In the latest issue of Change: The Magazine for Higher Learning, Dr. Deborah Everhart, Credential Engine, Tom Green, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), Dr. John O’Brien, EDUCAUSE, and Louis Soares, the American Council on Education (ACE), co-authored “Credential Transparency Illuminates Pathways to a Better Future.”
Abstract: There are nearly one million credentials offered in the United States and approximately $1.9 trillion per year spent on education and training. Credential transparency enables stakeholders in learning and job ecosystems to explore and compare credentials in order to make better decisions about the best options for learning, advancement, and meaningful careers. To this end, Credential Engine has developed the freely available Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL), an open-source metadata language for describing over 700 characteristics related to credentials, competencies, quality assurance, and more. CTDL metadata is published as linked open data in a public registry where it can be referenced and shared. The American Council on Education, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and EDUCAUSE are providing concrete leadership examples for the higher education community to use CTDL to improve equitable outcomes.