Demonstration Experiment of Decentralized Learning Within

Traditional Decentralized Education

Masumi Hori

1,2 a

, Seishi Ono

and Kensuke Miyashita

NPO CCC-TIES, Japan

Osaka Kyoiku University, Japan

Kyoto Women's University, Japan

Keywords: Decentralized Learning, Decentralized Architecture, Microcredential, Microlearning, Digital Badge.

Abstract: Modern decentralized learning aims to promote free and open education by building learning networks and

facilitating independent learning activities among relatively small, spontaneously formed communities

outside of schools. Traditional decentralized education, meanwhile, refers to the transfer of authority over

education systems from the central government to local authorities. Traditional decentralized education is also

commonly understood as integral to realizing a sustainable society. However, traditional decentralized

education also faces significant challenges, such as financial difficulties and a lack of motivation among

educators and learners. We propose a framework for incorporating a modern decentralized learning approach

that incorporates digital badges, microlearning, and microcredentialing into traditional decentralized

education systems in order to eliminate the obstacles presented by traditional decentralized education. This

study also identifies the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed framework by conducting an empirical

experiment in which teacher training under decentralized education is implemented through online-based

decentralized learning, positioned as a learning community for teachers working in local government schools.

1 INTRODUCTION

In the modern decentralized learning approach to

education, learners assist each other and share

learning experiences within small communities (Hori,

2018). In traditional formal education, by comparison,

students learn in a centralized manner, gathering in a

school and obtaining knowledge from a teacher.

Compared with centralized education, decentralized

learning improves the quality of education, enhances

the satisfaction experienced by learners, enables

education tailored to individual needs and community

characteristics, and facilitates the rapid adaptation of

teaching methods to social and environmental

changes.

Traditional decentralized education first emerged

in developing countries in the 1980s following the

transfer of the management of education services

from central to local governments with the goal of

improving fiscal efficiency. The traditional

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3797-9008

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0843-8325

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1877-3517

decentralized approach not only generates economic

benefits but also promotes the democratization of

education.

Both modern decentralized learning and

traditional decentralized education have their own

challenges. Although many proposals regarding

decentralized learning began appearing in

approximately 2008 and then continued throughout

the 2010s, there have been few practical successes.

Indeed, a clear gap exists between proposed theories

and real-world applications. Traditional decentralized

education advocates fiscal efficiency and the

democratization of education. Moreover, although

authority has been transferred from central to local

governments, the educational effects still need to be

fully realized.

Another problem common to both modern

decentralized learning and traditional decentralized

education is that, due to the lack of a centralized

infrastructure, it is difficult to maintain a standardized

216

Hori, M., Ono, S. and Miyashita, K.

Demonstration Experiment of Decentralized Learning Within Traditional Decentralized Education.

DOI: 10.5220/0012723600003693

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2024) - Volume 1, pages 216-226

ISBN: 978-989-758-697-2; ISSN: 2184-5026

quality of education across various local school

districts.

Our ultimate aim is to realize flexible and agile

lifelong learning by introducing decentralized

learning into traditional decentralized education. This

study reports a preliminary demonstration experiment

in the achievement of this goal.

The study’s demonstration experiment shows that

integrating modern decentralized learning methods

into traditional decentralized education approaches

can solve problems facing both traditional

decentralized education and modern decentralized

learning. This experiment focuses on training primary

and secondary teachers in local governments in Japan.

Teacher training has become indispensable for local

governments seeking to respond to the diversifying

educational needs that have emerged due to rapid

social changes. However, despite the urgent need to

implement unique teacher training programs at the

local government and school levels, this

responsibility has been delegated to local education

offices. Modern decentralized learning provides

flexible options for teacher training, as its diversity of

methods can facilitate quick responses to social

changes while also respecting the autonomy of

participants.

The study understands local governments as

decentralized learning communities. Moreover, we

present a model of modern decentralized learning that

combines digital badges and microlearning to

improve teachers’ skills and visualize their

achievements. We also conducted an empirical

experiment to apply this modern decentralized

learning approach, which guarantees the quality of

learning through microcredentialing, to a real-world

scenario and evaluated the resulting challenges. This

empirical experiment will be conducted in three

stages.

Table 1 reports the results of the first stage.

Table 1: Experimental stage.

Stage Year Target Training Institute

1 2023 Two

municipalities

One institution of higher

education

2 2024 Three

municipalities

Two institutions of higher

education

3 2025 More than five

municipalities

More than three

institutions of higher

education

By conducting these demonstration experiments

using the specified framework, we intend to clarify

how decentralized architectures can benefit

traditional decentralized education. We also outline

the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.

