Capturing and transacting ‘value for students’ in the Digital University: the Blockchain Educational Passport

A combination of economic, social and political factors, have impacted on universities’ core activities, their mission, identity and relationship with students, staff and stakeholders. The expectation is that universities should operate in a Triple Helix system of knowledge production characterized by dynamic trans-disciplinary links between academia, government and industry (Etzkowitz, et al, 2000), reiterated in a number of recent UK policies culminating in the Higher Education Research Act 2017 and the creation of the Office for Students as a regulatory body focusing on ‘value for money’, while also having social and civic impact (Goddard and Vallance, 2011). Cast between achieving ‘value for money’ as cost efficiency and ‘value for students’ and society, universities in the UK and Europe are struggling to achieve at times contradictory goals. It is therefore in the interest of learners, universities and employers to have a reliable, permanent and yet flexible way to acknowledge learning achievements and their impact. In addressing the need for a new and more nuanced accountability system, this paper draws from the Whitepaper 5.0 Blockchain Educational Passport: the Decentralised Learning Ledger (DLL) to suggest ways in which universities, employers and learners can gain from each other’s contribution. By using Blockchain as an immutable ledger of learning gains, the whitepaper contributes to the University of Northampton’s Future Focused revised strategic goal of ‘working closely with technology industry leaders ... [to] implement innovative sector leading solutions’ (UoN, 2017).