CredX Speakers 

Loc Dao  

Executive Director, DigiBC;   Chair, Canadian Interactive Alliance 

Loc Dao is the Executive Director of DigiBC – the Creative Technology Association of BC representing over 250 companies and 16,000 people in the video game, animation, VFX, XR, and virtual production industries. He’s the chair of the board of the Canadian Interactive Alliance, on the boards of Invest Vancouver and the Centre for Digital Media.  

 Loc co-founded the first public media digital studios at CBC and the NFB and led in the invention of new forms of storytelling such as the interactive documentary and immersive experiences that were recognized by academics, peers and critics globally.   

 Loc is currently partnering with the Province of BC and BC’s public post-secondaries on more than 10 micro-credential programs as well as a novel work placement program for the creative technology sector.  

  

Dr. Tom Farrelly 

Presentation: Enabling micro-credential provision in the technological university sector 

Dr. Tom Farrelly’s career has been both diverse and impactful. Starting as an apprentice Fitter & Turner with Irish Railways, he later worked as a Fitter in the chocolate factories of Nestlé in the UK and Cadbury in Ireland. For the past 25 years, however, his focus has been on education. Beginning in Further Education and transitioning to Higher Education in 2002, Dr. Farrelly has primarily served as a Social Science lecturer in Social Care Work and Nursing programs at Munster Technological University.  

Currently, he is seconded to N-TUTORR, a national EU-funded initiative aimed at transforming learning in higher education through collaboration across multiple institutions. A passionate advocate for digital education, Tom describes himself as a “critical technophile,” acknowledging technology’s potential while stressing the importance of a thoughtful, cautious approach. His academic interests include open-access publishing and examining the role of generative AI in higher education.  

Frequent attendees of EdTech conferences in the UK and Ireland may also recognize him as The GastaMaster (gasta.me), renowned for his energetic stage presence, audience engagement, and strict five-minute timekeeping.  

Dr. Farrelly has a strong connection to Canada, having collaborated with Canadian universities and previously served as a visiting research fellow with the University of Windsor. Regular visits to Vancouver to see his son have also fostered his fondness for Timbits and the Canucks, deepening his ties to the country.  

Session Summary:  

This presentation highlights the work of the N-TUTORR stream three project that aimed to map existing micro-credential provision in Ireland and to propose the development of a coherent approach to micro-credentials for the technological higher education sector in Ireland.  

Katie Fitzmaurice  

Executive Vice President, Invest Vancouver 

Presentation: Using micro credentials to support and acknowledge other Ways of Knowing 

Katie is committed to advancing equitable and sustainable prosperity throughout the Metro Vancouver region and has strengths related to workforce development initiatives.  

Prior to joining Invest Vancouver, Katie was a Senior Regional Human Resources Advisor for Regional Employers Services with Metro Vancouver. In this role, she developed and implemented a comprehensive approach to identifying and addressing workforce labour supply challenges to local government employers within the Metro Vancouver region. She has also worked for the Business Council of British Columba, the BC Public School Employers’ Association, and BC Hydro.  

Katie holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. Her proudest volunteer role to date involves leading a bike ride 4,500 kilometers from Amsterdam to Istanbul to fundraise money for a socially innovative project.  

  

Susan Forseille 

Director, Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) and Strategic Partnerships at Thompson Rivers University 

Presentation: Enabling micro-credential provision in the technological university sector. 

As an experience educator with over two decades of experience, Susan Forseille currently serves as the Director for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) and Strategic Partnerships at Thompson Rivers University. With her expertise in prior learning assessment, micro-credentials, and career development, she has had the privilege to work across multiple intersections within these fields.   

Throughout her research endeavors, Susan has focuses on decolonizing and Indigenizing prior learning assessment methodologies, assessing micro-credentials using PLAR approaches and how PLAR impacts career development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University, a Master’s degree in Education from Thompson Rivers University, and is currently completing her Doctorate with the University of Leicester.   

Susan plays an active role within the academic community as well, serving as the past Chair for the British Columbia Prior Learning Action Network (BCPLAN) and an active board member of the Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment(CAPLA). Susan has recently been invited to join the editorial board of Prior Learning Assessment Inside Out (PLAIO), further solidifying her commitment to professional excellence.    

  

Margo Griffith  

Principal Skills Consultant, Edalex. 

Presentation: Developing the Blueprint for Success – Data Plumbing and Your Microcredential Strategy: Implementation, Scale and Sustainability.  