This paper is divided into ten sections. The second

through fourth sections overview traditional

decentralized education, modern decentralized

learning, and their challenges to provide background

for the experiment. The fifth section outlines the

digital badges, microcredentials, and micro-learning

used in the demonstration experiment. The sixth

section overviews the experiment, and the seventh

presents the results. The eighth through tenth sections

discuss the results and conclusions.

2 TRADITIONAL

DECENTRALIZED

EDUCATION

Traditional decentralized education was initially

introduced in the 1980s with the objective of reducing

federal spending on education and welfare and also

promoting the establishment of a democratic system.

This transition was part of structural adjustments

carried out under the guidance of the International

Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank during the

implementation of a debt relief plan meant to alleviate

debt burdens. The policy was intended to decentralize

primary and secondary education by granting local

municipalities—which had formerly been controlled

by the central government—increased authority over

education policy. This shift had significant political

implications. Moreover, as outlined by Hanson

(1997), the policy also stated the anticipated benefits

of introducing a decentralization education system:

1) Improvement in management efficiency and

capacity through the introduction of market

principles

2) Neutralization of teachers’ unions and

political parties

3) Education not limited by existing schools

4) Improvement in education quality caused by

improvements in teachers’ skills and the

procurement of appropriate teaching

materials

5) The establishment of an environment for

continuous learning through community

involvement

Ensuring the effectiveness of a decentralized

architecture for traditional decentralized education

also requires addressing contemporary issues, such as

skills development for teachers and community

involvement.

Management scholar Peter Drucker noted that

there were limits to the effectiveness of schooling and

that the best example of education was the literacy

Demonstration Experiment of Decentralized Learning Within Traditional Decentralized Education

217

movement promoted by Mao Zedong during the

Cultural Revolution (Drucker, 1998). During the

literacy movement, students who learned to read

taught other students the characters they had learned,

thereby enabling students to teach other students

without relying on schools. This movement led to a

considerable increase in the literacy rate in China in a

short period of time. This success story can be applied

to the use of modern internet technologies for the

teaching of more advanced information.

However, examples of best practices are

exceptions within traditional decentralized education,

which, despite significant expense and effort, has yet

to produce substantial global results (Hanson, 1998).

3 MODERN DECENTRALIZED

LEARNING

The emergence of blockchain and distributed ledger

technologies has catalyzed the development of

various forms of decentralized architectures,

including societal, organizational, and infrastructural

architectures. Among these, decentralized learning

systems constitute a significant innovation, and they

contrast sharply with the centralized educational

models that have dominated since the 18th century.

Paul Baran introduced the notion of

“decentralized networks” as intermediary systems

connecting centralized and distributed systems

(Baran, 1964). With the advent of blockchain

technology, the concept of decentralized networks

expanded to accommodate the broader societal shift

toward decentralization, challenging established

centralized social structures.

Decentralized learning, in particular, has garnered

attention because of its potential to revolutionize how

knowledge is disseminated and acquired (Tapscott,

2019). This paradigm proposes a shift from

traditional, school-centric learning to efficient online

education that is accessible to all. For example, the

“Learning is Earning 2026” campaign developed by

the Institute for the Future exemplifies this approach

by using blockchain technology to incentivize

individual and communal learning. This approach

parallels the literacy campaigns of the Cultural

Revolution yet adds a modern technological

interpretation that employs virtual currency.

Despite the promising prospects of decentralized

architecture, its practical applications have been

limited to virtual currencies, such as Bitcoin and

Ethereum. This sluggish transition to real-world

uptake can be attributed to several challenges:

In educational environments, the volatility of

virtual currencies often leads to instability and

financial failure. Persistent financial difficulties faced

by communities championing decentralized learning

hinder their ability to offer a supportive learning

environment. The localized nature of these

educational models increases the complexity of

assessing and validating the quality of educational

outcomes. Therefore, the visibility and credibility of

these models need to be enhanced for external

observers.

This analysis underscores the need for robust

mechanisms for validating and accrediting learning

achievements within decentralized learning

frameworks to ensure that they can obtain the level of

social trust and recognition necessary for broader

acceptance and implementation.

4 INTEGRATING MODERN

DECENTRALIZED LEARNING

INTO TRADITIONAL

SETTINGS

This study introduces modern decentralized learning

to traditional decentralized education settings. We

hypothesize that this will simultaneously solve the

problems facing both modern decentralized learning

and traditional decentralized education, which we

intend to demonstrate through an empirical

experiment.

