One Block for Educational Credentials Erasmus Project

Project Title

One Block for Educational Credentials

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Research and innovation

Project Summary

In a world that is increasingly defined by transnational mobility in almost every level, overcoming obstacles deriving from distinctions in educational systems is key to facilitating processes of economic and social inclusion and to prompting the employability of all. However, processes of recognition of learning certificates and skills are obstacles still frequently encountered by people throughout the world. In this context, OBEC primarily aims to explore the potential opportunities the innovative Blockchain (BC) technology may offer to revolutionize the educational field by simplifying and facilitating the issuing and validation of learning credentials across European countries in a unified and enforceable manner. Because BC creates an infrastructure in which certificates can be stored and issued while ensuring transparency, security and verifiability, it has the ability to bring about positive effects especially for OBEC’S target group, composed of migrants, exchange students, and people with alternative learning backgrounds (e.g. VET schools, work experience, training programs, and volunteering).
Establishing a system that can guarantee trust, transparency, and reliability in a holistic manner in a transnational context is a challenge our societies must adequately address, as currently standardization of student records in Europe is still limited to institutions utilizing ECTS or ECVET. Consequently, “outdated credential systems limit our ability to create new pathways to education, in particular for those who lack access and need it most” (Joint Research Centre; Grech, A. and Camilleri, A. F., 2017).
Indeed, the favoring of evidences of skills and learning achievements earned through formal education over informal and non-formal learning experiences may harm people’s ability to enroll in high-education institutions or to assess the labor market. Additionally, due to differences among national educational systems, migrants are commonly faced with long and difficult processes to recognize their certifications and skills. Such obstacles lead to delays in their integration into the host country’s labor market, also possibly rendering unfeasible the possibilities of their practicing their professions. In fact, more than 40% of the employed highly educated third-country nationals work below their qualification levels in the EU (European Commission, n.d.) This failure in promoting a fast and full integration of migrants in the labor market consequently hinders their ability to fully utilize their skills and realize their economic potential to positively impact the EU economy and societies.
In this context, BC technology may offer a unique opportunity to overcome this issue of our current certification systems by creating revolutionary recognition tools in the EU. Emerging from the perception that such revolution is key to enabling people to move freely across countries while fulfilling their full economic and personal capabilities and aspirations, OBEC is a pioneer project composed of three outputs which will conduct:
– A research of knowledge gaps and the current state of economic and social integration of the target group;
– The development and implementation of an experimental badge system to utilize BC technology in EU systems of educational credentials within a upskilling training programme;
– The composition of a set of case studies and videos, as well as of guidelines including good practices and mentor’s advice for practitioners which can inspire important revolutions in the educational context.
The methodologies used to achieve these activities include desk-research, expert interviews, the elaboration of text reports, case studies and videos, and the development of digital tools for learning accreditation.
Combining partners from four European countries that have different educational systems, OBEC aims at introducing the revolutionary possibilities BC can initiate within the educational field particularly by promoting the integration and prosperity of all, inspiring important changes. As a result, OBEC mainly seeks to positively impact social inclusion and employability in the EU, particularly benefiting the target groups as well as the involved European communities and economies. It is expected that OBEC will directly impact overall 215 individuals, and at least 645 others indirectly among the partner’s networks. By exploring innovative digital tools to foster the notions of inclusivity and diversity, OBEC has the final purpose of contributing to the start of a process in the EU which can revolutionize the world through the creation of a barrier-free education system that can prosper through enriched diversity and increased transnational mobility.

Project Website

http://swideas.se/obec-en

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 234490 Eur

Project Coordinator

SWIDEAS AB & Country: SE

Project Partners

• ASSOCIATION EUROPEENNE DES AGENCES DE DEVELOPPEMENT
• LAI-MOMO SOCIETA’ COOPERATIVA SOCIALE
• Universita’ degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo
• Regional Develpment Agency of Sisak-Moslavina County SI-MO-RA