Below are questions we received regarding this year's competition. If you have a question, please submit it here. Answers will be sent directly to you and added below.

FAQ 

1. What metrics does GEN currently track for member engagement and participation (e.g., retention, conference attendance, volunteering, publishing)? 

GEN tracks some member and engagement information at a general organizational level, such as total membership, new members, online engagement activity, and volunteer involvement. Some engagement data are available through its membership engagement platform and other organizational records. 

Teams may make reasonable assumptions about available metrics and should clearly state those assumptions in their abstract. 

2. What budget and resources are available to support member onboarding, training, and ongoing engagement with the ecosystem? 

GEN already has some existing resources in place, including staff support, membership-related operations, communication systems, and several technology tools that support engagement and organizational functions. Teams should not assume that a separate fixed budget has already been allocated specifically for this solution. 

If additional resources are needed, teams may propose them as part of a realistic and well-justified design solution. 

3. What member data and existing systems can be used to support personalization and AI-driven recommendations? 

Teams may assume that GEN has access to member information and engagement data through its membership systems and engagement platform. These may include membership status, participation history, online activity, volunteer involvement, and other general engagement indicators. 

Teams should make reasonable assumptions about available data and clearly explain those assumptions in their abstract. 

4. I plan to participate in the competition with a colleague from India. They are willing to join but not able to attend the convention if we make it to the final presentation. In such case, is it sufficient that one of the member attends and presents? 

No. The final phase of this year’s competition will be fully in person, so finalist teams are expected to present at the convention in person. 

Teams should keep this requirement in mind when forming their team. 

5. How much research is expected for students to provide when writing the design solution abstract? 

The abstract should be grounded in relevant literature and sound instructional design or educational technology principles, but it is not expected to be a full academic paper or literature review. 

Teams should include enough research and justification to show that their solution is theoretically sound, practical, and responsive to the client’s needs.