ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores how blockchain technology can reshape education. It recognises the state-of-the-art in the area of blockchain applications in education, and investigates the possibilities of future use. The book evaluates the impact of blockchain on the educational ecosystem, and gives a broader view of blockchain technology in comparison with existing Information and Communication Technologies used in education. It discusses the challenges related to Education 4.0 from the viewpoints of its main stakeholders, i.e. the labour market, higher educational institutions, and students. The book outlines one of the main principles of Education 4.0, i.e. student-centred learning. It presents the most important concepts related to this idea, such as distributed learning and lifelong learning, and discusses how these can be supported by blockchain technology. The book focuses on the issuance of blockchain-based certificates at the University of Nicosia.
