collaboration, evaluation, and credentialization. With its help, individuals develop not only new academic skills in academia, but also other important skills, such as social responsibility, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork, which are highly valued by employers.

According to the final two hypotheses, the digitalization of a student’s documents, through blockchain technology, allows data access in an efficient manner, which reduces costs for students. This can be extended to circumstances where the records of students, who visit other institutes, as part of exchange programs, can be easily shared across institutes by granting the necessary access, which lowers the administrative costs.

4. Data analysis

4.1 Questionnaires

The questionnaire was completed by three groups of students of 49, 77, and 21 students each. Students follow bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs at University POLITEHNICA Bucharest/Automatic Control & Computers faculty. The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended, true-false questions in which students had to answer if they were familiar with some concepts regarding blockchain technology. The other type of questions consisted of 5-scale scales related to various scenarios.

4.2 Statistical and logical analysis

4.2.1 Statistical analysis

In the table below, the percentage elements resulting from the analysis of the questionnaires are presented in Table 1.

I have already heard of:	YES	NO	N/A
Smart Contracts	38.8%	40.8%	20.4%
Multi Signatures	49.0%	30.6%	20.4%
Oracles	44.9%	34.7%	20.4%
Decentralized Storage	42.9%	36.7%	20.4%
Private Key	69.4%	10.2%	20.4%
Validation Process	67.4%	12.2%	20.4%
Blockchain Fork	36.7%	42.9%	20.4%
Hashpower	36.7%	42.9%	20.4%
Proof of Work (PoW)	42.9%	36.7%	20.4%
Proof of Stake (PoS)	38.8%	40.8%	20.4%
Block Reward	36.7%	42.9%	20.4%
Wallets	69.4%	10.2%	20.4%
Public Address	69.4%	10.2%	20.4%
Transaction Fees	63.3%	16.3%	20.4%
Blockchain Bloat	36.7%	42.9%	20.4%
Mining	69.4%	10.2%	20.4%
Cryptographic Hash Function	57.1%	22.4%	20.4%
Hashtable	53.1%	26.5%	20.4%

Table 1.

Responses mapping.

AC group responses in percentages vs the total number of responses.

4.2.2 Logical analysis

Based on the table above, the following conclusions can be drawn about the students in the AC group:

• The terms that students are most familiar with are: Private Key, Validation Process, Wallets, Public Address, Mining, Cryptographic Hash Function, and Hashtable (all with a percentage of over 50%);

• Of the terms known by more than half of the participants in the questionnaire, Private Key, Wallets, Public Address, and Mining received the most positive answers;

• The least known terms are Blockchain Fork, Hashpower, Block Reward, and Blockchain Bloat;

• A relevant observation is the logical difference between the popular and the least known terms. The popular terms are known almost unanimously, only 10.2% of participants did not hear about them, while the least known terms are still familiar to 36.7% of the participants in the questionnaire.

Regarding the following aspects that students consider necessary before introducing blockchain technology in education, the following results were obtained:

• “Involvement of Government, strict worldwide regulation”—It was rated as necessary in an average of about 3 on a rating scale of 1 to 5.

• “Everything has to be set up with open-source technologies”—It is considered by most students an aspect that must be considered.

• “The ability to get a copy of my own data that can be stored on my own node, regardless of which blockchain system was originally used”—It was rated as necessary in an average of about 3 on a rating scale of 1 to 5.

• “The ability to operate a full node and store an encrypted copy of the blockchain used to store credentials”—It was rated as necessary in an average of about 3 on a rating scale of 1 to 5.

• “Involving corporations in the process of setting up Blockchain technologies in the educational sector”—It is considered by most students an aspect that must be considered.

• “In-depth education about blockchain technologies for IT professionals and administrative officers in the educational-sector”—He had an almost maximum number of pro votes.

• “The possibility to process information from various blockchain systems”—He had an almost maximum number of pro votes.

• “Clear and transparent rules about who is responsible for payment of fees”—It is considered by most students an aspect that must be considered.

• “Basic information/education about blockchain technologies for all people involved in the educational sector”—It was rated as necessary in an average of about 3 on a rating scale of 1 to 5 (Figure 3).

Figure 3.

“The following aspects are in my opinion necessary to consider before including blockchain technologies within the educational sector” Average of responses.

