Exploring the Badge Summit’s Petting Zoo: A Student-Eye View into the LER Ecosystem
Images from the Badge Summit at CU Boulder. Lisa Young and Andrew Fisher recording a podcast while playing Connect4 and earning an open digital badge.
When I visit a traditional petting zoo, my favorite part is watching children interact with the animals—the unfiltered wonder, curiosity, and, occasionally, trepidation. That raw, genuine reaction is what I carried with me into the Badge Summit’s Petting Zoo. This time, however, I deliberately chose to experience the event through the lens of a student navigating the emerging landscape of digital credentials and interoperable learning systems. And just like at a real petting zoo, I encountered awe, discovery, and a little bit of uncertainty.
From the outset, I was excited. This was a rare opportunity to engage hands-on with the very ecosystem I work within—a space that blends digital credentials, metadata frameworks, skills-based hiring, and credential wallets. My journey began by creating a SmartResume account and importing the digital badges and verified credentials I had previously earned. It was gratifying to revisit my accomplishments—not merely as a static list, but as dynamic data assets enriched with metadata about competencies, issuing institutions, and pathways.
Much like a student entering a new learning environment, I felt a mixture of enthusiasm and apprehension. Just as children eagerly search for their favorite animals at a petting zoo, I set out to discover new badges and microcredentials I could earn. Various exhibitors and educational organizations offered opportunities—from scanning QR codes at booths to participating in meaningful learning interactions. One highlight was recording a podcast with Andrew Fisher from Bristol Community College over a spirited game of Connect4. (I even won, though I needed a nudge to recognize it had happened—clearly, it had been a while!) This part of the experience brought a renewed sense of wonder as I witnessed firsthand the interoperability of these credentials and how they flowed into my wallet.
Interoperability, in the LER ecosystem, is more than convenience—it’s foundational. The ability to ingest credentials from disparate sources into a unified learner record, and to leverage them across platforms like SmartResume, LinkedIn, and others, is central to achieving true learning mobility. This is where the ecosystem becomes transformative: badges and records are not isolated tokens but part of an interconnected web of skills evidence, aligned to frameworks and employer needs.
As I continued to build out my SmartResume, integrating both my newly earned and historical credentials, I appreciated how the platform's AI functionality supported me in articulating job experiences and skills. This mirrors the experience we want for students—technologies that not only store achievements but help make meaning of them. The SmartResume’s ability to synthesize my work history, education, and verified credentials into a coherent, skills-aligned profile was an invaluable reflection point. It’s easy to see how learners can begin to understand their own learning journeys and career pathways when presented through a structured, interoperable lens.
Yet, just like in any new learning environment, I encountered some challenges. From a student perspective, one of the most frustrating aspects was the fragmentation of credentials across multiple wallets and issuers. With various login credentials and platforms, it’s easy to overlook or lose track of what you've earned—particularly when different systems don't yet speak fluently with each other. Despite this, I was encouraged by the visible progress in interoperability efforts. It’s a reminder that while the LER ecosystem is still in development, we are well on our way toward a more learner-centered, skills-transparent future.
My sincere thanks go to Noah Geisel, the Badge Summit team, and all the participating partners who brought the Petting Zoo to life (SmartResume, Territorium, Gobekli, Bristol Community College, LearnCard, Accredible, and so many more). Their willingness to showcase tools in such a hands-on, experimental space reflects the kind of bold vulnerability and openness the ecosystem needs as we co-develop standards, governance, and best practices.
Just like a student stepping into a vibrant new campus environment, I left the Petting Zoo with my curiosity piqued, my portfolio enriched, and a deeper understanding of the technical and human sides of digital credentialing. I hope this becomes a recurring part of future summits—it’s exactly the kind of interactive, learner-focused engagement that moves this work forward.
Feel free to explore my SmartResume here (note: still a work in progress!).