Traditional decentralized education was initially

intended to grant local governments increased

authority over education-related decisions. However,

there are limits to what local governments can

achieve independently due to their limited financial

and human resources while still ensuring the

provision of quality education. It is difficult to

identify successful examples of traditional

decentralized education, even when assuming a

global perspective and considering initiatives led by

international organizations such as the World Bank

and the United Nations.

Modern decentralized learning, meanwhile, is

based on the premise that learning networks are

constructed within each community. According to

this framework, individual communities can

encourage autonomous approaches to learning. To

motivate learners, decentralized architecture can be

employed to visualize learning results, and tutors can

provide learners with support. Indeed, within

decentralized architectures, communities become

network nodes that communicate with each other.

CSEDU 2024 - 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Education

218

Traditional decentralized education can be enhanced

if the online education system can be structured to

support such autonomous efforts.

In this context, this study seeks to bring the

benefits of modern decentralized learning to

traditional decentralized education models by

introducing technologies such as microlearning,

digital badges, and microcredentialing to online

education environments.

5 ONLINE TOOLS FOR MODERN

DECENTRALIZED LEARNING

5.1 Digital Badges

In the evolving framework of digital badges used for

decentralized education, the role of community

support is increasingly critical. Among various

innovations in this domain, the “open badges”

concept represents a pioneering effort to digitally

quantify and visualize learning achievements

(Jovanovic, 2014). This system is particularly notable

because (1) it enables badges to be issued by anyone,

and (2) it incorporates an endorsement mechanism to

authenticate each badge. The first feature

democratizes the badge issuance process, facilitating

a shift away from traditional, centralized educational

systems, while the second feature ensures that the

community can trust the value of the learning

achievement signified by the badge.

Crucially, the use of blockchain technology to

facilitate learning achievement badges represents a

third crucial feature of this system. This innovative

approach was spearheaded by the “Learning is

Earning 2026” initiative developed by the Internet

Engineering Task Force, which aims to leverage

blockchain technology to facilitate the distribution

and verification of learning achievements. This

technology promises to enhance the reliability,

transparency, and accessibility of educational

credentials, marking a significant advance in how

educational achievements are recognized and valued

in decentralized learning ecosystems.

5.2 Microlearning

To adapt to the evolving landscape of decentralized

education, traditional time-intensive learning

methods—such as those found in classroom

settings—must be made more practical. In today’s

fast-paced world, where individuals are constantly

engaged with work and other commitments, there is a

pressing need for models of education that can

accommodate the brief interludes of free time that

individuals experience throughout their day. This

approach would enable learners to gradually build a

cohesive body of knowledge through short,

intermittent study sessions. This mode of knowledge

acquisition is known as microlearning (Gassler, 2004).

Two critical technological requirements underpin

microlearning. The first involves the creation of a vast

array of learning materials that are concise and

focused on specific topics; these are referred to as

“microcontent.” The second necessity is a mechanism

for efficiently locating and compiling this

microcontent into curricula tailored to the learner’s

needs, ensuring that the content is relevant and

comprehensive.

5.3 Microcredentials

Under a modern decentralized learning paradigm,

established authorities will not be the only entities

that can validate learning outcomes. That is, despite

not being able to grant formal degrees or certificates,

communities will be able to issue digital badges for

reaching microlearning milestones and completing

small-scale educational units. Ensuring the quality of

learning outcomes is essential, which emphasizes the

importance of properly managing credentials (Gish-

Lieberman, 2021).

Microcredentials have emerged as a solution to

these verification issues. Indeed, microcredentialing

has been adopted by over 150 countries worldwide,

including European countries, the United States,

South Africa, and countries of the Asia-Pacific

regions, as well as by organizations such as UNESCO

and the OECD. Despite this widespread adoption,

there is still no consensus regarding the best

microcredentialing practices and the scope of

appropriate applications for microcredentialing.

These initiatives all share a common goal: to achieve

quality assurance by implementing some form of

qualification framework (QFs).

Microcredentials are designed within QFs that

stipulate specific competencies that must be met for

quality assurance purposes. Maintaining high-quality

QFs and competencies across numerous credentials is

a formidable task.

The variety of approaches to microcredentialing

reflects the broad recognition of its potential benefits;

nevertheless, its practical applications and societal

value are yet to be fully realized.