Margo’s in-depth knowledge and experience of skills, the skills ecosystem and digital credentials is the result of working in and with higher education providers and edtech leaders, nationally and internationally for 30+ years. She is passionate about the positive impact of technology within education and the enablement of lifelong learning, learner agency and mobility. Margo is a convenor of the Australian micro credentials Network and consults with Government, industry and education sectors around a skills first approach to learning and workforce. Her recent publications include “Creating the University of the Future: A Global View on Future Skills and Future Higher Education” (Contributor) (Springer 2024) and “Technology Enablement of the Skills Ecosystem” Naomi Rose Boyer and Margo Leanne Griffith (International Journal of Information and Learning Technology ISSN: 2056-4880, 2023).  

LinkedIn Profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/margogriffith254/ 

Session Description:  

In this presentation, we will discuss the importance of skills visibility to institutions, learners and employers. All skills visibility requires some level of data plumbing – the architecture that sits beneath and alongside your microcredential strategy. It is the lack of data plumbing that is the most common reason microcredential initiatives fail. Without data plumbing supporting skills fidelity, they are simply not sustainable and are unable to scale.  

Beyond the development of frameworks and the ‘why’ for your microcredentials, is the requirement for a blueprint to enable the seamless movement of your skills data. Traditionally technology has been viewed as mostly a toolset to enhance productivity and efficiency. However, there is also a requirement to truly take a learner-centric view and ensure that skills visibility is enabled for not only the organization, but more importantly, for the learner themselves.  

To do this effectively, it is imperative to consider what you need to provision your learners (particularly your adult learners) with to give them the confidence to speak about what they know and can do in hiring situations. Exposing the evidence is important – to both the learner and employer – and the metadata within a digital badge is the vehicle for achieving this. Trust in the digital credentials you provide will come from transparency. This will require leveraging your existing systems (such as your LMS and your SIS) and effectively unlocking the skills data through integration and mapping.  

We will finish with a brief showcase of some of the enabling tools that can help you provide evidence-backed recognition and a consideration of the data standards in use to achieve interoperability.  

Wendy Palmer  

Lifelong Learning Practice  

Presentation: The Messy Middle: Lessons from the Australian context 

Wendy Palmer is a seasoned expert in short-form learning, microcredentials, and professional education, with over 25 years of experience driving innovation across both tertiary and corporate sectors. As a strategic partner to industry leaders and educational institutions, she crafts organizational-wide learning strategies and pioneering solutions that address the evolving needs of learners and employers.    

With a keen eye on the shifting landscape of formal and informal learning, Wendy excels at navigating complexity and disruption, leveraging her collaborative approach to influence and implement transformative change. Her proven track record of success is a testament to her ability to deliver results-driven solutions that meet the demands of today’s fast-paced learning environment.  

  

David Porter, Ed.D.  

Principal Consultant, DP+ Associates 

Presentation: Skills and performance in the workplace (HINT: more than courses)  

David Porter is principal consultant at DP+ Associates, located in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is a long-time advocate for the benefits of adapting new technology and transformational learning practices for delivering educational opportunities, and has been involved in online, open, and distance learning since 2000. 

  
David was the CEO of eCampusOntario from 2016-2020, leading initiatives across Ontario’s 45 universities and colleges to innovate in the technology-enabled learning space and explore new ideas such as micro-credentials to provide nimble pathways to learning and skills training. David was formerly Executive Director of BCcampus, and has also worked as an Associate Vice-President of Educational Support and Innovation at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, as Dean of Innovative Learning at Humber College, and most recently as Senior Adviser – Higher Education at the Commonwealth of Learning.  

Session Summary:  

Skills and performance in the workplace (HINT: more than courses)  

In today’s dynamic economic environment, a focus on rapid development of skills and performance in the workplace is essential. This approach prioritizes assessing whether individuals possess the necessary skills and capabilities for a role, regardless of how those skills were acquired.  

To effectively enable individuals to upskill or reskill in alignment with industry-specific demands, it’s crucial to develop training and skill recognition processes that allow individuals to develop, demonstrate and articulate their capabilities in ways that are both visible and trustworthy to employers.  

This session will explore the potential for enhancing competency-based training and recognition of competency in workplace contexts. It emphasizes the need to refine mechanisms such as micro-credentials for short-term training, Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) and recognizing applied learning and authentic workplace practices to better support workforce productivity and continuous skills improvement.  

Don Presant will provide an overview of some of the challenges with workforce development, along with examples of solutions emerging in Canada and beyond.  

As a case study from a crucial sector in Canada, David Porter will present the design brief for a climate action micro-credential program grounded in the evolving Climate Action Competency Framework (CACF) and validated with employers. This framework aligns with professional workforce needs and also serves as a tool for assessing prior knowledge and skills, enabling credit recognition through a credit bank model. The case study illustrates how competency-based approaches can drive responsive and effective workforce development.  

