The Trusted Learner Network
Individuals need opportunities for formal instruction across their lifespan. The three-phase life of education, work, and retirement is no longer a reality for a growing cross-section of people around the world. Likewise, the kinds of education and training are also diversifying, expanding beyond disciplinary degrees and embracing a wider array of credentialing formats, from nano-degrees, to micro-credentials, to certificates all of which may or may not be credit-bearing. Current methods of managing this diversity of learning interactions, dependent as they are on credential issuers, does not scale. We need a new approach. The working paper and infographic accessible here provide guidance and set the foundation for this work.
Developed at ASU in a collaboration between the Office of the University Provost, the University Technology Office and EdPlus, the Trusted Learner Network (TLN) describes a new, secure, and decentralized approach to recording, curating, and sharing learner data on abilities and skills across the learner’s lifespan. This requires a committed group of organizations working together, formalized in the TLN Partnership. The Trusted Learner Network: Building the Foundation whitepaper lays out the call to action for this Partnership -- and Community.