Revamped Class Plans To Teach Students How To Take Blockchain Into New Sectors
A main objective of Spartan Blockchain Solutions is expanding blockchain education and knowledge of its applications to the student body at Michigan State University. As such, we are excited to promote a revamped ESHP 491: Blockchain Foundations and Applications, which will focus on the basics of blockchain technology and teach students how to identify untapped markets within the space.
“There are a lot of questions regarding the blockchain,” Professor Neil Kane said. “And the reality is a lot of those come when deploying into new applications of the technology.”
The course has been restructured since fall semester 2018. The main focus of this year’s course will be on the business side of things, and how to navigate when bringing this emerging technology into new fields.
“This time we’re focusing a lot more on business,” Kane said.
The difficulty has been toned down as well, specifically within the area of teaching of blockchain technology itself. Many students that previously took the class said that they had difficulty grasping the concepts in a brief amount of time. President Andrew Marquardt went through the class in fall semester 2018 and claimed these difficult topics to be a big hinderer to some students.
“I know for a lot of people with no blockchain background said that it was a problem for them,” Marquardt said. “But I know Neil is working really hard now to make it a little more introductory and make that ramp up a little more smooth.”
Kane confirms this. He’s evaluated his personal observations and class feedback to make this class much more streamlined and assist those with very little knowledge of blockchain and how the technology works. He believes this will open the class up to a broader group of students and allow more to see the prospects of blockchain application in a variety of fields.
“This year we’re making the class a lot simpler,” Kane said. “It’s going to be a lot less rigorous…more focused on discussion more than anything else.”
A huge focus this spring is also on the myriad of guest speakers Kane plans on bringing in. A wide variety of voices in the blockchain space will share their projects and experiences with students, such as Seth Connors and Carla Reyes- two professionals working to integrate this new technology into diverse fields. These speakers are meant to back up the focus on taking blockchain into every conceivable sector to improve processes and other factors.
“We’ve got a lot of speakers coming in that I feel will be able to teach students a lot about the class’ focus,” Kane said.
Interested in delving into the content explored in ESHP 491? It is now available on MSU schedule builder! Make sure to select section 001 when enrolling.
