Abstract
As lifelong learning becomes essential in the modern knowledge economy, micro-credentials have emerged as an agile mechanism for documenting specific, vocational skills. However, the proliferation of diverse, short-term credentials introduces significant challenges regarding verification, authenticity, and institutional trust. Traditional verification processes are often slow, labor-intensive, and susceptible to fraud. To address these limitations, this paper presents the design, implementation, and empirical evaluation of a decentralized micro-credential verification system based on consortium blockchain technology. Developed using Hyperledger Fabric, the system allows vocational education centers to issue tamper-proof, cryptographically secure digital credentials that can be instantaneously verified by third parties without relying on centralized databases. We deployed the system across three vocational education centers, involving a total of 142 participants, including students, administrative staff, and industry employers. A comprehensive usability evaluation was conducted using the System Usability Scale (SUS) alongside technical performance benchmarking. The system achieved an average SUS score of 81.4, indicating 'excellent' usability and high user acceptance. Technical evaluations demonstrated near-instantaneous verification latencies (under 2 seconds) and resilient performance under concurrent transactional loads. This study provides empirical evidence that blockchain-based decentralized architectures can successfully bridge the gap between vocational training providers and the labor market, offering a secure, efficient, and user-friendly paradigm for credential management in lifelong learning.
