Powering Credential Value and Trust & Supporting Learner Mobility

For digital credentials to succeed in education and work, we need clarity on the rigor behind the credentials and empower learners to have agency over their credentials. 1EdTech formed the TrustEd Credential Coalition to address these and other common concerns about the varying levels of quality and trust in digital credentials.

1EdTech TrustEd Microcredential Coalition Aims to Maximize the Value of Digital Credentials
Read the Press Release

As one of its first deliverables, the TrustEd Credential Coalition has released a metadata framework (see it below) for issuing organizations to use.

TrustEd Credential Framework

The framework builds on the Open Badges 3.0 data standard by defining a set of minimum and recommended data requirements for two new credential types.

Types of Credentials

TrustEd Credential

An Open Badge 3.0 issued to a learner that includes additional requirements defining the Achievement, such as the type of achievement, demonstrated skills, and evidence.

Examples: Completion of a lab, project, research presentation, or written assessment
Other Credential or Recognition Badges

Issued to a learner who completes a task or participates in an event.

 

Examples: Webinar attendance, organization membership, or committee service

Metadata Minimum Expectations

Proposed Final Version

This table identifies the metadata expectations to issue a TrustEd Credential.

An issuing organization can still include additional details and metadata above the requirements while maintaining TrustEd Credential status.

The metadata field name and its purpose are shown below. Use the + to reveal the knowledge and application expectations for each metadata field.

Levels of Metadata Expectations

 

  • Required: These data fields—in the format specified—are required.
     
  • Recommended: Inclusion of data in these fields is not required, though including this data provides value to the learners. Issuing platforms will make these optional fields available to users so they have the option to include data.
Required:
  • Include at least one skill
Required:
  • Identified and linked to external frameworks. Recommend linking to frameworks published using interoperable standards, such as CASE, CTDL, or Rich Skills Descriptors (RSDs).
Required:
Required
  • Include at least one evidence artifact
 
Recommended
 
Required
  • Include at least one result and the result date
    • Example: Date of assessment 
 
Required
 
Required:
 
Recommended
  • Credits available and credit earned
 
Required
  • Must use specific type that most closely matches assertion. Cannot use N/A or Not Applicable.

Recommended:

  • Organizations encouraged to pursue 3rd party endorsement of TrustEd Microcredentials

 

Revised: May 12, 2026

TrustEd Credential Coalition Members

AACRAO

Anthology

Bowdoin College

California State University System

Cengage

Digital Credentials Consortium - MIT

Digital Promise

Google

Greenville County Schools

Idaho Division of Career Technical Education

iDatafy

Instructure

Italian Quality Company S.r.l.

Ivy Tech Community College

MyInnerGenius LLC

Navigatr

Oracle

Parchment

Proof of Knowledge (POK)

Siemens

SmartResume

Southern New Hampshire University

Stanislaus County Office of Education

Strada Education Foundation

Territorium

Udemy

Unicon

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

University of Maryland Global Campus

University of Phoenix

VitalSource

Walmart

Western Governors University

Wichita State University

Commitment from EdTech Leaders Endorsing TrustEd Credentials

Join the effort to increase the value of digital credentials through transparency. See the education and technology leaders committed to the work of the TrustEd Credential Coalition and register your support.

TrustEd Credential Commitment

1EdTech Contributing Members can Contact Us about participating in the TrustEd Credential Coalition.