The Learning Wallet
The purpose of this article is to share some early stage thinking in the development of ‘The Learning Wallet’ by FutureWe.org.
The overarching aims of The Learning Wallet are to provide context to FutureWe’s mission of helping learners invent their own futures by:
1) Enabling self-managed learning, including incidental learning, to be captured and credentialed
2) Providing a tokenising framework that includes attributes that hold intangible value, such as trust, curiosity, playfulness
It has become clear that Blockchain offers a great opportunity to enable these to be achieved.
We believe education can be decentralised and re-balanced to include informal learning around future literacies such as creativity that is every bit as important, but has previously not been accredited.
Blockchain 101
Blockchain is a complex topic that is, for the majority of people, inextricably linked to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, but we are beginning to understand the wider possibilities that sit within adopting the use of Blockchain.
For a much more comprehensive explanation on Blockchain we would encourage you to access the extensive articles and videos on this topic, such as:
- https://consensys.net/academy/resources/
- http://cryptoradio.io/resources/
- https://futurethinkers.org/videos/
If you’d like to explore this general topic more, this Futures Thinkers podcast is a good place to start: Daniel Jeffries, Pt. 1: Decentralized Governance and Identity from Future Thinkers Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/future-thinkers-podcast/id820806390?mt=2&i=1000403709464
In attempting to explain Blockchain 101 style we have drawn on the excellent work of Febin John James (2018) who explains it succinctly as:
“Blocks of digital information connected with a chain is what makes a Blockchain. These blocks of digital information are distributed around the computers worldwide. This information once deployed cannot be altered.”
Blockchain technology, which is forecast to disrupt a wide range of industries, has taken off for two main reasons:
1) It makes sensitive data simultaneously more shareable and more secure;
2) It takes sensitive data out of the hands of third party authorities and puts it back into the hands of its users.
Saga Briggs (2018), in a fantastic article exploring the possible impact of Blockchain in education, identifies the main advantages:
- “Self-sovereignty: users can identify themselves while maintaining control over the storage and management of their personal data;
- Trust: users can have more confidence in an infrastructure that securely offers transactions such as payments or the issue of certificates;
- Transparency: users can conduct transactions knowing that each party has the capacity to enter into that transaction;
- Immutability: users can rest assured that records will be written and stored permanently, without the possibility of modification or loss;
- Disintermediation: the removal of the need for a central controlling authority to manage transactions or keep records;
- Collaboration: the ability of parties to transact directly with each other without the need for mediating third parties”
She goes onto identify the following 10 possible areas of impact:
1) Disrupting the current education model
2) Storing permanent records
3) Identity verification and information security
4) Student ownership of learning
5) Interactive learning and analytics
6) Automatic transfer of credits
7) The “Lifelong Learning Passport”
8) Copyright of educational content
9) Multi-step accreditation
10) Payment and funding
We would encourage you to access the article for more details on each of these areas and for an even more detailed report into Education and Blockchain the work of Grech and Camilleri (2017) for the European Commission.
Much of the thinking and writing has been on the likely impact of Blockchain on Higher Education. The purpose of The Learning Wallet is much greater than this. We see it as an exciting opportunity to positively impact on learners of all ages truly becoming self-leading and self-managing.
The FutureWe Learning Wallet
As mentioned at the start of the article the overarching aims of The Learning Wallet are to help learners invent their own futures by:
enabling self-managed learning, including incidental learning, to be captured and credentialed
Providing a tokenising framework that includes attributes that hold intangible value, such as trust, curiosity, playfulness
The Learning Wallet will have 2 main elements to it:
1) A portal site people can enter to:
- do a self-assessment on the FutureWe Framework literacies
- setup the uPort-based wallet
- be directed to partners
- access extra content.
2) The uPort wallet — which will be in the form of an app.
So how might we achieve these aims?
There appear to be some guiding elements that sit behind making The Learning Wallet achievable and sustainable:
1) Use of Blockchain to manage identity, credentialing and tokenising
2) A credentialed skills/literacies pathway — Proof of Learning
- Structured around the future-readiness supplied by the FutureWe Framework — www.futurewe.org/framework
- In the future the ability to use The Learning Wallet information as RPL to further or higher education opportunities — and linked to prospective employers/internships
- Identifying initial launch partners, both technical and those who can offer opportunities for individuals to gain relevant literacies
- In the future for this to be developed into a referral system
3) A tokenising framework (a reputation rating/testimonial) — including those with intangible value such as trust, reliability, kindness — human attributes
4) To use for payments
Initial steps
Our emergent thinking was significantly enhanced by the offering of a strategy day by Stephen Alexander of ConsenSys (https://new.consensys.net/) (whose purpose is to make the world a better place through de-centralisation) and John Sheridan of RED Toolbox (https://theredtoolbox.org/) (the Regional Economic Development Toolbox which is a 21st century platform for smart, connected, sustainable regional development).
Many ideas and dreams emerged from this discussion and our initial steps are:
- Explore OpenLaw and the development of a Governance Structure — use of smart contracts to mechanise trust and truthfulness through a crowd aggregated approach
- Explore uPort as the self-sovereign identity platform to empower the individual
These are only the initial steps on what is a long but exciting journey to truly place control and recognition of all learning in the hands of the individual. We will post updates as we progress on this project and welcome both feedback and interest in joining us on this journey.
About The Authors:
Nick Burnett is an Education and Learning Entrepreneur, author, presenter, executive and team coach with a focus on both the the present and the future.
Throughout his time in education, spanning 30 years, Nick has been committed to developing individuals at all levels, including students, and has a strong belief that everyone can develop, improve and achieve.
Since 2004, Nick has run training and facilitation for well over 3000 people, presented at numerous conferences, and has written for a wide range of publications, including authoring books on leadership, behaviour support, restorative practices and is currently writing books on Solutions Focused Special Education and The Myriad of Leadership Conversations. Prior to this he was recognised as an ‘excellent leader’ of an all-age, large Special School Provision in the UK.
Nick can be contacted at nick@nextlevelgreatness.co
Jonathan Nalder is an awarded educator of 17 years who has taught from Pre-school to University & in staff-rooms and boardrooms in ten countries. He’s an entrepreneur, writer, history & drama teacher, father and professional photographer. All of these perspectives plus his love for Scifi & ‘what-if’ scenarios has inspired him to dream that we can creatively prepare to thrive in the future which we will all share. @jnxyz jnxyz.net.
NB: Thanks go the Rhys Cassidy for his helpful comments and links to the further information on Blockchain.
REFERENCES:
Febin John James (2018) “What happens when you combine blockchain and education?” accessed 18/7/18
https://hackernoon.com/what-happens-when-you-combine-blockchain-and-education-d533ef6d4862
Saga Briggs (2018) “Blockchain Technology: Can It Change Education?” accessed 18/7/18 https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/edtech-integration/blockchain-technology-education/
Alexander Grech and Anthony F. Camilleri (2017) “Blockchain in Education”. JRC Science for Policy report for the European Commission, accessed 18/7/18 http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC108255/jrc108255_blockchain_in_education(1).pdf
