Blockchain for Education and Professional Development

Blockchain for Education and Professional Development

• 1. Blockchain in Learning & Career Development Hristian Daskalov I Co-Founder of OS.UNIVERSITY Ada. National College for Digital Skills April 22nd I 14:00 Is the Future of Our Educational & Professional Identity on the Chain?
• 2. About Me Hristian Daskalov Project Lead  Doctoral Candidate at the Technical University (Sofia) Open Source Project Stakeholder Management  Co-Founder of the Center for Open Science & Business Development, Faculty of Management  Policy Expert at Brain Workshop Institute  Former Advisor to the Ministry of Economy, Research & Development Specialization Strategy  Former Member of the Expert Group on the Development of OPNOIR 2014/20 Investment Program  Former Strategy & Transformation Expert at Hewlett Packard Enterprise
• 3. Brought to you by...
• 4. A strong social mission Youth Speak Forum Riga, Latvia AIESEC Leadership Experience Sao Paulo, Brazil
• 5. A research-driven agenda Riga Technical University Republic of Latvia, Spring 2017 Brno Technical University Czech Republic, Autumn 2017
• 6. Find at www.os.university/book Academia 4.0
• 7. Find at www.os.university/book Industry 4.0
• 8. 1. Introduction 2. Platform Overview 3. Problems & Solutions 4. Market Potential 5. Benefits & Use Cases  Academia  Businesses  Learners Contents 6. Technology Stack 7. State of Development 8. Community Building 9. Project Timeline 10. Meet the Team  Core Development  Advisors & Ambassadors 11. Additional Materials  Executive Summary  Resources
• 9. To Chain or not to Chain? Can you articulate a real business problem that needs solving? Could it have it been fixed before blockchains? Do you need a database? Do many people need to write to it? Are writers known and trusted? Do you want to rely on a trusted third party? However, another DLT solution might be better, let’s see. Do the benefits justify the cost of the adoption? Do you need to control read and write access? Do you value censorship resistance and immutability over efficiency? Are writers’ interests unified? Will all participants need to upgrade and replace systems? You probably don’t need a blockchain. You might need a blockchain... Y Y Y N N N N Y Y N Y N N N Y Y Y N You most probably need a public blockchain! N Y Y Is consensus determined by multiple entities? N Coordinate those entities into a consortium. You might need a private distributed ledger. Choose the best blockchain or DLT [hybrid] Y N
• 10. ‘Internet of Things’ era is about collecting, connecting, and making sense of data. We need a ‘Diploma of things’ mechanism to collect, connect and make sense of learning. Therefore the distributed education and career development ledger is what we work on at www.OS.UNIVERSITY.
• 12. EC JRC Research Findings The recent report by the Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission describes case studies of implementations from various players, but each of these implementations is in a piloting phase. “Even from these early pilots, it is possible to suggest that blockchain has the potential to disrupt the education market by loosening the control current players have over this market in line with open education’s sharing and transparency principles and by empowering learners.” This book highlights OS.UNIVERSITY as one of the earliest and most prominent pilots, containing early research,
• 13. Single institution use case - authentication of certificates I Groups of institutions - shared repositories of accomplishments and shared business models I National database - state-regulated qualifications I International database – credits’ transfer I Global assessment I Reliable open badges, MOOCs achievements I Smarter Hiring I Continuing Professional Development – poorly tracked, not mobile, underutilized I … Use Cases Argentina pilot Cyprus’ pilot
• 14. Photo credits: Learning Machine Blockchain-based Educational & Professional Identity “We envision a world in which the awarding and validation of qualifications no longer occur exclusively under the management of an education institution or an employer and individual students, teachers, and peers take more ownership of the learning experience and its outcomes (...)" Prof. John Domingue, Director of Open University’s Knowledge Media Institute
• 15. Status Quo  Half of workers encountered lies in colleagues’ resumes.  1/3rd of applicants removed due to false information.  30+ days per candidate on reviewing experience, competences.  Authenticity;  Decentralizing Trust;  Less Bureaucracy;  Direct interaction;  Security. Why Blockchain? Millions of pounds, months spent by institutions and individuals on verifying alumni credentials on request.
• 16. OS.UNIVERSITY Overview The OS.University DApp bridges the gap between businesses and education through blockchain [used for validating and verifying learners’ credentials] and smart contracts [managing content purchases and other marketplace transactions, as well as HR processes]. We apply open source technologies and principles of collaboration to re-engineer the current-state educational model by building a system to enable smarter transactions of information & value through institutional, national borders.
