OCN: Technical Advisory Workgroup

The Technical Advisory Workgroup (TAW) is a standing chartered Workgroup of the Open Competency Framework Collaborative (OCFC or OCF Collab) Network. Working in collaboration with the Requirements Workgroup on Skills and Competencies (RWSC) described above, the TAW manages all technical development, maintenance and enhancement of the OCFC search and retrieval service, associated data stores and applications in alignment with the Network-identified Use Cases. The TAW will include interactions with, and oversight of the execution of technical development Project Plans as well as contracted vendors assigned to those Plans.

The Chair of the TAW and the assigned Network Facilitators work with the RWSC and the T3N² membership as a whole to continuously canvas for both evolving OCF Collab search and retrieval service needs and potential enhancements to adjacent tools and services such as the Data Ecosystem Schema Mapper (DESM) tool.

The Workgroup will define task-dependent Project Plans from time-to-time to accomplish specific Use Cases and TAW goals.

Workgroup Chair

Steve Gance

Most recently Steve worked with SBCTC, located in Olympia, Washington, the Washington State agency that  coordinates and directs the Washington state system of 34 public community and technical colleges. He was responsible for digital badging initiatives and tracking relevant educational technology integration and data standards associated with OpenBadges, Comprehensive Learner Record, CASE, and accessibility.

Steve has been an active participant over the past few years with workgroups and advisory groups on OpenBadges, Comprehensive Learner Record and CASE through IMS Global (now 1EdTech). He has been working with the North Dakota Digital Wallet project to demonstrate badge pathways through Concentric Sky’s Badgr platform using digital badges linked to competencies and skills in the IMS CASE OpenSalt network and Credential Engine. He is also a participant in the Open Skills Network and several workgroups associated with the T3 Innovation Network. He holds undergraduate and masters degrees in computer science from the University of Colorado in Boulder. He holds a Ph.D in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on Educational Technologies. He has been a faculty member, software developer, and director of elearning. He has been involved in analysis, implementation, and support of multiple technologies at universities and community colleges in several states.

Initiative Workspaces

• TAW Meetings, Agendas, Materials, and Recordings
• Competency Explorer Workspace
• Search Use Case Analysis
• DESM Tool Workspace

Project Plans

• OCFC:PP-001: Develop DESM Project Configuration Dashboard (Draft)
  • Draft Working Document
  • Associated Use Case
• OCFC:PP-002: Availability and Enhancement of OCFC Competency Explorer
  • Submitted proposal
  • Associated Use Case