Central New Mexico Community College was recently named ‘Innovator of the Year’ for being a trailblazer in the use of blockchain technology, the same technology used to bring about bitcoin.
‘Education Dive: Higher Ed’ is a leading education news publisher. They named CNM ‘Innovator of the Year’ for using blockchain technology to issue digital diplomas to students.
In August, CNM made digital diplomas accessible to all graduates of the college.
The college said that with digital credentials, students would never have to worry about losing their paper certificate or it being stolen.
CNM isn’t stopping at digital diplomas.
The school launched a pilot program that will allow students to earn ‘micro-credentials’ for skills that supplement the knowledge they’ve gained from degree and certificate programs.
“For example, students who demonstrate they’ve learned ‘soft skills’ such as problem-solving, oral communication or intercultural fluency will receive digital badges that are recorded on the blockchain, along with their diplomas and transcripts,” CNM stated.
Additionally, CNM received grant funding in 2018 from the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office for blockchain development, such as training blockchain coding instructors and building blockchain services that are available to government agencies.