Sherri Braxton Castanzo
Deputy CIO for Digital Innovation,
Bowdoin College
Beyond the Badge: Creating Interoperable Credential Ecosystems That Work
Friday, October 02, 2026 | 8:00AM–8:45AM MT
Session Type:
Breakout Session
Delivery Format:
Panel Session
Digital credentials are rapidly expanding across higher education, yet many institutions increasingly confront a growing challenge: fragmentation. Learners now earn badges, certificates, and microcredentials. But too often, these credentials lack portability, verifiability, and clear employer recognition. This panel will show how open standards and interoperable frameworks transform digital credentials from isolated achievements into trusted signals of skills and learning. Leveraging interoperability standards and real-world implementations, panelists will explain how institutions can design credential ecosystems that support portability across platforms, enable employer verification, and align with workforce needs. Attendees will discover how standards-based approaches lower complexity, build trust, and maximize the value of digital credentials for learners, institutions, and employers.