Demonstration Experiment of Decentralized Learning Within Traditional Decentralized Education

219

6 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION OF

THE DEMONSTRATION

EXPERIMENT

6.1 Pilot System

Figure 1 outlines the system structure developed for

the demonstration experiment. The figure illustrates

an educational strategy that incorporates short video-

based sessions and tasks—each of which is designed

to be completed within approximately 10 minutes—

into individual learning modules. After the

completion of each module, learners are awarded

digital badges.

In the pilot system framework, these digital

badges, when submitted to local boards of education,

serve as evidence of having completed the required

training programs. Local boards of education are

responsible for managing elementary and secondary

education teachers within each local municipality in

Japan. Therefore, the experiment supports

microcredentialing by issuing and validating digital

badges.

Figure 1: Overview of the pilot system.

6.2 Realization of Microlearning

The structure of the pilot microlearning program is

shown in Figure 2. Microlearning programs that are

approximately 10 to 15 minutes in length and consist

of videos with synthetic audio are bundled together as

lecture units, and a digital badge is issued upon

completion of each program. In the pilot system, this

badge is referred to as a “Knowledge Badge.” After

attending ten credits worth of lectures and passing a

final test, students are awarded a digital badge. This

badge is referred to as a “Wisdom Badge.”

6.2.1 Content Creation

Creating small-scale, granular learning content for

microlearning presents practical challenges. Most

Figure 2: Microlearning structure.

faculty members at Japanese universities are

accustomed to delivering lectures that last 90 to 100

minutes. Indeed, they may dismiss the concept of

microlearning and, therefore, require opportunities to

become familiar with this new format. Nonetheless,

in traditional lectures, one slide is typically prepared

for each lecture; this approach became a focal point

of our microlearning initiative.

Initially, we informed university instructors that

the criterion for awarding the Knowledge Badge was

attending one standard lecture and completing the

wisdom badge course. Subsequently, we requested

that instructors develop slides and corresponding

tables of content for each lecture.

The slides were then segmented by the individual

responsible for developing the educational materials

based on the table of contents. These segments were

transformed into videos that could be viewed in

approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Table 2 summarizes

the pilot system approach to microlearning.

Table 2: Microlearning concept.

Unit

Approximate

study time

Mode of thinking.

Wisdom

Badge

1–6 hours This corresponds to the

certificate of completion

for a conventional course.

This training course is a

microcredential because it

is an accredited unit of

training.

Knowledge

Badge

60–90 minutes It is equivalent to a

certificate for completing

one traditional university

lecture course. In practice,

this is the minimum

granularity of badges

awarded for completing a

microlearning unit.

Microlearning Approx. 15

min

Lecture videos that

summarize the learning

content in 15 minutes or

less. They offer flexibility

by changing the conditions

for issuing badges of

competence.

Knowledge

Badge

Certificate

by unit

Slide per Unit

Wisdom Badge

Certificate by

completion

Lect ure

（

10m

）

Lect ure

（

10m

）

Lect ure

（

10m

）

Microlear ning

Voice

Synthesis

Slide

configuration by

TOC

Unit

CSEDU 2024 - 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Education

220

6.2.2 Standardization of Content

The pilot system uses concise video content, with

each segment lasting approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Videos are created according to specific standards to

enable the flexible combination of video segments to

assemble various courses.

1) All video content is uniformly licensed under

a Creative Commons license.

2) Instead of human narration, a consistent

artificially generated voice is employed

across all videos.

3) Videos are cataloged and shared through the

video management platform on the pilot

system.

6.2.3 Creative Commons Licensing

The training materials provided by the pilot system

are offered as open educational resources that are

accessible to anyone. As such, the entity overseeing

the pilot initiative is accountable for any potential

risks that may arise. To mitigate personal risks while

safeguarding creators’ interests, it is recommended to

identify content as belonging to the organization to

which the faculty member belongs, clarify the

identity of the copyright holder, and recognize

individual faculty members as contributors. Creators’

interests include maintaining their social reputation

and trustworthiness while also being recognized for

their contributions to education and research.

Additionally, the organization can alleviate any

potential disadvantages for faculty members by

allowing them the right to commercially utilize

derivatives of their work irrespective of Creative

Commons stipulations. Therefore, a standardized

Creative Commons license would cover content

disseminated through the pilot system.

6.2.4 Dvancements in Learning Using Voice-

Synthesized Slides

In order to facilitate microlearning integration, the

pilot system incorporates speech synthesis technology.

