2025 Badge Summit

Do you have questions? I have answers! This open discussion is for anyone interested in learning more about the latest developments in Open Badges and the Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) Standard. I can help you understand the differences between CLRs and Learning and Education Records (LERs). We can talk about why open standards are important, how to integrate verifiable credentials into your digital ecosystem, and ways to support learning mobility. I will also connect you to resources for further learning.

Community colleges aren’t generally considered institutions with strong liberal arts programs, but these schools generally have robust humanities offerings. One school in northern VA set out to understand the skills these courses were developing in their students and better communicate these skills. The result was a joint project between GWIPP and NOVA to identify and align skills developed in humanities classes to workforce using badges. The results can serve as a real world example for others to do the same.

The move to a skills-based economy is driving increased demand for microcredentials, which in turn is driving demand for skill validation. Traditional instructor led methods are expensive and time consuming to administer, so new methods are needed. AI-enhanced roleplay simulation is one possibiltiy - let's discuss!

Despite proficiency in class, language immersion students’ willingness to communicate often drops dramatically in real-world settings. Open Badges provide a framework for validating and encouraging authentic language use. This session presents a pilot study at a Spanish immersion school, detailing the development of a badge system that connects students with their communities, personalizes learning, and expands language use through experiential learning. 

DRAFT PLACEHOLDER for Kristi, Mark and Melissa convo. MP has to leave for SOLAR conference in Portland and is only available on Monday. I think you mentioned that's the Table Talk Day. 


CONVERGENCE: Joint Table Talk hosted by AACRAO + UPCEA team focused on converging roles across campus and the strength of collaboration for credential innovation

The Counting Credentials research report describes the full range and diversity of over 1 million credentials offered in the U.S. Through our past research, we know that there are over 430K badge credentials offered in the U.S. What we don’t know is what types of learning and credentials these badges represent. New research for this year's report is providing insights into how many badges are offered and the meaning behind them. Get a sneak peek and ask questions about this research!

Sharing reflections from facilitators and educators (not limited to licensed teachers) in the first cohort of the Innovating Teacher Retention in Alaska (ITRAK) program, based in the Anchorage School District, and how Digital Badges are utilized to recognize and credit educators'  Continuing Education Units (CEUs) within the Universtiy of Alaska Anchorage

Developing the ID Toolkit: Enhancing Micro-Credential Design at FIU
In this presentation, we will explore the development of the ID Toolkit, a comprehensive platform designed to support the Instructional Design (ID) team at FIU’s Office of Micro-Credentials (OMC). Our objective was to create a centralized resource hub that streamlines the design and development of high-quality Micro-Credentials using Canvas LMS, while simultaneously enhancing our team’s skills and integrating emerging technologies, particularly AI tools.
Development Process
1. Laying the Foundation
We began by creating a detailed framework to define the structure and scope of the toolkit. This served as a strategic roadmap, ensuring alignment with instructional design best practices, effective technology integration, and learner engagement principles.
2. Collaborative Content Development
Recognizing the value of diverse expertise, we engaged the OMC ID team in a collaborative process. Each member contributed unique insights and instructional strategies, ensuring that the toolkit was practical, user-friendly, and adaptable to various instructional contexts.
Throughout development, we focused on four key components:

• Guides & Templates: We created structured guides outlining the Micro-Credential development process, accompanied by templates to ensure consistency in design and assessment.
• Best Practices for Canvas & EdTech: The toolkit integrates best practices for leveraging Canvas LMS and educational technologies, providing a comprehensive resource for effective, engaging course development.
• Accessibility & Engagement Strategies: We implemented accessibility standards to promote inclusivity and designed strategies to enhance learner motivation and interaction.
• AI Integration: Acknowledging the growing role of AI in instructional design, we incorporated AI-powered tools to enhance content creation, feedback mechanisms, and course optimization.

3. Testing & Refinement
After developing the initial version, we conducted a testing phase, gathering feedback from team members to refine content, improve usability, and ensure adaptability to varied instructional needs.
4. Training & Implementation
To facilitate adoption, we developed comprehensive training materials, including step-by-step documentation and video tutorials. The final stage involves full deployment within OMC, allowing the team to seamlessly integrate the ID Toolkit into daily operations, enhancing efficiency and instructional quality.
5. Looking Forward
The ID Toolkit is now a vital resource within OMC, equipping our team with the structure, tools, and strategies needed to develop high-quality Micro-Credentials. Through this initiative, we have:

• Strengthened instructional design capabilities
• Positioned OMC at the forefront of AI-driven innovation
• Streamlined workflows, enhancing productivity and consistency

By investing in this dynamic, evolving resource, we are empowering FIU’s students, faculty, and workforce with engaging, high-quality learning experiences that support lifelong learning and professional growth.