Students were also consulted on the suitability of blockchain technologies for different use cases in the educational sector. Thus, for the following cases it was considered that blockchain is very suitable (with an average of over 3 points on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is not suitable and 5 is highly suitable): “Competencies and learning outcomes management, Evaluating students’ professional ability, Securing collaborative learning environment, Protecting learning objects, Enhancing students’ interactions in e-learning, Supporting lifelong learning”. The cases for which votes are close to not suitable (with an average of less than 3) are: “Certificates management, Fees and credits transfer, Obtaining digital guardianship consent, Copyrights management, Allowing employers and other organizations to view student’ educational results and other qualifications on a blockchain” (Figure 4).

Figure 4.

“In my opinion blockchain technologies are suitable (or not suitable) for the following use cases within the educational sector” Average of responses.

Among the students, a survey was conducted on the professions that require more knowledge of blockchain technologies, in terms of their use in the educational sector. Among the most voted professions, which require a great deal of knowledge in blockchain technologies are (with an average of over 3 points on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is no knowledge needed and 5 is high knowledge needed): “Hardware / software Specialist, Researcher in the field of education and educational, Administrative IT Officer, Educational App Developer, Headmaster / Rector / Dean”. Among the professions that do not require knowledge are: “Teacher, Administrative Non-IT Officer” (Figure 5).

Figure 5.

“Please rank which professions require lower or higher knowledge of blockchain technologies, regarding their use in the educational sector” Average of responses.

The benefits of adopting blockchain technologies in education, considered important by students are: “Enhancing learners’ activity, Supporting learners’ career decisions, Improving management of student’s records, Identity authentication, Better control of data access, Low cost, High security”. The things that were not considered important benefits are: “Enhancing trust, Enhancing students’ assessment” (Figure 6).

Figure 6.

“Benefit of adopting blockchain technologies in education” Average of responses.

Last but not least, an opinion poll was conducted on the challenges of adopting blockchain technology in education. As a result, the most voted challenges to consider are (with an average of over 3,5 points on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is not important to consider and 5 is highly important to consider: “Privacy & security, Cost, Data unavailability, Scalability, Setting the boundaries, Trust”. The following are not considered challenges to consider (with an average below 3): “Immaturity, Weakening traditional school credentials” (Figure 7).

Figure 7.

“Challenges of adopting blockchain in higher education” Average of responses.

4.2.3 Synthesis of results vs hypothesis

Following the analysis based on the students’ answers to the questionnaire, the results obtained are, to a large extent, corresponding to the hypotheses. When students from an IT university were interviewed, the expectations were higher in terms of popularity and knowledge of Blockchain technology. For the most part, less than half of the respondents heard about the terms mentioned, but there were also quite a few abstentions. Terms such as “Blockchain Fork”, “Blockchain Bloat”, or “Hashpower” are not well-known among students. However, the students responded positively to the integration of the blockchain in the educational field and considered the technology appropriate in many of the cases presented. Also, most students have been thrilled and support the benefits that blockchain can bring to education. However, I also agree that there will be many challenges in adopting blockchain technology in education.

Starting from the outcomes obtained in the previous section and from the hypotheses developed in Section 3.2., we are able to make a comparison between the two. Thus, we can strongly affirm that they are firmly related, the synthesized results validating the six premises formulated. In addition, both parts of the comparison encompass the main elements through which blockchain can revolutionize the education industry: high security, data accessibility, transparency, interactivity.

4.3 Interviews

4.3.1 Centralization of data

Within the Boosting Sustainable Digital Education for European Universities project, seven interviews with experts were held. All the answers to the interviews were collected during January 2022, so all the opinions and suggestions offered can be considered relevant to the current context, which is extremely important given the dynamic nature and speed with which technology evolves.

The participants to the interview come from both public and private sectors, in the domain of education and information and communication technology, in management and executive positions. This diversity among experts will help to form an image as close to reality as possible regarding the use of blockchain technology in higher education. However, there was no participant working in a non-governmental organization. It should also be noted that all the experts interviewed work in areas related to the topic of the paper.

The interview consists of 11 sections, each section containing one or more questions. The questions are open, it is up to the expert how detailed or concise the answer may be depending on one’s own experience and knowledge. Also, the questions are formulated objectively, so as not to influence the perception of the participants positively or negatively.

4.3.2 Statistical and logical analysis

Unlike the data obtained from the questionnaires, only a qualitative analysis can be performed on the data obtained from the interviews with experts. If tools such as Excel were used for the quantitative analysis of the questionnaires, the analysis of the interviews is done manually.

The participants in the interview have the status of experts, so their expertise, experience, and knowledge are unquestionable and officially recognized. Their answers are considered equally, but no quantitative conclusions will be drawn if there are discrepancies and disagreements between opinions.

