Dr. FANS: A Decentralized Micro-credential Verification System Towards Higher Qualifications

Micro-credentials are transparent, competency-based qualifications that allow individuals to demonstrate specific knowledge and skills in a focused domain. They address the need for flexible, personalized education by offering shorter, verifiable credentials that enhance employability and support lifelong learning, making them especially valuable in today’s rapidly evolving workforce. This paper examines the inclusion of credit-bearing micro-credentials into traditional higher education programs while focusing on important issues like flexibility, personalized learning, and credential verification. The growing need for flexible, skill-based certifications from students and employers has highlighted the importance of educational models offering concise, targeted credentials. Credit-bearing micro-credentials allow students to demonstrate validated skills while earning official degrees. However, the existing system has recognition, portability, security, and trust issues. This paper proposes using Hyperledger Besu, a blockchain platform, to manage and verify micro-credentials securely. Furthermore, this paper reviews existing literature related to micro-credential and academic certification, presents various models for credentialing, and discusses the benefits and challenges of approaching those models. Additionally, it introduces three algorithms for smart contract implementation. In terms of performance, the evaluation of the proposed system shows an average block creation time of 2.3 seconds while having a block retrieval time of 3.30 milliseconds, demonstrating reliable functionality. Overall, the study demonstrates how integrating blockchain can enhance the credibility, portability, and acceptance of micro-credentials in the workforce and educational institutions.