The use of digital technology is booming in society, and this is particularly true in higher education, which has a lot to gain from it. The arrival of digital credentials and the many opportunities they offer are revolutionizing the way we think about education. A growing number of universities are now issuing their certifications and diplomas digitally, in the form of digital credentials. Among the many advantages of this solution, their portability is often mentioned, though what exactly is it, and why is it so important for the future of digital degrees?
BCdiploma lifts the veil on the portability of digital credentials, and what this concept implies for higher education.
What is meant by the portability of digital credentials?
The advantages of digital credentials
Digital credentials have a lot to offer higher education and the training community in general. They represent a modern way of awarding a certification or diploma, without the usual difficulties of issuing such documents. With digital credentials, there is no need to print or physically distribute diplomas or certificates, and no need for duplicates, saving time and money for all the stakeholders, whether they are students, issuing institutions, or those that want to verify the validity of the diplomas or certificates later on.
More environmental friendly than the old traditional paper format, digital credentials also make it impossible to produce fake diplomas, and are designed to be available for students throughout their lives. However, without portability, all of these advantages would not be enough to make digital degrees a satisfactory solution.
The definition of portability
In IT, we talk about the portability of data when it can be accessed via various internet browsers, software programs and operating systems. Portability also means being able to access the data on various devices, such as a mobile phone, whether Apple or Android, as well as a tablet, or computer.
The need for the portability of digital diplomas
The importance of having portable digital diplomas is therefore easy to understand. Indeed, the promises of the diploma and certificate digitalization cannot be satisfied without guaranteeing the total accessibility of the digital format. Graduates must be able to access their digital diploma or certificate anytime, anywhere, and be able to share it with anyone they want, on the device and browser of their choice.
This is why the digital credential format is ideal for issuing diplomas online: it guarantees not only the reliability and durability of the certificate, supported by blockchain certification, but also ease of sharing. The document is therefore visible to anyone, especially on social networks, while remaining completely secure and tamper-proof.
Is portability limited to certain platforms?
Among various suppliers of online certification solutions that use blockchain technologies, particularly those of Verifiable Credentials and digital wallets, there is often the need for students to use a specific mobile application downloaded from a certain store.
Therefore many questions about the true portability of the digital credentials arise, such as whether they can be kept, displayed and used outside the application. What happens if the application is no longer updated or available in the store? In order to avoid such problems, BCdiploma has developed a digital credentials technology that is accessible on all kinds of media, via a simple URL link, without the student needing any specific application.
Digitalize your diplomas with BCdiploma
Sharing your diplomas while protecting them is possible, and necessary! BCdiploma offers an all-in-one solution to universities and certification entities, allowing them to easily issue digital credentials in various ways, such as via digital diplomas, micro-certifications, open-badges, and so on. Once recorded and certified on our blockchain, your documents are ready to share via any media. The portability of our digital credentials is, in fact, guaranteed by the simplicity of our solution: a URL link is all that is needed to share your diplomas!
Finally, to allow students to store all of their digital certifications, and, if necessary, share them all at the same time, we have implemented an e-wallet solution. Our e-portfolio service thus provides graduates with an easy and secure way to store and share their digital credentials for life, while retaining full control over their digital identity.
Want to equip your organization with a digital accreditation solution, and issue certificates and diplomas with guaranteed portability? Get in touch with us now!