15th October, 2024 
The education sector has been witnessing tremendous changes in the last few years with emerging innovative technologies. At such a stage, integrating innovative technologies like decentralized identity and open badges in the education sector has become prevalent. These techs enrich the learning experience and also address challenges related to credential verification and identity management.
With more than 74 million open badges issued globally as of 2023, the demand for digital credentials is on the rise. However, traditional centralized systems are vulnerable to data breaches, with 1,862 incidents reported in 2021 alone, a 68% increase from 2020.
In this context, decentralized identity and open badges in educational institutions can be a game changer. The decentralized identity market is expected to reach $371.08 billion by 2032 as the need for secure and user-controlled identity solutions is becoming fundamental for many industries and the education sector cannot be left behind.
Let’s explore why open badges and decentralized identity are important in education, their benefits, challenges, and practical applications.
Challenges in Education Credentialing We Face Today
The traditional education system faces several challenges in credentialing and identity management. One significant issue is the prevalence of fraudulent degrees, which is estimated to be a $7 billion industry worldwide.
This not only undermines the credibility of educational institutions but also affects students’ career prospects. Additionally, the process of verifying academic credentials is often manual and time-consuming, it may take up to 72 hours or more.
The risk of data breaches further complicates matters, as centralized systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks. In 2023 alone, over 4.1 billion digital records were exposed due to data breaches.
Another challenge is that students don’t have control over their certificates and credentials. They may struggle to easily access and share their credentials when needed, such as during job applications. These challenges highlight the urgent need for more secure and efficient systems.
Check: How to Prevent Certificate Fraud in Education with Verifiable Credentials
Decentralized Identity in Education
The word “decentralized” in decentralized identity means users are in control of their credentials. This approach empowers students by giving them ownership of their verifiable credentials which are created and stored securely using cryptographic signatures and blockchain.
Here’s how decentralized identity can revolutionize education:
- Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI): Students own and control their digital identities, and they can selectively disclose credentials as needed.
- Tamper-Proof Credentials: Cryptographic technology ensures credentials are stored immutably, which helps in preventing forgery and fraud.
- Efficient Verification: Decentralized identifiers (DIDs) enable instant and trusted verification of credentials by any party.
- Interoperability: Open standards like W3C’s Verifiable Credentials promote seamless data portability and compatibility across systems.
EveryCRED provides decentralized identity solutions that enable students to manage their academic credentials through a digital wallet. This technology ensures that credentials are portable, verifiable, and tamper-proof, which ensures both security and trust in the education sector.
Benefits of Decentralized Identity in Education
If educational institutions use decentralized identity solutions, they will be benefitted from this next-gen solutions in many ways:
- Security: There is less to no risk of data breaches as credentials are stored on students’ devices rather than centralized servers.
- Privacy: Students have full control over their documents, and they can choose what information to share and with whom, protecting their personal data from unauthorized access.
- Easy & Instant Verification: The use of blockchain technology and cryptographic signatures enables instant verification of credentials. It saves time and resources for both students and institutions.
With our “EVRC” DID method, EveryCRED establishes trust in digital interactions. By issuing verifiable credentials tied to unique DIDs, EveryCRED simplifies credential verification in the education industry.
Read: 14 Real-World Verifiable Credentials Use Cases & Applications
How Open Badges Enhance Education
Open badges are given to students/learners/trainees for their achievements and skills. They offer a flexible and inclusive way to recognize learning outcomes. They created on the principles of decentralized identity, Open Badges put learners in control of their credentials.
Key benefits of Open Badges in education include:
- Granular Skill Recognition: Badges can certify specific skills and competencies and showcase a more comprehensive view of a learner’s abilities.
- Motivation and Engagement: Earning badges gamifies learning, encouraging students to set goals and actively participate in their education.
- Portable Credentials: Learners can easily share their badges across platforms, such as LinkedIn to highlight their achievements to potential employers.
- Lifelong Learning: Badges support continuous skill development and enable learners to build a better portfolio of credentials over time.
The Open Badges standard, stewarded by 1EdTech, has seen tremendous adoption, with over 74 million badges issued globally as of 2023. According to recent reports, the number of badges issued has increased by 73% since 2020. Major institutions like Microsoft, Amazon, and universities worldwide are using Open Badges to validate skills and enhance learner opportunities.
Also Read: Decentralized Identity in Healthcare for Security and Privacy
The Bottomline
As digital transformation is changing the education industry, decentralized identity and open badges would definitely be the next major adoption. These technologies offer strong solutions for credential verification and identity management.
By empowering students with control over their personal data and offering a secure, portable, and verifiable credentials of their achievements, these technologies are revolutionizing the way we approach education. EveryCRED is a perfect solution for educational institutions to provide decentralized identity and open badges.
With our solutions, educational institutions can streamline their processes, enhance security, and increase trust in the digital ecosystem. Contact us to learn more about how EveryCRED can transform your educational institution and discover the use cases of decentralized identity and Open Badges in educational institutions.
