Competition Overview for Judges

Competition Overview for Judges

26 August 2025

Phases 1 and 2

No role

Phase 3

Expected Time Commitment

Judges need to review the problem statement posted at https://aect.connectedcommunity.org/aectnatoactdesigndevelopmentcompetition/aect-dd-competition/home.

Judges commit approximately 2.5 hours at the designated competition session during the AECT annual conference. This time includes:

  • Viewing up to three finalist presentations (20 minutes each with 10 minutes of Q&A for each team).

  • Meeting with the other judges to select the winning presentation.

  • Providing informal verbal feedback to the graduate student teams.

Optional: Attend any competition reception or the awards presentation at the conference.

Presentation Process

The judging panel typically consists of three to five members. The panel will include at least one person who is not an instructional design expert. This inclusion is intended to provide graduate student teams an opportunity to explain their solutions to someone outside the field. The goal of this phase is to simulate a real world scenario of presenting instructional designs to clients.

On the day of the competition, at the AECT convention, there will be up to three finalist teams. Each team has 20 minutes to present their slides. The judges are then given 10 minutes to ask questions of the team.

The judges choose the winning presentation based on the winning team’s ability to persuade the judging panel that its solution: 

  • Is viable.

  • Best meets the needs of the client as described in the problem statement. 

  • Is a persuasive sales pitch that makes the most convincing argument for adoption.

  • Includes a realistic budget.

Each team’s clarity, teamwork, and professionalism will help them make the case to be selected as the winning presentation.

Feedback Expectations

The judges provide informal, verbal comments to each finalist team after the conclusion of the competition. This feedback is intended to support students as they progress through their careers and encounter similar problems.