GDN Conversation Series: Understanding Credential and Skill Transparency and Interoperability with Credential Engine

Advancing Learner Mobility Through Credential Transparency

When considering learner mobility, innovation discussions often focus on how to help learners move around their transcripts and diplomas to ensure rapid access to further study and work. A key aspect of helping to transform the mobility experience is exploring how to move learning outcomes, skills attainment, and course and credential data to enable more seamless mobility. Across a three-part webinar series, the GDN Network will be helping our community learn more about the transformational work of Credential Engine (CE), a not-for-profit based in the United States. CE advances transparency and coherence of non-personal (non-PII) data about the artifacts of education, training, and workforce development, such as providers, programs, credentials, skills, courses, outcomes, indicators of quality, transfer, pathways, etc. Our colleagues will share practical examples of utilizing the open-source Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) to enable interoperability and transparency as a key prong to supporting learner mobility.

Feaured sessions:

Part One: What is the CTDL, and how is it used for Transparency and Interoperability?

Wednesday, January 29 – 9am ET

This first session will provide an introductory primer to Credential Transparency and the role of the open-source “credential transparency description language” (CTDL) and why this work is relevant in the context of the GDN Network and work to advance admissions and transfer for colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes. It will provide an overview of why Texas is embracing credential transparency and how it sees this movement as vital to its mission. It will also expose participants to a broader global perspective as we work in partnership to understand the untapped opportunities to advance movement of supporting data and course and learning content as a way to enable learner access to future education and work.

CE’s CTDL: https://credentialengine.org/credential-transparency/ctdl/

Suggested Audience: Business and academic leaders involved in learner mobility work, course developers, registrars, and their teams

Presenters

Deb Everhart, Ph.D.

Chief Strategy Officer, Credential Engine

Deborah Everhart serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Credential Engine, leading the expansion of credential transparency initiatives that enable more effective connections between education and career opportunities. Previously she has served as a strategic advisor with the American Council on Education, leading research groups of nationally-recognized experts authoring “Quality Dimensions for Connected Credentials,” “Communicating the Value of Competencies,” and “Clarifying Competency Based Education Terms: A Lexicon.” She has long been a leader in the development of open technology standards, including leading IMS Global workgroups for competency-based education, comprehensive learner records, and digital credentials. She chaired the Badge Alliance workgroup that defined a conceptual framework and technical standards for Open Badge endorsements. Her business expertise includes leadership roles in technology architecture and product strategy at Cengage and Blackboard. Deborah’s thought leadership has evolved through numerous white papers, book chapters, presentations, and blogs on innovations in education, emerging technologies, portfolios, badges, digital credentials, and competency-based learning. Deborah holds a Ph.D. in English, critical theory, and interdisciplinary medieval studies from the University of California, Irvine. She teaches as an adjunct at Georgetown University. She lives and works in Washington, DC, where she contributes to federal strategy papers and national initiatives.

David R. Troutman, Ph.D.

Deputy Commissioner, Academic Affairs, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Dr. David R. Troutman serves as the Deputy Commissioner for Academic Affairs at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), leading strategic initiatives across Academic and Health Affairs, College and Career Advising, Student Success, Digital Learning, and Data Management and Research. With nearly 20 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Troutman has driven data-driven approaches that inform state and national policies, creating pathways for students and positioning Texas as a leader in educational innovation. A pioneer in integrating K-12, postsecondary, and workforce data, Dr. Troutman’s leadership has elevated Texas to the forefront of data transparency and accountability. He founded the Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) Coalition, connecting stakeholders across 32 states with insights that link education to career trajectories. Prior to joining THECB, Dr. Troutman served as Chief Data Officer and Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Research and Analysis at the University of Texas System, spearheading transformative projects such as the UT System Dashboard and seekUT. His collaborations with organizations like the U.S. Census Bureau, IHEP, Strada Education Foundation, Lumina, and Gates Foundation have advanced educational outcomes and aligned academic goals with workforce demands. Dr. Troutman is committed to data integrity, transparency, and innovation, ensuring Texas students are prepared for success in an ever-evolving workforce.

Julia Funaki

Associate Director, International Education Services, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers

Funaki received her Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University and worked for the Columbus Council on World Affairs. Julia attended a graduate program at American University and worked in domestic and international admissions for the University. Upon completion of her Master’s in International Communication, she took a job in the foreign student services office at Ohio Wesleyan University. After returning to Washington and completing a Master’s in International Education with an emphasis in Higher Ed Administration, Julia worked for the University of Maryland College Park in International Education Services. In 1996, Julia joined the staff at AACRAO. She has collaborated with NACAC, NAGAP, PESC, and NAFSA: AIE, LSAC, and others. She has served as an author, editor, presenter, committee member, and chair, and serves on the faculty for AACRAO. In her role at AACRAO, Julia directs the international department, provides visibility of AACRAO to the global higher education community, and oversees the Electronic Database for Global Education and the Law School Admissions Council service lines.