Instructional content designed to be completed within

approximately 10 to 15 minutes is delivered through

presentations using Microsoft

PowerPoint

, a

trademarked product of Microsoft Corporation. These

presentations will feature a uniform design and be

accompanied by synthesized voiceovers generated

from scripts provided by the university faculty. The

result, designated as “speech-synthesized slides”

within the pilot system, ensures a consistent format

across all instructional videos to facilitate the seamless

integration of video segments into comprehensive

training modules regardless of the instructor’s identity.

Moreover, this approach streamlines the process of

updating material; modifications, such as changes to

slides or scripts, can be efficiently implemented, even

when there is a change in faculty, thus ensuring ease of

content management.

The pilot system employs an open-source voice

synthesis platform to create these text-to-speech

video slides. This platform converts text from the notes

sections of Microsoft

PowerPoint

slides into

synthesized speech, resulting in an educational video

slide. By offering this platform as open-source

software (OSS), the pilot system reflects a commitment

to enhancing the accessibility and adaptability of

educational resources. This initiative highlights the

innovative use of technology in education and fosters a

collaborative environment where anyone can

contribute to or modify the platform.

6.2.5 Video Management System

This OSS initiative led to the development of a video

management system designed to enhance open online

learning. This system was created through a

collaborative effort involving the National Institute of

Informatics at Osaka University, Kumamoto

University, and the non-profit organization Cyber

Campus Consortium TIES. The system is openly

accessible on GitHub under an OSS license (ChiBi-

CHiLO, 2023). The architecture of the system is

illustrated in Figure 3.

https://github.com/npocccties/chibichilo

Figure 3: Video management system diagram.

The video management system organizes video

content according to three hierarchical levels—

resources, topics, and books—with books

representing the highest level of organization. These

books can be integrated with learning management

systems (LMSs) using the learning tools interopera-

bility standard.

Within the pilot system framework, a book at the

highest level consists of a 10- to 15-minute video

consisting of speech-synthesized slides. Topics

correspond to individual slide pages, and the base-

Video Management System

Resource

URL

LMS

Cour se B

Course A

Book

Topic

LTI

n:1 n:n n:1

Microlearning

Video

Streming

Demonstration Experiment of Decentralized Learning Within Traditional Decentralized Education

221

level resources are URLs to the video streaming

system. This hierarchical structure facilitates efficient

management and the updating of the video content for

each slide. Moreover, the video management system

supports the sharing and reusing of resources, topics,

and books, enabling the provision of content in

various combinations.

6.3 Open Badges

The pilot system uses OBv2.1, which consists of three

components: Assertion, BadgeClass, and Issuer

Profile (Ahn, 2014). Assertion describes the attributes

of the badge acquirer, and Issuer Profile describes the

attributes of the badge issuer. BadgeClass refers to the

template data for each badge; it is included in all

issued badges and is publicly available for reference

by third parties. The BadgeClass for the Wisdom

Badge contains the ID of the Knowledge Badge that

is required to earn the Wisdom Badge. The

BadgeClass for the Knowledge Badge contains the ID

of the microlearning that is required to earn the

Knowledge Badge. Therefore, each badge is able to

verify the learning content associated with it and the

conditions under which it was awarded.

In this way, the badges visualize learning results

and can be used both for self-reflection and as proof

of the completion of training.

6.4 Faculty Development Metrics for

Microcredentials

Each local board of education in Japan is required to

maintain its own set of criteria for teacher

development. These criteria provide a detailed

framework of the skills and competencies that

elementary and secondary school teachers must

develop depending on their career level. Meanwhile,

this framework also provides an overview of a

teacher’s entire professional trajectory. This approach

embodies the principles of QFs by promoting learning

tailored to different stages of a teacher’s career. It also

emphasizes competencies by specifying the attributes

and skills that should be cultivated. The teacher

development metrics are tailored to reflect local needs.

Boards of education at the prefectural and municipal

levels are expected to independently manage teachers’

continuous learning, beginning with their initial

training and extending throughout their careers. Many

boards of education have initiated such programs in

collaboration with local institutions that support

teacher education. Therefore, the foundational

elements necessary for implementing microcreden-

tials are already in place.

To ensure the quality of online educational

offerings and facilitate teachers’ access to structured

training based on their self-identified needs, this pilot

program aligns competency badges with the teacher

development standards established by local boards of

education, which recognize this program as an

accredited form of professional development.

6.5 Implementation of the Pilot

System

The pilot system consisted of a portal system, a LMS,

and a video management system (Figure 4). The LMS

was provided by Moodle

. Moreover, Moodle

functions were also used to offer courses and issue

digital badges.

