ODEM offers blockchain-based education to schools affected by coronavirus

Education technology provider ODEM has announced that it is willing to provide a blockchain-based platform to schools and universities where classes are disrupted due to coronavirus.

In a press release published on Monday, the on-demand and employment marketplace expressed its concerns about the disruptions of education for the learners, educators and all learning institutions. Several schools and universities worldwide have already shut down due to coronavirus.

As of March 6, there are already 17 countries that implemented school/campus closure due to the virus. The United States, Great Britain, Germany, Pakistan, France, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea have already initiated localized school closures. Meanwhile, there are country-wide closures in China, Japan, Mongolia, Italy, Iran, Iraq, Armenia, the United Arab Emeritz and Azerbaijan.

"We are working with countries to assure the continuity of learning for all, especially disadvantaged children and youth who tend to be the hardest hit by school closures. While temporary school closures as a result of health and other crises are not new, unfortunately, the global scale and speed of the current educational disruption is unparalleled and, if prolonged, could threaten the right to education,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

In response to this, ODEM wants to do its part by offering an online learning platform and certification management system to schools and educations so they could continue their classes until it is safe for students to return to school.

"ODEM was designed from its inception to provide a global and seamless education platform for everyone. We, of course, could not have anticipated such circumstances to bring that vision into reality as we are experiencing now, however, we are grateful to be part of the solution to allowing students worldwide to continue their education regardless of their physical location or proximity to a physical learning facility," said ODEM CEO Rich Maaghul.

"A positive outcome from these circumstances may well be a future where we are able to better prepare for not only how we manage healthcare in such crises, but access to education as well.”

ODEM’s powerful and secure platform includes integrated enrollment, learning management and certificate issuance for educators to conduct classes online and issue digital certificates. It can also be integrated with the school’s existing learning management system or curriculum. ODEM’s services will be free of charge.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC) is also planning to use blockchain to issue digital certificates and end the issuance of fake university diplomas. On the other hand, a university in South Korea did the same, but for a different reason.

The students from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) were sent a QR code that links to a blockchain-secured diploma certificate so that graduates can still receive their diplomas after the university decided to scrap the graduation due to coronavirus.

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