Credential Engine is launching a global task group to unlock the information that governs how prior learning is recognized and credit for it is transferred. Policies, regulations, agreements, and institutional practices shape how—or whether—a person’s prior learning continues to be recognized when they move between institutions, systems, and borders. Research shows that inconsistent acceptance of credit for prior learning (CPL) leads to unclear pathways, lost recognition of legitimate learning, and unnecessary barriers for learners.Â
To help close these gaps, Credential Engine is launching a short-term, global task group focused on making policies and agreements that define prior learning recognition easier to access and apply. Participants will work together to identify the kinds of requirements, conditions, and options found in CPL-related documents so that this critical information can be more clearly described, compared, connected, and used by people and systems alike.
Join this collaborative effort to shape practical ways of representing this information in CTDL so it can be adopted across jurisdictions, platforms, and systems, benefiting learners, institutions, policymakers, and the developers who build tools to support them.
Everyone benefits when recognition of prior learning is portable, transparent, and connected. Learners gain recognition for what they already know. Institutions operate more efficiently and serve more learners. Policymakers and technologists get the data they need to improve guidance, planning, and systems. When information about the recognition of prior learning is unlocked and structured as linked open data, it becomes a catalyst for action and alignment across sectors. When the rules for transfer and recognition are unclear, opportunities stall. Portability suffers. Systems can’t support what they can’t see. That’s why we’re coming together to change that.
CTDL currently supports over 10,000 published Transfer Value Profiles—including information on credit recommendations and credit transfers accepted. However, it does not yet describe the policies, agreements, and criteria that govern whether and how prior learning is accepted. To address this gap, Credential Engine is convening a global, time-limited task group to expand CTDL by making this essential information transparent, connected, and reusable—supporting successful learn and work pathways for all.
The Power of Unlocking Prior Learning Policies and Agreements: Unlocking the information relevant to understanding prior learning acceptance—and structuring it as linked open data—is transformative. It makes this information transparent, usable, and actionable for learners, institutions, and systems—not just once, but over time. Some of the benefits include:
- Clearer Pathways for People: Learners and workers can see how their prior learning connects to future opportunities. Requirements become publicly accessible, machine-readable, and easier to navigate.
- Greater Portability: Prior learning can be transferred more consistently across institutions, systems, and borders.
- Smarter Tools and Guidance: Moving from static documents to dynamic, linked data allows for easier updates, better version control, and more responsive information strategies.
- Future-Ready Systems: Linked open data supports interoperability, automation, analytics, and emerging technologies like AI to improve student mobility and credential recognition.
Your Input Matters: This work succeeds when there is collective action. Whether you’re involved in shaping policies, advising learners, designing systems, or building tools, your perspective is essential. Together, we can ensure that the recognition of prior learning is not only transparent, but also truly usable and impactful across systems. Â
By contributing your insights and engaging with others across sectors, you’ll help shape practical solutions that reflect real-world needs. Through collaboration, shared learning, and open development, we can build a stronger foundation for learner mobility and credential transparency.
Who Should Join: No prior experience with CTDL is needed. We welcome both experienced professionals and emerging contributors who want to make an impact.
This global task group is open to individuals and organizations across academic education, training, workforce, policy, and technology, especially those involved in determining requirements, recognizing, awarding, supporting, or enabling the transfer of prior learning. Participants may include:
- Practitioners and Policy Leaders: Experts in credit transfer, articulation, prior learning assessment, or learner mobility
- Institutional and System Representatives: Professionals from schools, colleges, universities, and public systems
- Advising and Intermediary Organizations: Practitioners with organizations that support learner navigation and recognition practices
- Developers and Technical Experts: Technologists working on credit transfer articulation and tools, data infrastructure, or interoperability
- Emerging and Aspiring Experts: Interested in growing their understanding and contributing to the field
When and Where: The task group is planned to launch on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. It will meet via Zoom for approximately six, one-hour bi-weekly sessions on Wednesdays at 11:00 AM Eastern Time, concluding in early September 2025. Specific meeting dates will be shared directly with participants. All meetings will be recorded, and materials will be available between sessions to support asynchronous input.
What to Expect and Process: This is a collaborative effort built on shared learning, open contribution, and meaningful feedback, all within a focused, time-bound process. Participants will engage in focused discussions, iterative drafting, and structured review opportunities, supported by briefings from experts to deepen understanding and spark ideas.
This work will be guided by recent and highly relevant research, ensuring that the group’s recommendations are practical, grounded, and ready for real-world application. It will build on real examples and diverse input from participants to reflect a wide range of contexts and needs.
The process has a proven track record and is continually refined, with a 100% success rate across previous task groups. Final outputs will be presented in a public webinar, open for comments, and incorporated into the CTDL standard and Credential Registry tools, delivering durable, high-impact results.
Resources and Outcomes: Credential Engine will provide participants with all the materials needed to contribute effectively, including examples, templates, draft models, and working documents. All materials will be open for review and input throughout the process. The task group will collaboratively develop:
- A charter outlining the scope, objectives, and deliverables
- Expanded CTDL use cases describing the requirements, conditions, and options that govern prior learning acceptance
- A structured domain model for representing agreement and policy information
- Proposed new CTDL terms and definitions
- Real-world examples modeled in CTDL
All outputs are openly licensed and available to everyone for broad adoption and reuse.
Contact Credential Engine: Have questions or want to learn more? Reach out to us at info@credentialengine.org. We look forward to hearing from you.Â