The coronavirus menace appears to be spreading to every part of the world. As the deadly virus spreads, it is also affecting many education systems. The menace has resulted in more than 200 million children staying at home. They skip school in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus.
Odem, a Blockchain-based educational technology provider, recently announced that it would offer its platform to universities and schools that were disrupted due to the pandemic. According to a March 9 press release, Odem confirmed that it is providing its:
“Online integrated learning platform and certification management system free for use to schools and educators to continue educating students until it is safe to return to campus.”
Odem offers free services
In an interview with reporters, Richard Maaghul, CEO and co-founder of Odem, said:
“the coronavirus is a big concern for us, and we want to make sure that we do everything possible to assist in keeping the education doors open, even if it has to be virtual.”
On the other hand, Odem co-founder and COO Johanna Maaghul added:
“We are able to track students’ activity working remotely so that when students go back to school; the institutions can track what they’ve accomplished and register that on the blockchain and even bring it back into their traditional accreditation systems.”
A United States university to upload 500 courses on Odem
Maaghul said that Odem is:
“an on-demand education marketplace that allows students, educators, employers, and institutions of higher learning come together and be able to access [and] request education, education verification, and credentialing of their academic records and skills that come along with it.”
He also said that Odem’s records could also be used to link potential employers with the most suitable candidates. The Odem co-founders announced that they have already received interest from Ireland, Italy, Cairo, and Germany. They also said that a United States-based university is exploring all possibilities available. The institution aims to upload 500 of their courses as a response to the coronavirus threat:
“Oral Roberts University is looking to put 500 of their courses on the Odem platform to prepare them to do the virtual classwork; given the current environment with the coronavirus.”
Speaking to reporters, the vice president of technology and innovation at Oral Roberts University, Michael Mathews, said that the university has used many blockchain vendors for testing and authentication purposes.
Mathews also said that the institution selected Odem due to its ease of integration with the existing learning systems.
Blockchain deployed to combat coronavirus
Chinese media outlet Xinhua estimated by mid-February that China’s central government had already deployed blockchain technologies for over 20 applications. The government took this strategy in an attempt to fight the spread of coronavirus.
The Economy and Information Technology Department and the Zhejiang Provincial Health Commission partnered with the Alipay payments platform aiming to unveil a blockchain-based platform. The system would ensure that charity organizations can collaborate with greater efficiency and transparency. They can easily track the allocation of medical and relief supplies.
In the capital of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an, blockchain has also been implemented to facilitate effective patient consultations and screening. The technology is also used to manage health records.