The portal system was developed independently.

The portal system imports BadgeClass, a digital

badge issued by Moodle

, and implements a function

to map courses to the teacher development index. A

search function was also implemented to allow

learners to search for badges they wish to acquire

based on the structure of ability badges and

Knowledge Badges described in the imported

BadgeClass and the microlearning content included

in the Knowledge Badges.

In developing the portal system, OpenJS

Foundation’s node.js framework was used as the

backend, and Meta’s React™ component was used as

the frontend.

Figure 4: Implementation of the pilot system.

7 DEMONSTRATION

EXPERIMENT

7.1 Subjects of the Demonstration

Experiment in This Study

Japanese teachers are known to allocate significantly

less time to self-study than their counterparts in

OECD countries (Ainley, 2018). Additionally, the

Mappin to teacher development

indicators

Completion List

Digital badge search

Portal system

Course managem ent

Digital badge issued

LMS

（

Moodle

）

Video delivery

Video

ｍ

management

Video management system

BadgeClass.json

LTI

Learner

CSEDU 2024 - 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Education

222

results indicate that Japanese teachers need to

improve their IT skills.

However, one factor contributing to this situation

is the long working hours that restrict Japanese

teachers’ study time and hinder their learning

capacity, even if they are willing to study and

improve their skills. Although teacher training is

mandatory for Japanese educators, much training is

conducted face-to-face, demanding considerable time

commitment from teachers and contributing to their

extended working hours.

The significance of decentralized learning lies in

its potential to enable teachers to learn anytime and

anywhere, thereby sustaining their motivation for

learning. Evaluating the effectiveness of

decentralized learning can illuminate its importance.

Moreover, such evaluation can provide insights into

enhancing online education by creating an accessible

learning environment for students, regardless of their

IT proficiency.

If decentralized learning proves effective within

this context, it holds promise for facilitating lifelong

learning, particularly for individuals with time

constraints or those pursuing multidisciplinary

professions, both within Japan and globally.

7.2 Experimental Method

The demonstration experiment was conducted for

five months, from August 1, 2022, to January 10,

2023, with the cooperation of a local government in

Japan (Hori, 2023). The target learners (approx. 360

people) were teachers eligible for a training program

to improve their qualifications as mid-career teachers

at elementary and secondary educational institutions

within the target municipality. Mid-career teachers

who are expected to play a core role must attend a

training program to improve their qualifications. The

competency badges obtained through the pilot system

can be used for face-to-face training in this

demonstration experiment.

The training courses, or Wisdom Badges,

prepared for the demonstration experiment consisted

of 15 types. Teachers registered themselves as users

of the pilot system, and they freely selected training

courses. In addition, a final task, such as a multiple

choice test, was prepared, and a Wisdom Badge was

issued upon completion. Teachers are certified as

mid-career teachers by submitting their Wisdom

Badge using the report submission function of the

training system operated by the local board of

education.

7.3 Results of the Demonstration

Experiment

Table 3: Status of participation in demonstration

experiment.

Number of subjects 360*

Number of teachers (learners)

(

uni

ue/total

)

52/111

Number of people who have

earned Wisdom Badges

(unique/total)

26/53

7.3.1 Enrolment Status

Table 3 shows the enrolment status of the

demonstration experiment.

Of the approximately 360 eligible participants, 52

(14.7%) took the course, and approximately half (26)

of them obtained the Knowledge Badge as a badge of

competence. In addition, some teachers took multiple

courses and obtained multiple competence badges. Of

the 52 teachers, 28 (54.9%) took only one course, and

24 (47.1%) took two or more courses (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Number of courses taken by teachers.

Of the 52 teachers, about half, 26 (51.0%), earned

at least one badge (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Number of badges earned by teachers.

7.3.2 Questionnaire Results

A questionnaire was sent to those who had obtained a

competence badge upon completion of the course.

The number of samples collected was 13. Figure 7

Demonstration Experiment of Decentralized Learning Within Traditional Decentralized Education

223

Figure 7: Training satisfaction.

shows the results of the questionnaire regarding

satisfaction with the online training: In total, 83% of

the faculty members stated they were “satisfied” or

“mostly satisfied.” Figure 8 shows the results of the

questionnaire, which asked those who answered

“satisfied” and “somewhat satisfied” (Figure 7) what

they were satisfied with. The most common responses

were that they were able to freely choose the course

of their choice and that the video was easy to study

because it was broken up into smaller segments.

Figure 8: Factors of satisfaction.

