As we advance to a fast-paced, globalized, technologically powered world, academia and higher level institutions must digitalize to adapt to our ever changing times. Verifiable, blockchain enabled digital records can help eliminate cost and time, benefitting both the registrars office and students by creating a value added student learning experience, while streamlining and automating administration processes. The return on investment from a slow frustrating frail paper based transcription transfer process to a fully digitalized fraud-proof one benefits everyone, from the students, the registrar office, the larger academic institution to state government agencies by providing an easier, cost effective, empowering way.  

By switching over to verifiable digital records, the registrar’s office benefits by streamlining their admin’s staff processes, reducing man hours and time consuming tasks, saving not only money on the actual issuance of transcripts but also time.  It also automates features, allowing for control over tasks like renewal, revoking and cancellation. One can digitally go online to see if a transcript or digital badge is live and valid.  It helps staff during high pressure and stressful registration season, since staff can quickly go through applications digitally; it helps remove the pressure of bottle neck high pressure application periods- 60%-70% of all students apply within the three days of the application’s due date, by allowing for an overall faster registration process. In person visits, phone calls, human mistakes are reduced– repeated faxing/email of documents saves everyone time– while staff morale is improved and staff are more engaged and focused on higher priority tasks–cost saved resources can be allocated into research, into the company or existing staff. 

Going digital is a long term investment. While it may seem more expensive by its initial cost, versus an allocated per document batch basis, it is more cost effective in the long run. Not only does going digital save time and money, the registrar’s office can commit to a greener future. There is 67% less paper usage, saving the administration on production, mailing and actual paper costs. Universities save from 9000 to 50k a year in administrative costs, 22 000$ in overtime expenses, eliminating extra overhead for admin staff.. The difference of cost and time between digitally processing transcripts and manually processing transcripts is great, with the return of investment amounting to 9x- it would cost 115 750.81$ the paper way vs 12 72.84$ the digital way for annual staff costs to process transcripts.   Staff hours are reduced from 6940.94 hours to  785.6 hours when done digitally, accelerating the overall process in a cost effective manner.  In that light, using paper is no longer sustainable nor useful, the digital process is better, faster and saves money. In fact, there is no need for 5$ expedition fee since it is no longer applicable since the 3-5 day turnaround is reduced to 24 hours for a transcript.  It reduces cost and commitments– in 2012 ( before blockchain, and based on only a pdf e-transcript) it saved 7.5 hours a month and over 50k on printing and sending. Staff are also freed from tediously manually verifying, hand stamping, photocopying and comparing courseloads and transcripts. Transcripts can be uploaded by bulk and multiple copies can be created with a few clicks. By using interoperable systems, data can be read by a computer and transferred across platforms as long as they use the same data processing. Lastly, educhain’s customizable on premise blockchain and cloud options, is tamper-proof, secure and private. Blockchain protects secure data and removes the fear and danger of fraud. Verified tamper proof digital transcripts cannot be spoofed or faked unlike PDFS or physical transcript , guaranteeing and protecting the reputation of students and respected vaulted academic institutions. There is also the removal of a third party, often expensive verification process, effectively removing the middleman. Lastly, every single time a student posts about their academic success on social media, they become ambassadors for your school’s brand.

The main beneficiary group of this digital update are the students. It used to take weeks for students to chase down paper transcripts for school applications, job applications and transfers. Students would have to go in person, email various institutions and wait weeks for paper transcript to arrive in the mail. Now with educhain’s digital passport, they have 24/7 access to their documents and can receive and send transcripts instantaneously and easily from their palm of their hands. The academic passport would be a one spot exposition for their academic career, different course credits from different universities, sometimes across continents can be found in one place, creating a more cohesive well rounded presentation of the student.  Perhaps, most importantly students are empowered to guide their academic journey, having “self-sovereignty” to own their information, and encouraged to self promote- there’s a gamification of academic achievements– and send it to prospective schools and job applicants instantly without having to defer to a third party or to request for permission.  Students can also use social media as a powerful marketing tool, by sharing academic accomplishmetns across platforms and media. Students can proudly show case the value of their education, increase online visibility of their brand and self promote and achieve. 

Educhain provides ease of use for recipients that need to verify credentials. Prospective employers and organizations can instantly verify the credentials that the students send. Students can prove that they are who they indeed say they are and the process becomes  fast and effective, generating greater trust and transparency, going beyond local geographies and networks. As well, digital transcripts and records allow for greater contextualization. The information provided is not limited to simply academic grades and course attendance. There is digital space for greater detail and in depth investigation into the applicant’s history, whether that be internships, specific skill set gained, a greater description of courses taken- vaguarites of certain courses or disciplines can be explained. Prospective employers and organizations have a bigger picture and can further narrow their search based on their precise specific requirements, looking for traits that shows inherent skills, efforts, ability and work effort

A recent Deloitte survey of business executives revealed that “investments in digital transformation are continuing to rise — at more than three times the rate of IT spending overall.” Businesses that pursue a digital pivot are confident that these initiatives will become self-funding, eventually resulting in a positive business impact and net revenue growth.”

