Is blockchain the key to college success?
A student’s credentials and achievements, stored on and secured by blockchain technology, can set students up for college acceptance and college success, said Joshua Samuel, CEO of Coins for College.
During a session at FETC 2023, Samuel explored how blockchain can be used in the real world to solve problems such as knowledge gaps, student motivation, attendance, teacher compensation.
Blockchain technology holds the promise of changing much of what ails education today, he argued. Blockchain relies on methods of cryptography, which secures data against unauthorized access and keeps students’ information safe.
A comprehensive learning record (CLR) contains all student data in a protected format and follows students wherever they go. It carries their achievements and information, ensuring that their academic and personal progress is not lost.
Coins for College uses a system called Scholarship Points, which are digital records of student achievement stored securely through blockchain and accessible to colleges. This, Samuel said, helps paint a fairer picture of a student’s potential, beyond test scores and grades, because the scores are valid data points that can be used to make a more informed and holistic decision regarding admissions and financial packages.
Students earn scholarship points for doing four different activities, and when done consistently, they’re on track to attend any college of their choice, Samuel said:
- Participation: The students must show up. If you are not there, you cannot learn what you need to learn and build on previous knowledge. Each time a student shows up, they earn points.
- Supplementary learning: Some demographics don’t reach the “end of the textbook” for various reasons – classroom behavior issues, funding, teacher availability, etc. In that type of demographic, if the classroom is a student’s only access to that knowledge, that student will be operating at a deficit. Supplemental learning through Coins for College’s platform takes students outside the classroom so they can continue learning.
- Assessments: These reveal gaps in knowledge, and as revealed, they can be corrected and put you on the right track.
- Extracurriculars: Community service, clubs, athletics and so on.
“What if we could take the value we place on the SAT and spread those scores throughout an entire K-12 journey, via blockchain?” Samuel asked. “And the colleges can see the entire student, from kindergarten to 12th gradeth class, beyond the classroom, including childhood events [such as trauma] or systemic barriers that prevent students from demonstrating their true skills and talent.”
In addition, businesses and philanthropists through non-profit partnerships can donate directly to an individual student or group of students to cover additional college expenses not covered by standard scholarships.
Samuel said Coins for College’s key benefits include:
- Students who are empowered can share responsibility for their own learning, thereby developing the intrinsic values needed to succeed
- CLR gives students a way to set themselves apart as they pursue college and career goals
- Blockchain technology can provide equitable college and career opportunities for all students by removing the mental, financial, and academic barriers to college
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Laura Ascione is editorial director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
