AECT Online Conference 2026
Theme: Joining Forces: Embedding Research into Practice
Virtual
Week of March 9, 2026
Member Registration: $195
(Non-members must become members to participate)
Includes virtual participation the week of March 9, plus access to all session recordings for 90 days after the conference
You are invited to attend and present at the 2026 AECT Online Conference, the week of March 9, 2026. This conference supports the ongoing efforts made by practitioners in the field of educational technology by bringing together a diverse array of expertise from around the world to share their scholarly practice, best practices in implementing educational technology initiatives, and their innovative approaches to instructional design and performance improvement.
The theme for the 2026 AECT Online conference is Joining Forces: Embedding Research into Practice.
Technology continually evolves, just as AECT has continually evolved over its century as a premier organization in the field. This year’s theme encourages a dynamic fusion of research and practice. We welcome submissions that reflect a diverse interpretation of this theme. Examples of relevant topics may include:
At this online conference, we want to facilitate conversations about the practical applications in our field through the sharing of best practices, demonstrations, and scholarly practices, such as dissertations in practice and action research.
Submissions should be a minimum of 700 words and aim to remain a maximum of 1000 words, excluding any references if applicable.
Presentation Formats
Presentations should be planned for one of the following formats:
-
Concurrent
-
Concurrent sessions are traditional presentations focused on presenting information. When proposing a concurrent session, describe how you will describe and encourage interaction with your audience in an online environment – reading your slides to your audience is not acceptable. Concurrent sessions are 25 minutes long; 20 minutes for the presentation and 5 minutes for questions. Each concurrent session will be bundled with a second session to create a one 60-minute session.
-
Panel Discussion
-
Panel discussions focus on topics such as best practices, emerging trends, and concerns within practice in the field. Panels must include a minimum of four and a maximum of six discussants. Panelists will compare their disciplinary expertise while actively engaging the audience in an online environment. Submissions must include a designated lead discussant who organizes and facilitates the inclusion of participants, all the panelists participating (including the panelists' names, affiliations, and relevant experience), and how audience participation in an online environment will be encouraged to engage. Panels will be one-hour sessions.
-
**Note: Planners will automatically reject proposals without the panelists’ details.
-
Practical Application
-
Practical Application sessions will provide an opportunity for practitioners to showcase their work and how the work could be applied to different work settings. Examples of sessions may include agile processes, technology integrations, a redesign project, or any other project that could be transferable or scalable to different scenarios. Submissions should include a description of the opportunity that will be showcased and a plan for how audience participation will be encouraged to engage in an online environment. Practical Application sessions will be one-hour sessions.
Proposal Scoring Rubric
Following AECT policy, all submissions are assessed against submission criteria and are reviewed by two reviewers in a blind review.
|
|
|
Relevance: Proposal provides an explicit discussion on how it addresses practice in our field.
|
|
Significance: Proposal describes concepts, knowledge, fundamental skills, application, or other significantly applied practices in our field.
|
|
Timeliness: There is a general interest in the topic.
|
|
Alignment: Proposal is appropriate for AECT and the division/SIG.
|
|
Clarity: Proposal is written clearly and concisely.
|
|
**Note: Individual divisions may choose to add supplemental criteria to the list, but all proposals will be scored accordingly to at least these core criteria.
**Note: If submissions do not meet the minimum word requirements, they may be automatically declined at the discretion of the division planner.
Key Dates & Deadlines
Presentations
All sessions will take place through Zoom. Sessions will be moderated by a volunteer, recorded, and transcribed by Zoom’s AI functionality.
Accessibility
All accepted presentations are required to follow the most current version of WCAG.
Registration and Code of Conduct Requirements
All listed presenters on an accepted proposal must register and participate in the presentation at the conference. Non-presenting authors should be designated as a Contributor. All presenters, as well as conference participants, are required to follow the AECT’s Code of Conduct.
Thank you!
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the field of educational technology through your practice. We look forward to learning from and with you at the 2026 AECT Online Conference.
Christopher T. Miller, AECT President, 2026 Online Conference Planner
Jennifer A. Bauman, Center for Excellence in Event Planning, Online Conference Lead