  

Don Presant  

President, Learning Agents 

Presentation: Skills and performance in the workplace (HINT: more than courses)  

  

Don has worked in the recognition of learning and achievement since 2003, first with eportfolios, then with the Open Badges standard for portable digital credentials since 2012. He has consulted on digital badges as recognition devices for a wide variety of institutions and organizations, such as eCampusOntario, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, Canada’s Institute for Performance and Learning, Canada School of Public Service, the International Labour Organisation and the Inter-American Development Bank. Don’s company Learning Agents is the service provider behind the CanCred.ca, a leading badging platform in Canada.  

Don is a founding member of the Open Recognition Alliance and co-director of the international ePIC conference, its flagship annual event. For more, see Don’s badge portfolio or his professional blog.  
 

Session Summary:  

Skills and performance in the workplace (HINT: more than courses)  

In today’s dynamic economic environment, a focus on rapid development of skills and performance in the workplace is essential. This approach prioritizes assessing whether individuals possess the necessary skills and capabilities for a role, regardless of how those skills were acquired.  

To effectively enable individuals to upskill or reskill in alignment with industry-specific demands, it’s crucial to develop training and skill recognition processes that allow individuals to develop, demonstrate and articulate their capabilities in ways that are both visible and trustworthy to employers.  

This session will explore the potential for enhancing competency-based training and recognition of competency in workplace contexts. It emphasizes the need to refine mechanisms such as micro-credentials for short-term training, Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) and recognizing applied learning and authentic workplace practices to better support workforce productivity and continuous skills improvement.  

Don Presant will provide an overview of some of the challenges with workforce development, along with examples of solutions emerging in Canada and beyond.  

As a case study from a crucial sector in Canada, David Porter will present the design brief for a climate action micro-credential program grounded in the evolving Climate Action Competency Framework (CACF) and validated with employers. This framework aligns with professional workforce needs and also serves as a tool for assessing prior knowledge and skills, enabling credit recognition through a credit bank model. The case study illustrates how competency-based approaches can drive responsive and effective workforce development.  

  

Ashleigh Presenger   

Manager, Mental Health and Addictions at the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority.  

Presentation: Using micro credentials to support and acknowledge other Ways of Knowing. 

Ashleigh Presenger is an advocate for Indigenous mental health and wellness. Hailing from the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario, she currently serves as the Manager of Mental Health and Addictions at the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority.  

With a deep commitment to social justice, Ashleigh holds a master’s degree in education, specializing in Social Justice. Her academic pursuits, combined with her lived experiences, have equipped her with the knowledge and empathy needed to address the complex challenges faced by Indigenous communities.  

Before assuming her current role, Ashleigh was introduced to micro-credentialing initiatives as a Coordinator of Strategic Initiatives at an Indigenous institution. This work aimed to empower Indigenous learners by providing them with flexible and accessible pathways to acquire valuable skills and certifications.  

As a proud mother of four children and four furry companions, Ashleigh understands the importance of family and community.   

Inspired by her grandmother, a survivor of the Residential School System, Ashleigh is an advocate for recognizing and honoring Indigenous Ways of Knowing. She believes that by integrating traditional knowledge with Western practices, it is possible to create holistic and culturally appropriate approaches to care.  

Peter Scott 

President and Chief Executive Officer, Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 

Presentation: Towards Universal Credit in the Commonwealth: Micros and Recognition at Scale 

His career reflects a deep commitment to open and distance learning, characterised by innovative leadership in various academic and administrative roles. He commenced his career in academia as a researcher and lecturer at the University of Sheffield, UK. His expertise in open learning innovation was further honed during a 20-year tenure at The Open University, UK, where he directed The Knowledge Media Institute, specialising in Artificial Intelligence and Education. In 2015, Professor Scott joined the University of Technology Sydney in Australia as Pro Vice-Chancellor, after which he became the President of Athabasca University, Canada in 2022.  

Across all his roles, he has been a pioneering force in educational change, focusing on new modes of learning and teaching, particularly in the digital realm. His work has significantly contributed to the global transformation of education through technology.  

Dr. Nan Travers 

Director, Center for Leadership in Credentialing Learning at SUNY Empire State University 

Presentation: Incremental Credentialing & the Importance of Recognition 

  

Director, Center for Leadership in Credentialing Learning at SUNY Empire State University, focuses on research, policies and practices of the recognition, validation, and credentialing of learning. Currently, she is the PI for a U.S. Department of Education grant Credential As You Go: Transforming the Credentialing System of the U.S., and is co-lead for the Credential As You Go national initiative. She has been the PI for multiple grants/projects focused on innovative strategies for prior learning assessment and credentialing. Travers serves as founding co-editor for the journal: PLA Inside Out (www.plaio.org).