Conference Agenda

The landscape of digital identity and credentialing is undergoing a significant transformation with the advent of new technological developments such as with digital identity wallets, and new standards, such as Verifiable Credentials, all often gathered under the umbrella term “Self Sovereign Identity” (SSI). SSI promises that individuals become sole sovereign over their identity data. Hence, individuals can decide with which party their data is shared. It is often claimed that this improves security of the identity data and the privacy of the individual. This presentation explores the implications of these innovations for the Open Badges community, particularly in the context of the upcoming Open Badges V3 standard. Additionally, we examine the opportunities presented by these changes for the development and adoption of Edubadges, an open-source initiative that aims to support the implementation of Open Badges V3.

SSI employs a decentralized and interoperable approach, as the issuing and presenting process are independent, supported by the Verifiable Credentials (VCs) standards. First, the user requests their VCs, which contain the identity data, from the issuer. The issuer then signs the credentials. Those VCs are then stored in the identity wallet owned by the user. Second, the user can show one or more of their credentials to a relying party to gain access to some service via their wallet. The advantage of VCs is that it offers a standardized way to issue and verify credentials across different platforms, ensuring that they remain tamper-proof and trustworthy. In this way, issuers do not learn when a credential is presented at a relying party.

The current model of Open Badges, widely used to recognize skills and achievements, is based on a centralized framework where issuers control the creation and verification of badges. With the introduction of Open Badges V3 the goal is to align more closely with the principles of SSI. Open Badges V3 will incorporate enhanced features for interoperability, security, and user control, making it a more robust and flexible standard for digital credentialing. This shift opens up new possibilities for badge portability and interoperability across different platforms and systems.

The Edubadges initiative, a collaborative open-source project, is playing a major role in supporting the adoption of Open Badges V3. By developing tools and infrastructure that are compliant with this new standard, Edubadges aims to facilitate the seamless integration of Open Badges into educational platforms and professional networks, thereby expanding their reach and impact.

The Edubadges project highlights the potential of open-source development in driving innovation and adoption within the Open Badges community. By providing accessible and customizable solutions, Edubadges enables educational institutions, employers, and other stakeholders to easily adopt and implement Open Badges V3. This, in turn, supports the broader goals of open education and open recognition, ensuring that digital credentials remain accessible, trustworthy, and widely recognized.

For the Open Badges community, which has long been a pioneer in the digital credentialing space, those changes offer both challenges and opportunities. We foresee a huge opportunity if individuals can store their badges in their digital wallets alongside other credentials, making it easier to present a comprehensive and verifiable portfolio of achievements. This capability is particularly relevant in the context of lifelong learning, where individuals increasingly need to demonstrate skills and competencies across different domains and stages of their careers. Challenges are multifold: (1) the need for new infrastructure, (2) the ongoing development of interoperable standards that must be supported by every system participating, (3) the education of stakeholders about the benefits and implications of these technologies, and (4) governance issues related to the decentralization of identity management and credentialing, with primary focus on establishing a trust framework, to ensure that these systems remain fair, transparent, and inclusive.

In conclusion, the convergence of SSI, identity wallets, and standards such as VC represents significant opportunities and challenges for the Open Badges community. This paper will discuss a roadmap to navigate the mentioned challenges and capitalize on the opportunities at ePIC 2024. We emphasize the importance of collaboration across the digital identity and credentialing ecosystems, the development of open-source solutions like Edubadges, and the need for ongoing dialogue and education within the community.

Introduction

The eIDAS2 regulation and the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) are pivotal advancements poised to transform the cross-border recognition of educational and professional qualifications across Europe. This presentation will delve into how these innovations, coupled with the Digital Credentials for Europe (DC4EU) project's Work Package 5 (WP5), form the foundation for seamless, interoperable, and trustworthy digital credentialing systems in education, addressing nearly all the key themes of the ePIC 2024 conference.

This proposal emphasizes the transformative potential of eIDAS2 and EUDIW in cross-border educational contexts, aligning it with the comprehensive efforts of DC4EU WP5, and directly addressing the conference's themes.

Key points:

1. eIDAS2 and EUDIW overview

Introduction to eIDAS2 and European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) will highlight the key features of the revised eIDAS regulation, focusing on enhanced trust services and expanded electronic identification capabilities, and explain the functionalities of EUDIW, emphasizing its role in securely storing and managing digital credentials and personal data for cross-border use.

2. DC4EU WP5: The foundation for education and professional qualifications

Role and Strategic Alignment of WP5 will outline the objectives and scope of WP5 within the DC4EU project, focusing on the digital transformation of educational and professional qualifications, and discuss how WP5 aligns with broader European strategies such as the European Education Area and the Digital Decade.

3. Linking eIDAS2, EUDIW, and DC4EU WP5 with conference topics

• Recognition accessibility for all: demonstrate how eIDAS2 and EUDIW ensure that digital credentials are accessible and trustworthy across borders, supporting universal access to recognition.
• Scaling and sustaining digital credential initiatives: present strategies for scaling up digital credentialing systems sustainably, with insights from WP5’s large-scale pilots.
• Articulating informal, non-formal, and formal recognition: explore methods to integrate and articulate various forms of learning, facilitated by the interoperability standards of eIDAS2 and EUDIW.
• Unlocking potential at the workplace: we will discuss how digital credentials verified via EUDIW enhance workforce mobility and skills recognition in a cross-border context.
• Recognizing teams, communities, and organizations: we will explain how WP5’s framework extends beyond individual recognition to include teams and organizational achievements.
• Learning to learn and recognize: we will address the meta-cognitive aspects of learning recognition, supported by the user-centric design of EUDIW.
• Unleashing technological potential: focus on the integration of advanced technologies like AI and blockchain within WP5 to enhance the security and reliability of digital credentials.

4. DC4EU WP5 in Action

Large Scale Pilots (LSPs), Quality Assurance and Trust, and Sustainability and Scalability will share insights from WP5’s ongoing pilots aimed at delivering scalable and interoperable digital credential solutions, discuss robust mechanisms implemented by WP5 to standardize and validate digital credentials, ensuring their cross-border recognition and trustworthiness, and outline strategies from WP5 to build flexible and adaptive systems capable of evolving with emerging technologies and educational needs.

5. Conclusion and Call to Action

Strategic Impact and Future Directions will summarize how eIDAS2, EUDIW, and DC4EU WP5 collectively contribute to a cohesive and inclusive European educational and professional landscape, and encourage active participation and collaboration among stakeholders to further develop and implement innovative recognition practices, leveraging the full potential of eIDAS2 and EUDIW.