• 17. 19 OS.University’s platform provides a searchable catalogue of a broad range of courses and programs. Global Catalogue of Courses Businesses can reach out to content providers through a marketplace, powered by reputation system. An “Amazon for Learning” without “Amazon”, i.e. the middleman. Tokenized Marketplace Access to a new, higher quality educational model with option to curate and customize programs, optimised for results. Flexibility & Modularity Learner’s profile contains verified educational, work experience, skills & qualifications track record, Credentials Wallet Lack of organization in the online ocean of education and development opportunities. Dispersion of Content A decades-old problem that can be solved by information coordination, trust, and smart contracts between the parties. Business & Education Gap Universities lack modernization & respond slowly to job market needs; MOOCs gain popularity, but lack credibility. Strained Existing Model Issues with fake diplomas, certifications, unverified CVs and skillset claims. Trust & Transparency Problems & Solutions
• 18. Market Potential B2L B2A L2A According to Forbes, the online education market alone is worth over USD 165 billion (2016). Projected to reach USD 240+ billion by 2023. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics up to 24% of workforce change jobs annually. In a recruitment market of USD 200+ billion, blockchain-verified profiles can cut hiring period in half. According to “Training Industry”, in 2017, corporations estimated spending was around USD 360+ billion – insourced and outsourced corporate training initiatives. According to “Academia 4.0 – University on the Blockchain” research, the arising ‘’learning on demand” industry would be best managed though smart contracts, erasing the borders between higher and further education. Educational Marketplace Personal Identity, Corporate Recruitment Corporate L&D
• 19. Academia Benefits Universities & MOOCs Generate opportunities by featuring content Disclaimer: logos of service providers are for illustrational purposes and do not represent already completed integrations or signed partnerships. Integration Benefits Leaner, faster, transparent and cost- effective credentialing model Competitive market advantage, achieved through the global blockchain-enhanced learning and development marketplace Higher learner retention and engagement by gamifying the learning experiences through smart contracts
• 20. Businesses Benefits Recruitment & HR Disclaimer: logos of service providers are for illustrational purposes and do not represent already completed integrations or signed partnerships. Integration Benefits Instant access to a global pool of talent with traceable credentials, enabling smarter recruitment Performance-based hiring and career advancement, enabled by smart contracts, incentivized by rewardsand cost-effective credentials model Global opportunities for corporate learning and development on demand without scalability constraints LMS Employee Rewards Employee Recognition Hire smarter and faster; engage employees
• 21. Learners Benefits Students & Employees Disclaimer: logos of service providers are for illustrational purposes and do not represent already completed integrations or signed partnerships. Adoption Benefits Indisputable accomplishments and achievements - validated and verified through the blockchain, showcased worldwide Customized educational opportunities, based on distributed learning pathways, curated by Academia and businesses Exclusive employment and professional development options, based to sophisticated matching algorithms CVsCertificates Recommendations Traineeship Validate accomplishments; verify achievements
• 22. These were just some of the smart contracts we start with. Beyond them, the system has the potential to eliminate the friction and costs of various current third-party intermediaries when considering learners records management and other personal identifiable information or sensitive data, whether it comes to education or career development. There are undisputable promises of improved data integrity, reduced transaction costs, decentralization and disintermediation of trust. By being able to coordinate, store, and share learners’ events, stakeholders essentially alleviate unnecessary and duplicate services, which lowers cost and increases security.
• 23. Technology Stack
• 24. Front-end
• 25. Back-end
• 26. State of Development 78%UI/UX 70%Front-End 61%Blockchain & Smart Contracts 47%Business Development & Partnerships 14%Onboarding Users Alpha Release The first release of the OS.University DApp is scheduled for early June. Stats from the current progress report can be found below:
• 27. Community Building PILOT INTEGRATORS ACADEMIA LEARNERS BUSINESSES Educational Marketplace University of Insurance & Finance National Students Union; Association of Bulgarian Leaders & Entrepreneurs; Bulgarian Association for Management of People [Featured in leading university conferences and journals in England, Czech Republic, Latvia, Bulgaria] IO Era Ltd; ReChained Ltd Self-Sovereign L&D Identity Technical University of Sofia Job Tiger; Jamba Hiring and Recruitment Mandalay International University Job Tiger Recruitment; Investor Media Group Corporate Learning & Development Brain Workshop Institute Cobden Partners; Navigato Each of our pilot integrators has an assigned key account manager and a represantative at the advisery/ambassadors’ board to assure smooth implementation from system and business perspectives. Upon initial integrations, platform onboarding of organizations and end users will be open to all (platform-as-a-service). Custom integrations and support services will be provided on demand to complement the open PaaS model.