Figure 9 shows the results of the questionnaire

questions asking about barriers to attending teacher

training. The number of samples collected were 13

from those who had obtained a competence badge

upon course completion.

Figure 9: Factors hindering training.

The number of respondents who mentioned time

constraints, such as “too busy with work” and “too

busy with housework/childcare,” is significantly

higher than the other responses.

8 CONSIDERATIONS

Only the initial stage of this demonstration

experiment has been completed, and therefore, it has

produced limited data regarding the conditions under

which decentralized learning can be applied. Despite

these constraints, however, we have identified several

challenges and prospects for decentralized learning.

8.1 Effects of Decentralized

Education

This experiment revealed the distinct characteristics

of decentralized education. The benefits of

microlearning for individuals with busy schedules

have been well documented in various empirical

studies, and our survey results confirmed this.

Additionally, the flexibility afforded learners when

freely choosing courses also proved beneficial.

We also observed reduced administrative costs

due to the adoption of digital badges. For training

providers, digital badges eliminated the need to create

participant lists and oversee a registration process.

Furthermore, incorporating teacher development

indicators into a QF facilitated quality assurance and

exemplified microcredentialing. However,

challenges persist regarding learner benefits, badge

validation, and the diversity and quality of content.

8.2 Mechanism for Learners to

Engage with the Qualification

Framework

To enhance the quality of teaching, teachers must

review their training history in alignment with

teacher development indicators stipulated by a QF.

They must objectively analyze the changes that they

observe before and after attending training and

develop a training plan that they pursue

autonomously. Although we failed to provide such a

mechanism in this experiment, the responses from

our survey highlight the demand for autonomous

training programs.

8.3 Badge Verification

In our demonstration experiment, a local board of

education used the report submission feature of

another training system owned by the local

CSEDU 2024 - 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Education

224

government for submitting digital badges. This

system did not support verification of the authenticity

of digital badges, and data transfer between systems

was conducted manually. Developing a mechanism

for importing digital badges into a training system

owned by a local board of education after verifying

their authenticity, as well as managing course

histories in a unified manner, is an essential task for

the future.

8.4 Content Diversity

In this demonstration experiment, training content

was provided through a system operated and managed

by an institution of higher education. However, we

anticipate a significant increase in the number of

users, and the capacity of institutions of higher

education to provide training is limited. Therefore,

establishing a system for offering diverse and quality-

assured training programs in collaboration with other

universities is necessary.

9 FUTURE PROSPECTS

Despite numerous endeavors in distributed learning,

substantial breakthroughs are still required. Although

considerable resources have been allocated to

traditional decentralized education, notable

achievements are still pending. This study addresses

both issues by integrating decentralized learning into

conventional decentralized education.

The primary objective is to demonstrate that

decentralized learning can foster growth of diverse

learning communities and facilitate adoption of

varied learning methodologies that address learning

needs and styles of all the stakeholders. Additionally,

within the established framework of distributed

education, we aim to establish a system that fosters

creation of distributed learning communities and

offers educators a spectrum of learning options.

Empirical validation of effectiveness of

distributed learning marks the initial phase of

accomplishment of our research .

Following the completion of the initial

demonstration, we have entered the next stage of the

experiment, with 31 training courses already

underway. Furthermore, we are actively pursuing

new developments.

9.1 Development of a Badge Wallet

Our team is currently working on a badge wallet

system. This digital platform will enable learners to

access and view their earned digital badges. It is

designed to store these badges, providing learners

with a concrete method of assessing their skill

upgrades and competency developments, as outlined

in the teacher development indices associated with

each badge. This tool facilitates self-directed learning

by allowing learners to assess their qualifications

from a broader perspective and plan their education

accordingly.

9.2 Development of the Badge

Cabinet

We are creating a system known as the “badge

cabinet.” It is aimed at enhancing the value of digital

badges beyond mere certificates. This system enables

local boards of education to verify badges and

efficiently organize extensive training records. With

the badge cabinet system, students can present their

digital badges to a local board of education,

facilitating a board’s ability to efficiently document

training achievements within their training record

systems, including personnel management systems.

The application of the badge cabinet extends beyond

this example. It can also serve as a centralized

platform for managing diverse training programs,

including both internal training sessions and

programs offered by external entities, as long as they

issue digital badges.

9.3 Enhancement of Training

Programs

Our objectives include establishing guidelines to

assure the quality of training throughout the pilot

study, improving training materials, and forming

partnerships with universities, particularly those

specializing in teacher education. These

collaborations aim to enrich the diversity and quality

of training offerings. Several universities have

already expressed interest in participating in this

initiative.

