Credential Engine follows a clearly defined, open process to make significant updates to develop the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL). This process includes subject matter and technical experts forming short-term task groups to provide valuable input, typically through six online meetings over approximately 12 weeks. You are invited to join our new CTDL Certificates Task Group.
The CTDL already supports rich descriptions of numerous types of credentials including some types of certificates. Credential Engine has been asked by a number of United States-based partners to consider expanding the types of certificates that are described and included in the CTDL. Consequently, additional types of industry, vocational, career, technical, secondary, and postsecondary certificates that are embedded in programs or require successful passing of assessments need to be explored to determine if/how they should be defined within the CTDL. The CTDL Certificates Task Group will revisit the definition and framing of the term “certificate” and sub-classes of that term in order to accurately represent ecosystems’ needs. This specific Task Group will focus on U.S. based issuance of certificates but is open to any interested persons globally. See the current list of types of credentials including certificates.
The chartered Certificates Task Group (CTG) will generate use cases and determine a CTDL model and terms proposal for additional types of certificates and terms for describing them and their relationships to competencies, assessments, jobs, other types of credentials and other relevant entities can be integrated into CTDL.
Join the CTDL Certificates Task Group
Who: Prior knowledge of CTDL is appreciated but not required. Credential Engine encourages subject matter and technical experts from education, training, industry and business to join the CTG regardless of where in the world they work. Examples of the knowledge and experience we seek include:
- subject matter experts with knowledge or experience of developing, implementing, and/or approving industry, vocational, career, technical, secondary or postsecondary certificates and related programs;
- subject matter experts in the use of industry, vocational, career, technical, secondary or postsecondary certificates;
- subject matter experts in designing or implementing education and career pathways that include industry, vocational, career, technical, secondary or postsecondary certificates;
- technical experts with knowledge of existing standards or technical implementations for industry, vocational, career, technical, secondary or postsecondary certificate and related areas such as competencies, learning opportunities, and assessments.
When and where: The Certificates Task Group is anticipated to begin on Wednesday, October 4th, 2023, hold approximately six, one-hour bi-weekly meetings on the following dates @11:00 am ET. See the World Clock for your time zone. All meetings will be recorded and materials will be shared with all SSTG members.
- Wed, October 4, 2023
- Wed, October 18, 2023
- Wed, November 1, 2023
- Wed, November 15, 2023
- Wed, November 29, 2023
- Wed, December 13, 2023
Resources: Credential Engine will create and provide all resources needed for this work, based on CTG input, and share them for ongoing feedback between meetings. All feedback and materials are transparently available following an open development process.
Outcomes: The final products of this work include the expanded use cases, real-world data examples, and relevant CTDL domain model and terms with definition, and data standards mapping. All outputs from the process are all public information made available under open licenses.
Processes: The process utilized to ensure timely and usable outcomes from Task Groups is well established and successful. The resultant outputs will be reviewed via an open webinar for Credential Engines’ advisory group members and other stakeholders followed by a public comment period. This efficient process ensures orderly changes that support and expand the durable, persistent value of CTDL Linked Open Data. Once this process is completed, the CTDL family of standards and Handbook will be updated along with the Credential Registry publishing and consuming tools. The Registry and related tools and resources are freely available for publishing data to the Credential Registry.
Contact Credential Engine: If you have any questions about this task group, please email info@credentialengine.org. This mailbox is monitored during normal U.S. business hours.