Digitalization allows for greater access to educational resources; students are no longer limited by geographical location and can attend online lectures anywhere. Institutions will pivot to a hybrid model that saves on property and utility costs by offering online lectures and on campus in person activities like networking seminars, group work and teacher hours. “In the Summer 2020 semester alone, Indiana University Bloomington saw record-high enrollment numbers in its online courses, up 22% from the previous summer.”

By upgrading to a digital process, digital transcripts become an excellent revenue generation tool. Cutting the cost of production from 25$ to 1.50$ per active student. Schools can charge students a pay per use fee every time a student requests a document. We can help you earn a profit of 3.50$ if your issuance fee was 5$, with little manpower or admin costs to that price. There may be some initial infrastructure and set up expenditures but the long term benefits of going digital far outweighs its costs and will revolutionize your educational experience. 

Lastly, big data enables institutions and government agencies to observe wide trends about their student population. Federal governments can benefit from “interoperable compressive digital credentialing ecosystems,” by placing pressure and asking institutions to demonstrate the ROI of certain programs or even the entire college experience. Institutions can find out broad trends about the post graduate success and job prospects for critical feedback on how to improve existing course curriculum as well as the general student learning experience. It would help “underwrite the value of state investments in all areas of education.

Here are some of the links that could be relevant:

• https://www.accredible.com/blog/the-top-10-issues-with-digital-badges-and-certificates
• https://campustechnology.com/Articles/2019/12/12/Why-We-Are-Using-Blockchain-for-Digital-Credentialing.aspx?Page=2

Return on investmesnts for the transitoin from paper transcripts to authentic verified digital records. 

Digital credentialing is often considered expensive : plans are paid upfront  rather than in incremental batches when credentials are issued– short sighted view

Automation of administrative tasks like to renew, revoke or expire certificates.  Digital issuesrs  have the ability to maintaoin control over credential.  Shared credials === official page  where you can see the validity or expiry date of a credential and if its still valid.

“Protection against  spoofed or fake certificates.”  pdfs are hard to verify. 

Recipients can shared their digital credentials across social media or add to their linkedin profile.

Simplifies the ability to share on social media – marketing channel

Maximum security.. Pdf password protected is easily hacked. 

Digital badges are versatile– show case skills and “a job well done. “

== shows inherent skills, efforts, ability an work effort, showing a better rounded profile of that individual.

Evidence based : comprehensive skill tagss and training, education

Internal awrads for contributions, achievements and efforts, for managers

Micro-credentials build towards a larger digital certificate– mini traits. Gamification and increasing skill levels.

Contxtual data is key element — space available for transcripts, evidence and skill tags. 

*A traditional  certificate does allow comprehensive details to be included, without an extra charge …dedicated creditanil page, organizations can add as much detail as posible.

Its more expository and explanatory, often explaining exactly what skills or courses taught, within this contextual data.:  example about a social media 

Customer chose a competitor that provided digital badges that improved student’s employabliity. High demand for credentials

Digital credential cost effective: an organziation issuing 1-000 credentials at 5$ paid 5000$ a batch, not including staff time, packaging and postage costs.

Vs .96$ per certificate for 10000

Fraud damages to the issuing brand 

Digital credentialing is often considered expensive : plans are paid upfront  rather than in incremental batches when credentials are issued– short sighted view

Increased visibility provides an avenue for genearing income

Time saved from administrative tasks to be more efficient in their own work, and contribute to more important tasks— cost saved resources can be allocated into research, into the company or existing staff. So its  long term benefit investment.

Micro credential “disruptive technology” new transformative  overhaul and improves prciesses in an industry 

Impact training, education and hiring industries 

New terms and definitions to be standardized and accepted.

“A subunit of a credential that could accumulate intoa  larger credential or degree, or be a part of a portfolio. Exmplaes include: Digital badges, Nanodegrees, and MicroMasters.”

Candidates prefer physical copies. Prefer traditional certificate QR code generator digital credentials. 

Local tate and federal governments also stand to benefit from interoperable compressive digital credentilaing ecosystems.” state govs places pressure on instituiotns to demonstrate on ROI for different areas of study or the entirel college experiences. A digital credentialing infrastructures could help illuminate the skills  and competencies developed in an area of stduy, at an institution,. Underwrite the value of states investments in all areas of education, 

E transcript initaitvae indiana common amongst all secondary schools in states

Interoperable data