In the next part of the chapter, the answers for each section of the interview will be analyzed:

1. “What are the potential applications of blockchain in higher education”?

All participants provided an answer to this question, listing possible applications of blockchain technology in higher education. The most popular answer was the storage and management of various documents such as student records, diplomas, certificates, scholarships, various academic, and scientific activities within university. One of the participants suggestively named this information Academic Passport, practically creating a digital identity for each student. Outside the university environment, this information may be available for the purpose of validating accreditations by employing companies.

Another identified use refers to research, the authors being able to publish and monitor the research papers, being able to see when it was cited or used in curricula. Thus, the decentralization of information can be achieved by preserving intellectual property.

Moreover, it has been suggested that cryptocurrency could be used both for tuition fees and for accessing research papers, a method by which researchers could fund their projects. It has been suggested that blockchain technology could improve the efficiency of administrative processes through smart contracts and funding tracking.

Other identified applications are tokenization of learning, developing Massive Open Online Courses and virtual universities. One of the participants found it necessary to introduce courses on blockchain technology of various levels of specialization and difficulty for bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs.

2. “What relevant data or units of learning would be on the blockchain”?

Experts have stated that sensitive or personal data is not stored in the blockchain. A common practice is to store a hash of the information for verification. This information would consist of smart contracts, academic records, awards, volunteer activities within university, research, certificates, diplomas, regulation, and security. The actual data will be stored on databases or other types of systems.

3. “One of the most critical components of a block on the blockchain is the quality of data, what are the quality assurance standards to ensure that the data is accurate, verifiable, and meaningful”?

The answers to this question varied: one participant did not know of the existence of such standards, three participants stated that the quality of the data is given by the consensus reached by the actors of the system, and three participants provided concrete examples of standards:

• ISO/TC 307/WG 2 Security, privacy, and identity.

• ISO/TC 307/WG 3 Smart contracts and their applications.

• ISO/TC 307/WG 5 Governance.

• ISO/TC 307/WG 6 Blockchain Use Cases.

• ISO/TC 307/WG 7 Interoperability.

• DIN. 3104:2019-04 Blockchain-Based Validation of Data.

• NISTIR 8202—Blockchain Technology Overview.

• ISO/TR 23455:2019 Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies

4. “What are some compelling reasons for using blockchain in higher education? Are there any reasons NOT to use blockchain in higher education”?

The reasons for adopting blockchain technology identified by experts are closely related to the applications listed in Section 1, namely the storage and administration of all documents related to student activity, use of cryptocurrency, and smart contracts, but also related to the benefits of blockchain technology: decentralization, scaling, security, transparency, and data integrity.

Another compelling reason is to familiarize students with a new and evolving concept, which has the potential to expand into many areas of activity. Thus, students will be able to meet industry expectations. Also, the implementation of such a technology translates into research, the development of specialized study programs, and the establishment of many jobs.

Moreover, 5 out of the 7 experts interviewed stated that they could not see a reason not to use blockchain technology in higher education. The specified disadvantages were the negative impact on the environment from the use of resources for computing power and storage. Although data immutability is considered an advantage, in some contexts it can be detrimental. The desire for change and the necessary resources were also marked as factors.

5. “What are the most significant hurdles that higher education will need to overcome before blockchain sees broad adoption”?

The main impediments reported by experts referred to the lack of legislative regulations, insufficient funding, and the need for training and research that may be affected by disinterest and inertia. From a legislative point of view, the use of blockchain technology is still a new field on which no national or European rules have yet been imposed. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation could impose restrictions on the use of personal data, in the context in which the term personal data is still vaguely defined. Moreover, for an efficient implementation and functioning, there must be a good collaboration between entities (universities, private sector, the state).

In addition to the research and training needed to develop a system that uses blockchain technology, university staff must also be trained. They have different levels of knowledge and skills in the technical field, and the initiative may be met by lack of interest, desire, and even refusal to adapt. In any case, all the obstacles listed suggest that blockchain broad adoption will be a long and expensive process.

6. “With every new tech adoption that has broad implications, there are ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ who fall into these categories; Who are the biggest winners and losers? Does the benefit to the winners outweigh the impact on the losers”?

The conclusion reached by the experts is that the winners are companies and universities with enough capital to adopt blockchain technology from the beginning. The beneficiaries are both their business and their clients, in the field of education, health, and banking.

Although some experts have not identified any losers, others have referred to universities that cannot start the adoption of blockchain technology at the moment and will never be able to recover the lead that the top 50 universities in the world have. They also referred to possible jobs that will be canceled due to the development of technology.