Discover how crowdsourcing knowledge dependencies can dynamically evolve skill frameworks into an adaptive ontology of learning. This session explores the innovative use of artificial intelligence to automate skill accreditation and micro-credentialing, bridging theory and practice. Participants will engage in reflective journaling and group discussions, gaining insights into how dynamic frameworks can transform learning pathways, accreditation processes, and the broader education ecosystem. Join this interactive experience to explore how a collaborative, learner-driven approach can redefine skill development and credentialing in education.

Discover how Texas Woman’s University launched its  micro-credential initiative to enhance student success and workforce readiness. Learn about the development framework, advisory committee structure, and pilot program featuring 11 curated micro-credentials across curricular and co-curricular domains. Explore lessons learned and strategies for scaling alternative credentials to align with institutional goals and industry needs. 

Badges suffer from a lack of definition. Differences in the issuer, academic context, and time frame make aligning definitions for similar credentials difficult. LAiSER gives badges a foundation by helping align different offerings to a single context. We will explore how issuers can use LAiSER to align curriculum with current employment demand, publish badges with grounded skill definitions, and identify core competencies while exploring future opportunities.

Microcredential taxonomies help institutions create a shared language for defining, classifying, and implementing digital credentials. In this interactive level-setting table talk session, participants will explore the importance of microcredential taxonomies, their role in credential transparency, and how they can support institutional strategy and learner mobility. The discussion will include real-world examples from institutions that have developed taxonomies to structure their credentialing ecosystems. Participants will engage in a dialogue about the benefits and challenges of different approaches, sharing insights on what implementation could look like on their own campuses.

We have implemented a Lab Safety Badging program embedded in academic courses to improve safety knowledge, skill verification, and access for students, as well as compliance for lab managers and faculty in both the Engineering and Chemistry labs. This badging system includes both foundational lab safety badges in Engineering and Chemistry, as well as advanced credentials in each department, including Woodshop hybrid credentials, as well as Chemical Safety for summer research students.
 These badges ensure that students acquire the skills necessary to work safely and effectively in their labs. The program fosters collaboration across departments and lab managers who can build on each other's work and training models, supports equity by providing consistent training opportunities for all students, and increases efficiency in delivering training at scale.
The training model combines self-paced online learning with in-person, hands-on workshops to optimize personalized attention while maintaining training efficiency. Students can conveniently access and reference training materials as needed, and the system ensures that they remain up-to-date through periodic recertification. This ongoing process reinforces critical safety protocols at regular intervals during their academic journey.
Additionally, the program addresses key institutional needs by streamlining the tracking of student training completion, which directly supports compliance with OSHA regulations for lab safety. This streamlined approach not only enhances student outcomes but also ensures institutional accountability and adherence to safety standards.

From Getting to Growing: Rethinking Partnership for a Better World


People often operate from an acquisitional mindset regarding partnerships in many areas of life—business, education, and personal relationships. "I need to win. I need to get what I want." This win-lose mentality, while common, creates no net value—if someone has to lose, we are limiting the potential for something greater to emerge.


What if we aimed higher? At a minimum, we should strive for transactional partnerships—exchanging value in a way that benefits both sides. When we start there, we open the door to something even greater: collaborative and transformational partnerships that contribute to growth and well-being.


I'd like to facilitate a table talk that introduces the Axiological Hierarchy of Partnership and Trust and prompts participants to identify a partnership they are currently navigating and how they might move up the hierarchy. What might that do for their growth and the growth of others, and ultimately, how might that put more value in the world? 


I am open to adapting the discussion to align with the Summit's overarching theme/purpose!

Digital badging has proven to enhance students' recognition of their skills, boosting their confidence and perceived value. This session will explore four key avenues of inquiry: perceived value, utility, self-efficacy, and program assessment. We'll share research findings from UT Austin and discuss sample prompts and questions for gathering data from badge earners to evaluate the efficacy of digital badging programs and their impact on learners.

Come hear from each SkillsFWD grantee about how their team engaged users, how their projects have changed as a result, and how these changes have shaped their vision for long-term scale and sustainability.


The ASU team is helping student employees communicate the value of the work they do with verifiable credentials. They have worked closely with supervisors across departments to gain buy-in and ensure successful implementation of this initiatives.  

Come hear from each SkillsFWD grantee about how their team engaged users, how their projects have changed as a result, and how these changes have shaped their vision for long-term scale and sustainability.


In 2023, Governor Ivey issued a directive to implement a full-scale talent marketplace - the Alabama Talent Triad. Through SkillsFWD, this team has worked with the community college system and local workforce boards to engage key stakeholders across the state. 

Come hear from each SkillsFWD grantee about how their team engaged users, how their projects have changed as a result, and how these changes have shaped their vision for long-term scale and sustainability.