Part Two: Trust and Interoperability – CE & MIT’s Digital Credentials Consortium Joint Work on Trusted Issuer Registries

Wednesday, February 12 – 10am ET

This session will provide a system level case example of how two organizations are working in partnership across standards and platforms to create a more interoperable and seamless experience to support learner mobility. The goal with this kind of system level work is to ensure that learners and credential evaluators and verifiers have access to the information needed to make scalable automation happen and also enable learners to have full and complete access to the right information when moving forward their education and careers.

Suggested Audience: Business and academic leaders involved in learner mobility work, course developers, registrars, and their teams, CIOs

Presenters

Jeanne Kitchens

Chief Technology Services Officer, Credential Engine

Jeanne Kitchens serves as the Chief Technology Services Officer, overseeing all technological programs, policies, and advancements across all facets of Credential Engine’s work. Previously, she served as the Associate Director for the Southern Illinois University Center for Workforce Development, where she not only led the technical design and development efforts for the Credential Engine technologies but also was among the original team responsible for transforming the Credential Transparency Initiative pilot project into the current organization. In her 20 years with SIU, she led technical and program development teams for numerous workforce development programs for the State of Illinois and continues to contribute to national programs including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s T3 Innovation Network.

Kerri Lemoie

Director, MIT Digital Credentials Consortium.

Kerri Lemoie, Ph.D. directs the development, planning, and strategy of the DCC. Kerri has been working on the web for 25+ years as a web developer and in multiple leadership capacities and advisory roles. As one of the founding technical contributors to Open Badges, she is a recognized leader in the digital credentials ecosystem. Kerri completed her Ph.D. at Fielding Graduate University in Media Psychology. Her dissertation research focused on technology adoption of self-sovereign digital identity.

Part Three: Helpful Resources: A Technical Deep Dive into CTDL, Implementation, and Applications

Wednesday, February 26 – 10am ET

The third session in this three-part series will provide a deep dive into the technical specifications for how the CTDL works and provide case examples. The goal with this session is to lift the hood on some of the key components of the standard to help implementers understand what is involved to enable this type of work to happen.

CE’s CTDL: https://credentialengine.org/credential-transparency/ctdl/

Suggested Audience: Business and statistical analysts, technical experts in student information systems, standards experts and staff, registrarial systems staff

Presenters

Jeanne Kitchens

Chief Technology Services Officer, Credential Engine

Jeanne Kitchens serves as the Chief Technology Services Officer, overseeing all technological programs, policies, and advancements across all facets of Credential Engine’s work. Previously, she served as the Associate Director for the Southern Illinois University Center for Workforce Development, where she not only led the technical design and development efforts for the Credential Engine technologies but also was among the original team responsible for transforming the Credential Transparency Initiative pilot project into the current organization. In her 20 years with SIU, she led technical and program development teams for numerous workforce development programs for the State of Illinois and continues to contribute to national programs including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s T3 Innovation Network.

Phil Barker

Metadata Consultant, CETIS LLP

Phil has worked supporting the use of learning technology at Universities since 1994, and worked with Cetis in some facility since 2002. During this time he has been responsible for delivering support to JISC funded projects in areas such as metadata, resource description, resource management and open educational resources (OERs). He has worked on a number of technical specification and standardization initiatives, most recently through the technical working group of the Learning Resource Metadata Initiative (LRMI).

Nate Argo

Solutions Engineer, Credential Engine

Nate Argo is the Associate Solutions Engineer for Credential Engine. He develops and maintains various interfaces and internal systems across Credential Engine’s websites and contributes to the development of Credential Engine’s schemas. Prior to joining Credential Engine, he maintained web systems for SIU Carbondale and helped set up the foundations of what would become Credential Engine.

Moderator for the Sessions

Joanne Duklas

Executive Director, The GDN Network

Joanne Duklas is an award-winning leader in higher education who serves as the executive director of the GDN Network while also leading scholarly research projects and her own consulting firm in higher education providing research and consulting support to governments, institutions, and sector organizations. She most recently served as one of the co-founders and executive lead for the MyCreds™ | MesCertif™ National Network in Canada. She is an expert in the higher education field and has authored several publications, presentations, and keynote addresses to advance best practice, standards, transfer, and student mobility including recent chapter contributions on digitization, trust, privacy, and fraud in the Second Handbook on Academic Integrity and Fake Degrees and Fraudulent Credentials in Higher Education.