All experts agreed that in the event of an effective implementation that follows a well-developed plan, the benefits will outweigh the disadvantages.

7. “Building on the previous question, there are potential equity, access, and accessibility implications, how do we ensure that blockchain does not marginalize these populations”?

Experts who could not identify losers to the previous question did not provide answers to this question. Those who identified the losers believe that the government should play an important role in ensuring equality and access. They also came up with solutions such as collaboration between the leading entities in the field who already have enough knowledge and experience and the entities at the beginning of the road. Partnerships and open-source resources should be encouraged.

In the case of people who have lost their jobs due to the adoption of blockchain technology, experts recommend helping them in professional reconversion through trainings and accessing European funds.

8. “Is blockchain in higher education just hype”?

Some experts have categorically stated that blockchain technology in higher education is not just a hype, and others have said that at the moment it is a hype, but in the future, it may become a standard practice at a broad level. However, it takes time, investment, research, development of strategies, and government rules. The benefits of this technology, however, are undeniable, regardless of the current hype.

9. “Where do we go from here? Who needs a seat at the table”?

To begin with, more research and development of prototypes is needed to draw some general conclusions about the benefits, disadvantages, and impact that the adoption of blockchain technology will have. Experts believe that universities, governmental bodies, specialized EU institutions, research institutes, and the private sector should be involved. It can be stated that for an efficient implementation a good communication and collaboration between all the listed entities is needed.

10. “What are your observations about blockchain adoption in Romania in general and in the education field in particular”?

All the answers were offered in connection with Romania, and they varied according to the knowledge of each expert. Several companies and associations have been mentioned that aim to popularize and use blockchain technology. Technical universities have also begun to offer a range of blockchain-related courses and research opportunities. It should be noted that Romania is one of the countries that since 2021 is part of a project aims to issue diplomas and credits through the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure.

11. “How do you intend to check the relevant skills/competencies when recruiting for a dedicated project/job linked to blockchain application in higher education (in Romania)”?

Some experts would check the understanding of blockchain concepts through interviews and case studies. Others want to see previous experience with blockchain technology in the form of research or participation in similar projects. There are also experts who recognize that the field is far too new for people to have concrete skills, so they would look for people who have interacted with web development (backend and frontend), experience working with highly scalable products and cloud computing.

4.3.3 Synthesis of results vs hypothesis

All hypotheses were validated by the answers of the experts; indeed, they provided a wide range of examples for which blockchain technology can help in document storage and management, minimizing forgery, research, paying school fees with cryptocurrency, etc. Of course, they were able to identify the main obstacles, namely funding, lack of legislation, the desire of the entities to collaborate and the need for research and training.

Moreover, experts have encouraged the introduction of blockchain-related courses in bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs. They gave examples of companies currently working with this technology, but also of fields such as medicine and banking that have started and will continue to develop applications through this technology.

5. Development of a pilot model using blockchain concept for “record-keeping” of students’ degrees, certificates, and diplomas based on the previous analysis. Simulation of a case study

The figure below represents the architecture of a pilot model proposed for storing student records using blockchain technology. All activities performed by the user will be performed through an interface. In this case, the user can upload or request a file. The files represent degrees, certificates, and diplomas. The documents in question can only be in pdf format. Each of these actions (upload & request) is performed with the help of smart contracts deployed on Ethereum Blockchain. The system works on a P2P network where each node has a copy of the Blockchain (Figure 8).

Figure 8.

Pilot model architecture.

If the file is in a format other than pdf, the upload will be canceled, and if it meets the condition, the file will be stored in the document manager. Approval or rejection of requests is done through smart contracts. When one user sends a request to another user for a file, the smart contract will send a notification. Depending on the response received, the smart contract will notify the requester.

Digital certification solutions rely on digital signatures to achieve the issuance of certificates. Compared to electronic signatures that are easy to counterfeit, digital signatures allow the verification of a document so as to determine whether or not it was signed by a specific person. The digital signature allows the issuance of certificates so that a person personalizes his document with a stamp that can be generated only by him. Once signed, the document cannot be modified. Each person using a digital signature must have a document with an identity number called a public key and a connected password called a private key. When signing a document, its hash is combined with a person’s private key to generate a unique code. The signature is printed on the document using the time stamp. The signature results from the combination of the two mentioned above, so it is unique for that document and can only be created by the person holding the private key.