The Colorado team engaged in intentional co-design with learners and employers, leading them to prioritize leveraging LERs for primary source verification of occupational licenses. They are also working to connect this initiative with other statewide technology to drive adoption. 

Come hear from each SkillsFWD grantee about how their team engaged users, how their projects have changed as a result, and how these changes have shaped their vision for long-term scale and sustainability.


The Accelerate Montana team tested their tech and process with their own staff, to inform their approach with other small employers. They also worked with the Blackfeet tribe to translate cultural values into interoperable data as rich skill descriptors.

Come hear from each SkillsFWD grantee about how their team engaged users, how their projects have changed as a result, and how these changes have shaped their vision for long-term scale and sustainability.


The WGU-Indiana team has worked extensively through the Indiana Chamber of Commerce to gain support from employers who have demonstrated interest in skills-based hiring. They have achieved a wide reach to learners through buy-in from leadership of large higher education institutions.

Come hear from each SkillsFWD grantee about how their team engaged users, how their projects have changed as a result, and how these changes have shaped their vision for long-term scale and sustainability.


The CAEL team leveraged community-based orgnaizations in Pittsburgh to engage asset limited, income constrained, employed adults in training that leads to credentials valued by employers committed to diversifying their workforce. 

Come hear from each SkillsFWD grantee about how their team engaged users, how their projects have changed as a result, and how these changes have shaped their vision for long-term scale and sustainability.


Aspyr has formed a partnership with their local K-12 school district, leveraging existing institutional technology to reach all students. They are exploring ways to align student career interests with industry demand. 

Engaging Learners Through Open Badges: Self-Awarded and Stackable Approaches


In an effort to enhance student engagement and professional learning, we have developed two distinct open badge systems at Brigham Young University (BYU). These badge systems support different learning objectives yet share a common goal: fostering meaningful learner interaction with key resources and instructional frameworks. This “Table Talk” will explore the development, implementation, and early findings from both initiatives, offering insights into how open badges can empower learners in diverse contexts.


The first badge system, created in collaboration with BYU’s Student Wellness initiative, is designed to encourage students to explore and engage with wellness resources through the Wellness Wise website. These self-awarded badgesenable students to take ownership of their wellness journey by recognizing their efforts in learning, applying, and sharing wellness principles. The approach ensures accessibility and inclusivity, allowing students to progress at their own pace while reinforcing positive behaviors that contribute to their overall well-being.


The second badge system, developed in partnership with BYU’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), supports faculty and instructors in adopting Decision-Based Learning (DBL)—an instructional approach that scaffolds problem-solving and critical thinking. These badges are designed to accompany initial DBL training and provide structured yet flexible learning pathways. The system is stackable, meaning that learners can build upon their knowledge incrementally, but it is not required to follow a linear sequence. Instead, faculty can select badges aligned with their existing knowledge and specific instructional needs, ensuring a personalized professional development experience.


During this discussion, we will share key design considerations, including badge criteria, assessment approaches, and user feedback. We will also explore the broader implications of self-awarded versus structured stackable badge models, particularly in fostering learner agency, motivation, and long-term engagement. Attendees will have the opportunity to reflect on how similar approaches could be applied in their own institutions to enhance student and faculty learning.


By presenting these two case studies, we aim to contribute to the growing conversation on how open badges can support personalized learning, encourage engagement with institutional resources, and create flexible pathways for professional growth.

Check in on a hot topic fresh from the Trusted Learner Network and continue the conversation. (Topics may be like, 'trust registries' or 'employer use cases' or something like that. Will emerge from unconference activities!)

Check in on a hot topic fresh from the Trusted Learner Network and continue the conversation. (Topics may be like, 'trust registries' or 'employer use cases' or something like that. Will emerge from unconference activities!)

Check in on a hot topic fresh from the Trusted Learner Network and continue the conversation. (Topics may be like, 'trust registries' or 'employer use cases' or something like that. Will emerge from unconference activities!)

Check in on a hot topic fresh from the Trusted Learner Network and continue the conversation. (Topics may be like, 'trust registries' or 'employer use cases' or something like that. Will emerge from unconference activities!)

The concept of the “hidden curriculum” refers to educational norms that are never explicitly communicated, impeding the success of international students, first generation students, and others. At DU, we created a microcredential program for student employees and found that the program became a tool for uncovering the workplace hidden curriculum through direct discussion of otherwise-implicit workplace norms. In this table talk, we will explore the implications of the workplace hidden curriculum and how microcredentials can be an important tool in overcoming them.

Attaching evidence artifacts to micro-credentials offers value in demonstrating how learners met requirements, but how do you do this in a way that enables evidence to be persistently accessible and linked to credentials? We will share experiences using our institution’s existing trusted digital repository, with established practices/infrastructure for similar content like theses/dissertations, as one possible pathway to providing persistent access and preservation for micro-credential evidence.