September 5, 2018 8:55 PM
The blockchain organization makes another education-related move.
It’s one thing to work in the blockchain ecosystem as an individual with a technical background. It’s another to stare at the space from the outside, wondering what everybody is up to and whether it’s possible to join the action.
ConsenSys, keen to be a leader in blockchain education, has taken another step toward bringing the everyday person into the space with a recently announced course titled Blockchain: Foundations and Use Cases. Available through the online learning platform Coursera, the foundational course does not require a background in technology and is geared toward the non-technical crowd.
In fact, Kevin McFarland, head of industry partnerships at Coursera, relayed to ETHNews that the organization has seen an increase in demand among learners to gain the knowledge and skills needed for a career in the blockchain industry. Many of these individuals may not have any sort of technical background but still want to participate in the space.
Accordingly, the ConsenSys team built the online course to explain “the technical concepts behind blockchain in bite-sized and easy-to-understand terms,” and to go “into it with an emphasis on business implications.” ConsenSys added that it wants “people who finish this course to be able to make business decisions around the use of blockchain technology and to know when and why blockchains are useful.” This insight – coupled with the foundational knowledge of blockchain, decentralization, and cryptographic concepts – allows students to build their own use cases later in the program.
Because the course is offered online through Coursera, students can participate from anywhere and at any time. The class lasts five weeks and includes a workload of about two to three hours each week. Upon completion, participants will earn certificates from both Coursera and ConsenSys Academy.
For those interested in blockchain-related careers after taking the course, ConsenSys said learners could apply for ConsenSys Academy’s Developer Program. ConsenSys considers students from its educational programs for employment with the organization.
At the end of the day, ConsenSys believes education is needed in the cryptospace given the nature of the technology:
“Education is vitally important, in any space, but particularly with respect to blockchain because it really is a new way of thinking that challenges many of the assumptions we have about how people and systems can work together. It could be as much a philosophical shift for some as a technological shift for others.”
McFarland also noted that “as demand for knowledge and training of new technologies continues to emerge,” like with the blockchain industry, Coursera anticipates working with its partners to further develop this vein of content on its platform. As the cryptospace expands, so do the educational resources that surround it.
ETHNews does not endorse Blockchain: Foundations and Use Cases or any other blockchain-related educational course.
Daniel Putney is a full-time writer for ETHNews. He received his bachelor’s degree in English writing from the University of Nevada, Reno, where he also studied journalism and queer theory. In his free time, he writes poetry, plays the piano, and fangirls over fictional characters. He lives with his partner, three dogs, and two cats in the middle of nowhere, Nevada.
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