Blockchain Education

There are a number of misconceptions regarding blockchain technology that tend to cause misunderstandings. People don’t know how it works and confuse it with other things, such as Bitcoin. If the technology is to be adopted more widely, people need to develop a more fundamental understanding of how blockchain can serve as a catalyst for transformation. Indeed, Gartner analyst David Furlonger contends that “this is not just a technology, this is a societal change.” Let’s go through the many aspects triggered by the blockchain education discourse.

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What?

‍People don’t need to know how to code a blockchain, but they have to understand the implications that such a decentralised technology is bringing to society, politics and economy. It is a change of mindset that gives more power and responsibility to people. Education will make sure their use and vision of this technology is correct.

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Why?

‍Even though it might seem that blockchain technology has nothing to do with you, it’s clear that it will prompt significant changes. Casey & Vigna (2018) state that:

“blockchain will enable the Fourth Industrial Revolution” as “our material existence, both within the worlds of natural resources and of human-made manufactured objects, will be far more comprehensively measured, analyzed, and explained, creating an omnipresent, dematerialized understanding of that existence.”

Currently, many people either don’t understand the full potential of this new technology or lack the confidence to implement it. A recent Deloitte study, for example, showed that although 74% of senior executives saw a compelling use case for blockchain, only 34% had actually begun to deploy it.

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Who?

‍Defining the exact target group is difficult. Everyone should educate themselves to a certain degree, regardless of age. As blockchain gains ground, you need to stay up to date with the potential implications for both the economy and society generally. Whereas most adults should be able to understand their needs and retrieve the information they need, younger people still in the public school system might need a nudge in the right direction. A teenager would be unlikely to spontaneously look for information on blockchain, unless it affected their daily life or other interests more directly.

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How?

‍Prestigious universities have already grasped the scale of the role that blockchain will play in future and offer a number of relevant programs and degrees. These courses promise students the opportunity to gain a thorough mastery of the subject and provide a stepping stone to a career in the field. If you want more of a basic general introduction to blockchain, an online course might be a good choice, because it is likely to be a shorter and significantly cheaper option than attending a university. If you don’t want to pay anything at all, there are many online platforms which you can consult. However, the downside is that you need to find, assimilate and evaluate the material yourself, and you lack support when you have questions or need clarifications. Bearing in that not all sources are trustworthy, you might end up more confused rather than enlightened.

The introduction of blockchain into the high-school curriculum could also be an effective way to spread awareness among young people. Scepticism is understandable, but remember that people felt the same way when coding was first introduced in schools. Today, coding classes have become obligatory in Finland, and the growing number of coding classes for children underlines the increasing importance of digital literacy and skills in modern society. In the traditional school system, we teach students about economics and politics already. Thus, we should also keep them informed about technological innovations which could have a profound effect on both of those fields. As Prof. Harvey from the Duke University states: “schools should be preparing students for the future not the past. Unfortunately most… don’t have these courses that are focused on the future”. Let’s remember that it’s not about creating a generation who knows how to create a blockchain — that would be an unrealistic ambition — but a generation that is up to date with its implications for society.

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When?

‍The time to inform yourself about this technology is now or in the near future. The earlier you get acquainted with it, the greater your advantage compared to other people in your market. Even if you work on a farm, you could apply blockchain to your products. For example, you could use it to track eggs from your farm to the supermarket that is selling them, so that customers are informed of the provenance of the product. This would not only enhance your business image, but also reduce food waste, as you can easily track damaged produce.

This article detailed questions concerning blockchain education. It is already difficult to convince people of the benefits of blockchain, let alone convince them to spend time learning about it. But think about this: if someone told you twenty years ago that artificial intelligence was going to be integrated into many fields, would you have believed them? Yet here we are, with cars that drive themselves and software that helps you do your job more efficiently. Had you believed this twenty years ago, it could have given you a competitive advantage in your market or convinced you to invest in R&D. While you might be sceptical now, sooner or later the blockchain revolution will affect us all. At THE RELEVANCE HOUSE we believe in the future of the blockchain. That’s why we’re committed to helping revolutionary projects to flourish. Explore our website to better understand our philosophy.

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Photo credits:

Photo by Alexandre Van Thuan on Unsplash
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