10 CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates the potential of integrating

modern distributed learning methods into traditional

distributed educational systems to enhance the quality

and accessibility of education. Empirical studies

examining case studies of teacher training within

local municipalities have shown that digital badges,

microlearning, and microcredentials can address the

Demonstration Experiment of Decentralized Learning Within Traditional Decentralized Education

225

financial and motivational challenges faced by

traditional distributed education systems. Employing

these tools is expected to improve the quality of

education, which in turn could enhance educational

provision at the local level. Microcredentials

constitute a promising method for verifying skills and

knowledge acquired through distributed learning

systems, thereby building trust among all

stakeholders.

Furthermore, the experiment of this study

provides evidence that this approach is not limited to

teacher training but can also be applied to

professional education in various industries requiring

specialized skills, such as nursing, caregiving, civil

engineering, and construction. Institutions of higher

learning can also deliver professional education in

these fields by leveraging online educational systems,

microlearning, digital badges, and microcredential

mechanisms through distributed learning. This

approach proposes a system that expands on the

professional education offered in industries requiring

specialized skills, such as nursing, caregiving, civil

engineering, and construction, providing access to

lifelong learning opportunities.

The demonstration experiment described in this

study is the first phase of a three-stage process; we

anticipate that this pilot study will produce new

insights as it progresses. The initial results are already

promising, and further application and evaluation of

distributed learning technologies and methods are

expected to yield profound and actionable insights

that will significantly inform educational reform.

Subsequent stages will focus on a broader range of

applications, the necessity of technical infrastructure,

strategies for providing ongoing support and

motivation for educators and learners, and solutions

for integration challenges in diverse regional contexts.

The forthcoming phases are pivotal in seeking

inventive educational solutions, undertaking

empirical investigations, and fostering active

partnerships among all educational stakeholders to

unlock the full potential of distributed learning.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The use of teacher training data was approved by

Osaka Kyoiku University. The authors would also

like to thank Enago (www.enago.jp) for the English

language review.

REFERENCES

Hori, M., Ono S., Miyashita K., Kobayashi S., Miyahara H.,

Kita T., Yamada T., Yamaji K. (2018). Learning system

based on decentralized learning model using blockchain

and SNS. 10th International Conference on Computer

Supported Education

Hanson, E. M. (1997). Educational decentralization: Issues

and challenges.

Drucker, P. F. (1998). From capitalism to knowledge

society-The Knowledge Economy. In Neef (Ed.), Boston-

Oxford-Johannesburg-Melbourne-NewDelhi-Singapor

Hanson, E. M. (1998). Strategies of educational

decentralization: Key questions and core issues. Journal

of educational administration, 36(2), 111-128.

Baran, P. (1964). On distributed communications networks.

IEEE Transactions on Communications Systems, 12(1),

1–9.

Tapscott, D., Kaplan, A. (2019). Blockchain revolution in

education and lifelong learning. Blockchain Research

Institute-IBM Institute for Business Value.

Jovanovic, J., Devedzic, V. (2014). Open badges:

Challenges and opportunities. In Advances in Web-

Based Learning ICWL 2014: 13th International

Conference, Tallinn, Estonia, August 14-17, 2014.

Proceedings 13. Springer International Publishing.

Institute for the Future (IFTF). (2016). Learning is Earning

2026 - A partnership between ACT Foundation & IFTF

[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=Zssd6eBVfwc

Gassler, G., Hug, T., Glahn, C. (2004). Integrated micro

learning-An outline of the basic method and first results.

Interactive Computer Aided Learning, 4, 1–7.

Gish-Lieberman, J. J., Tawfik, A., Gatewood, J. (2021).

Microcredentials and badges in education: A historical

overview. TechTrends, 65, 5–7.

ChiBi-CHiLO. (2023). Retrieved December 22, 2023, from

https://github.com/npocccties/chibichilo.

Ahn, J., Pellicone, A., & Butler, B. S. (2014). Open badges

for education: What are the implications at the

intersection of open systems and badging? Research in

Learning Technology, 22.

Ainley, J., & Carstens, R. (2018). Teaching and learning

international survey (TALIS) 2018 conceptual

framework.

Hori, M., et al. (2023). Reskilling teachers in elementary

and secondary education using microlearning, digital

badges, and microcredentials. In Proceedings of the

Annual Conference of the University ICT Promotion

Council. (In Japanese).

CSEDU 2024 - 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Education

226