• 28. Phase 1: Scientific Research and Concept Validation Phase 3: Pilot Implementations and Market Penetration Phase 2: Early Prototyping and Alfa Development Phase 5: Revenue Generating Beta Release Phase 4: EDU Token Circulation and Exchange H2 2015 2016 H1 2017 H2 2017 H1 2018 H2 2018 2019 2020 The OS University project dates back to 2015, starting with a solid academic research. A proof-of-concept phase was initiated, along with corporate partners from Bulgarian industry and software development sectors, resulting in early versions of system's architecture and design. Today there is a dedicated research center at TU Sofia, turning OS.University into world’s first academia-powered crypto crowdfunded project. Project Timeline Technical University Hewlett Packard Enterprise AIESEC Ernst & Young Ministry of Education & Science Bulgarian Information Technology Association Cobden Partners Brain Workshop Institute University of Insurance & Finance Job Tiger Job Tiger Recruitment Investor Media Group National Students Union A truly global ecosystem of educators, learners, and business is expanding on the distributed blockchains beyond Ethereum.European Commission Jamba
• 29. Meet the Team We are coming from various backgrounds - academic, entrepreneur, development - from large tech companies to startups. Different, yet united, the Open Source University team forms a unique blend of technology R&D and business development talent.
• 30. Advisors & Ambassadors
• 31.  Join Our Team – Become an Ambassador  Join the Project – Become an Early Adopter  Jon the Cause – Share Your Ideas on the Future of Education and Jobs  Stay Curious. Dream Big. Never Stop Learning “The best way to predict your future is to create it” Abraham Lincoln
• 32. hello@os.university General: hristian.daskalov@os.university Me: WWW.OS.UNIVERSITY
• 33. Additional Information Many additional materials are collected and made available during the process of building a Proof of Concept. Research materials has been peer-reviewed by the European scientific community and featured in leading academic journals. From corporate and social perspective, the R&D project has been recognized by international organizations as the innovative solution to enable better information coordination relationships.
• 34. Executive Summary LEGAL & FINANCIALS BUSINESS OPERATIONS MARKETING & COMMUNITY Open and growing consortium of London and Sofia - based companies and universities. An international team of 30+ academic and corporate professionals, contributing from 10 countries on 3 continents, Organically-grown community of 65,000 supporters throughout all social networks. [join Telegram] Rechained Ltd. (Republic of Bulgaria) is the leading partner. An in-house team of 7+ experienced technology professionals and founders, dedicated on the project. The media group behind Bloomberg TV in Bulgaria as a strategic media partner and early adopter. [watch video] USD 450,000 + raised in angel investments, crypto crowdfunding, public and research grants. 3 years of successful track-record from early research, to concept validation, to prototyping, development and early implementation. Frist University crypto-crowdfunding campaign. Partnership case-studies with trusted companies [watch video] Next: To raise equity funding round beyond crowdfunding campaign. Next: To expand the network of early adopters globally with educational providers, corporate clients, and user onboarding. Next: To participate in international blockchain, education and research conferences to disseminate results.
• 35. Other PaaS Blockchain Projects Track Record in EdTech Peer-Reviewed R&D Awards, Grants Educational Marketplace OS.University Personal L&D Identity Hiring and Recruitment Corporate L&D IndorseSkillchain BitDegreeOS.University UniqueValuePropositionTraitsofExcellence Comparison Property of PaaS Est. May 2015 YES YES YES YES YES YES dedicated ed-tech center academia, government international & national global; multi-vertical formally verifiable strategic recruitment partner Est. Sep 2017 NO PARTIAL NO YES PARTIAL NO industry insiders ICO conference award formally verifiable no strategic recruitment partner Est. 2017 NO YES PARTIAL own content only NO PARTIAL NO no affiliation local hackathon own learners only Est. 2017 no affiliation NO NO NO NO NO PARTIAL non-formal only early adopters
• 36. Resources ● Animated Video-Explainer of the Open Source University Platform [Official] ● Video Review of the Open Source University Campaign [Independent] ● “Hacking the Job Marketplace”, Blokt ● “These Innovative Startups Take Education to the Next Level”, Observer ● “OS University Project to Launch Global Social Innovation Platform”, Crowdfund Insider