Approach and models for using distributed ledger technology to authenticate educational documents

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze methods, approaches, and tools of distributed ledger technology (DLT) for working with documents in education. The objectives of the article are to analyze problems with the authentication of educational documents, develop new structural solutions using block chain technology, consider two models, and evaluate their use for educational documents.Authentication of educational documents is carried out using state registers, which is a complex and resource-intensive process. There is an increase in the number of forged documents in the world, which calls into question the effectiveness of modern mechanisms. Distributed ledger technology (block chain) is a sustainable technological trend that affects the development and quality of the digital economy. The existence of a mechanism for verifying the authenticity of educational documents that is resistant to malicious manipulation is an urgent task that goes beyond the sphere of education, possible solutions to which are proposed to be considered in this paper.The article provides a brief description of DLT and considers the approach of using the technology to authenticate educational documents. It consists of two main stages: the issue of a digital educational document and its verification. The role of a trusted third party in the issue and validation process is considered. The paper presents the models for issuing and validating digital documents based on distributed ledger technology, which allows one to eliminate the limitations and shortcomings of existing approaches. The effectiveness of the approach based on the proposed models is revealed. The formulated approaches can be applied in various socio-economic areas and public administration to work with similar documents.

Keywords

• distributed ledger technology
• blockchain
• smart contract
• information technologies in education
• authentication