In order to verify a digital signature, the public key of the person must be known. Public keys are codes that can be searched and found in public folders. The verification is performed by using the document and the public key. It is verified that the signature on the document is identical to the hash of the original document and that the signature is related to the public key of the person who signed the document. The whole mechanism is described in the Figure 9.

Figure 9.

Digital signatures.

The next figure describes the use case in which a student enrolls in the undergraduate program (Figure 10).

Figure 10.

Use case: student enrollment in a program.

The moment he/she is enrolled in college, he is issued a student ID. It is associated with a student record with personal information. The file is stored in the faculty database. In order to use blockchain technology to register the student, a blockchain address is generated, consisting of the public key and the private key, the unique address. The corresponding public key generated in combination with the student’s ID is stored in the university database. Also, the confidential address issued is sent to the student, together with instructions for use. Thus, the student’s registration was successful (Figure 11).

Figure 11.

Use case: adding student’s diploma.

After the enrolled student successfully completes a course, he will receive a diploma as official proof that he has taken the course and has specific knowledge of the topic. The figure below shows the use case for adding the diploma to the student’s digital academic passport. Firstly, the diploma is stored in the university’s database. The blockchain address of the student in question is searched and the transaction is performed. There are two possible cases: the transaction is valid or not. The result of the valid transaction is the addition of the diploma in the blockchain so that it can be verified by any future employer.

6. Conclusions: a common framework of a European Digital Education Recognition solution

The advantages of using blockchain technology in higher education are undeniable: decentralization, scaling, security, transparency, and data integrity.

These benefits can potentially transform various aspects of education, including credentialing, record-keeping, and collaboration. However, there are also obstacles to consider:

Funding: Implementing blockchain technology requires financial resources for research, development, infrastructure, and ongoing maintenance. Securing funding can be a challenge, especially for educational institutions with limited budgets.

Lack of legislation: The legal and regulatory framework surrounding blockchain technology is still evolving in many jurisdictions. Clear guidelines and legislation are necessary to ensure compliance, privacy protection, and data ownership rights within the educational context.

Research, training, and development: Adopting blockchain technology in higher education necessitates research and development efforts to explore its potential applications and adapt them to the specific needs of educational institutions. Additionally, faculty and staff need training to effectively use and manage blockchain-based systems.

Integration with existing systems: Educational institutions often have legacy systems and processes in place. Integrating blockchain technology with these systems can be complex and require careful planning to ensure a smooth transition and interoperability.

Scalability: As blockchain technology gains adoption, scalability becomes crucial. Higher education institutions need to consider how blockchain-based solutions can handle a large volume of transactions and users without compromising performance.

User adoption and acceptance: Introducing new technology often requires a change in mindset and user behavior. Faculty, students, and other stakeholders need to understand the benefits and be willing to embrace blockchain-based solutions.

Despite these challenges, the potential benefits of blockchain technology in higher education make it an area of interest and ongoing exploration. As the technology evolves and matures, overcoming these obstacles will become more attainable, paving the way for innovative applications that can transform the educational landscape.

Finally, following the questionnaires and interviews with experts, it is indeed a common conclusion that blockchain-based educational certificates have several advantages in minimizing forgery and streamlining administrative processes in universities. Here are some key reasons why blockchain technology is seen as beneficial in this context:

Immutable records: Blockchain technology allows for the creation of tamper-proof and transparent records. Educational certificates stored on a blockchain can be securely verified, reducing the risk of forgery or alteration. This ensures the integrity and authenticity of the certificates.

Decentralization and data ownership: Blockchain-based systems can provide decentralized storage and management of certificates, eliminating the need for a central authority. This empowers individuals to have ownership and control over their own educational records, reducing reliance on centralized institutions.

Efficient verification processes: Verifying traditional paper-based certificates can be time-consuming and requires manual effort. With blockchain-based certificates, the verification process can be automated, reducing administrative burden and providing faster and more accurate verification results.

Enhanced security and privacy: Blockchain technology incorporates strong cryptographic mechanisms that ensure the security and privacy of data. Educational certificates can be stored securely on the blockchain, protecting them from unauthorized access or data breaches.

Interoperability and standardization: Blockchain-based solutions can enable interoperability among different educational institutions, allowing for seamless transfer and recognition of educational credentials. This streamlines administrative processes related to admissions, transfers, and job applications.

While there are challenges to overcome in implementing blockchain-based educational certificates, as discussed earlier, the potential benefits make it an attractive solution. The use of blockchain technology in this context has the potential to bring about significant improvements in certificate management, reduce fraud, and simplify administrative workflows in universities and other educational institutions.