Blockchain-Enabled E-Portfolios for Competency Tracking in Undergraduate Nursing Education: A Randomized Controlled Trial

NCT07531355 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: BC-EP-NEP-2025-JUJU-CON-2025-BC-EP
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 72
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study evaluates whether a blockchain-enabled electronic portfolio can improve competency tracking and lifelong learning in undergraduate nursing education. Conventional electronic portfolios are often fragmented across courses and clinical rotations, difficult to verify across institutions, and limited in supporting learner ownership of records. To address these challenges, this study compares a blockchain-enabled e-portfolio system with a conventional Moodle-based e-portfolio during a medical-surgical clinical rotation. Third-year undergraduate nursing students at Jouf University, Saudi Arabia, were randomly assigned to use either the blockchain-enabled e-portfolio intervention or the conventional e-portfolio control. The intervention was designed to support cryptographically verifiable competency records, structured reflective evidence, and personalized competency feedback through dashboard analytics. The main outcomes include clinical competence assessed by an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), lifelong learning orientation, portfolio quality, and trust in the credibility and portability of competency records. After the quantitative phase, focus group interviews were conducted with students in the intervention group to explore their experiences with the system and the mechanisms through which it may influence learning. The study aims to determine whether blockchain-enabled e-portfolios offer educational advantages over conventional portfolio systems in competency-based nursing education and to identify implementation factors that may support or hinder adoption.

Conditions

Nursing Education; Competency-Based Education; Electronic Portfolios; Lifelong Learning; Clinical Competence

Keywords

Blockchain; Blockchain-Enabled E-Portfolio; Competency Tracking; Undergraduate Nursing Students; Medical-Surgical Clinical Rotation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Lifelong Learning Orientation Assessed by Jefferson Scale of Physician Lifelong Learning-Nursing Adaptation

  Lifelong learning orientation was assessed using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Lifelong Learning-Nursing adaptation (JSPLL-N), a 14-item measure assessing learning beliefs and motivation, scanning for learning opportunities, and attention to learning opportunities. Higher scores indicate stronger lifelong learning orientation.

  One week after completion of the 14-week clinical rotation

• Clinical Competence Assessed by Objective Structured Clinical Examination Total Score

  Clinical competence was assessed using a six-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) aligned with medical-surgical nursing competencies. The six stations assessed comprehensive health assessment, medication administration and safety, aseptic technique and infection control, patient education and discharge counselling, clinical reasoning and prioritization, and professionalism/interprofessional communication/ethics. Total scores ranged from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better clinical competence.

  At the end of the 14-week clinical rotation (approximately 14 weeks after allocation)

Study Arms (2)

Blockchain-Enabled E-Portfolio

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to this arm used a blockchain-enabled e-portfolio platform during a 14-week medical-surgical clinical rotation. The platform supported cryptographically verifiable competency attestations, structured reflective evidence linked to competency tags, learner-held record ownership, and dashboard-guided personalized feedback.

Behavioral: Blockchain-Enabled E-Portfolio Platform

Conventional E-Portfolio

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants assigned to this arm used the institution's conventional Moodle-based e-portfolio during a 14-week medical-surgical clinical rotation. The platform supported routine artifact uploads, reflection templates, self-assessments, and asynchronous discussion without blockchain-based verification or personalized competency analytics.

Behavioral: Conventional Moodle-Based E-Portfolio

Interventions

Blockchain-Enabled E-Portfolio Platform BEHAVIORAL

A blockchain-enabled educational portfolio system used to support competency tracking and lifelong learning in undergraduate nursing education. The intervention included a verifiable competency ledger, structured reflective evidence linked to competency tags and preceptor attestations, learner-held credential ownership, and dashboard-based personalized competency feedback during a 14-week clinical rotation.

Blockchain-Enabled E-Portfolio

Conventional Moodle-Based E-Portfolio BEHAVIORAL

A conventional institutional electronic portfolio system used for routine documentation during a 14-week clinical rotation. The control platform included portfolio templates, artifact uploads, self-assessment activities, and discussion forums, but did not include blockchain verification, cryptographic attestation, portable credentials, or personalized competency dashboards.

Conventional E-Portfolio

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 24 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Third-year undergraduate nursing students
• Enrolled in the medical-surgical clinical rotation at the College of Nursing, Jouf University
• Admitted through the standard national admission route
• Willing to participate and able to provide informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Prior formal training in blockchain or distributed-ledger applications
• Expected absence for more than two weeks during the clinical rotation
• Self-reported lack of proficiency in basic digital learning tools
• Enrollment in a non-standard curriculum track, such as bridging or transfer programs

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cairo University: lead

Study Sites (1)

faculty of nursing Gouf university

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Wei FC, Kao LJ, Chang CT, Chung JY. Enhancing nursing education through e-portfolios: evaluating the impact on learning effectiveness, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction of NPGY trainees. BMC Medical Education. 2025;25:1132. doi:10.1186/s12909-025-07497-w

  BACKGROUND

• Casino F, Dasaklis TK, Patsakis C. A systematic literature review of blockchain-based applications: Current status, classification and open issues. Telematics and Informatics. 2019;36:55-81. doi:10.1016/j.tele.2018.11.006

  RESULT

Study Officials

• Mostafa Shaban

  Cairo University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: OSCE examiners, portfolio raters, and the statistician were blinded to group allocation. Participants and educators were not blinded due to the nature of the educational intervention.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: College of Nursing, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia

Model Details: Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either a blockchain-enabled e-portfolio intervention group or a conventional Moodle-based e-portfolio control group during a 14-week medical-surgical clinical rotation. Both groups received the same clinical training, differing only in the portfolio system used for competency tracking and reflective documentation.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 9, 2026
• First Posted: April 15, 2026
• Study Start: February 20, 2025
• Primary Completion: June 18, 2025
• Study Completion: June 27, 2025
• Last Updated: April 15, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

SA (1)