Excellence in Innovation
SELF-NOMINATIONS ARE ALLOWED.
Purpose
Excellence in Innovation awards recognize and celebrate individuals and teams that have made significant, impactful, and innovative contributions to the field of education. This award will highlight groundbreaking ideas, unique solutions, or best practices that drive progress and improve learning outcomes through educational technologies. It will also cover innovative programs, practices, and partnerships that improve institutions' ability to enhance learner engagement and learning.
Eligibility
- Eligible works must have been implemented or delivered within the past year. For instance, for the 2025 award cycle, a submission must have supporting documentation of delivery or implementation between January and December 2024.
- The primary applicant must be a current AECT member. However, if a group nomination involves several individuals, not all need to be AECT members.
Review Criteria
- Novelty & Originality
- Creativity & Problem-Solving
- Potential for Replication & Scalability
- Relevance to Learner Engagement
- Measurable Results
- Long-Term Sustainability
Submission Link for: Excellence in Innovation
Here's the submission link to post on your nomination:
Rubric
| Criteria |
Excellent (4) |
Good (3) |
Satisfactory (2) |
Needs Improvement (1) |
| 1. Novelty & Originality |
It is highly original, groundbreaking, and a significant departure from existing practices. |
It is a creative approach that builds upon existing ideas meaningfully. |
It shows some originality but may be incremental or based on well-known concepts. |
Lacks originality or is simply a rehash of existing practices. |
| 2. Creativity & Problem-Solving |
Exceptional creativity effectively addresses a complex problem in a novel way. |
Shows good creativity and effectively addresses a problem. |
Demonstrates some creativity, but the problem-solving approach may be limited. |
Lacks creativity or fails to address the problem effectively. |
| 3. Potential for Replication & Scalability |
Highly replicable and scalable, with clear potential for broader impact. |
Replicable and scalable with some adjustments. |
There is some potential for replication and scalability, but it requires significant adaptation. |
Not easily replicable or scalable. |
| 4. Relevance to Learner Engagement |
It advances the field of learner engagement with a direct and measurable impact. |
It contributes meaningfully to learner engagement with some measurable impact. |
Some relevance to learner engagement but lacks clear evidence of impact. |
It lacks or has limited connections to learner engagement, with minimal evidence of impact. |
| 5. Measurable Results |
It demonstrates clear, measurable, and positive results. |
It shows measurable and positive results. |
Demonstrates some results, but they are not fully measurable or positive. |
Lacks evidence of measurable results or demonstrates negative outcomes. |
| 6. Long-Term Sustainability |
Designed for long-term sustainability with the potential for lasting positive change. |
It demonstrates good sustainability and potential for long-term impact. |
It has some potential for sustainability but may face challenges in the long term. |
Lacks sustainability or is unlikely to have a long-term positive impact. |
Selection
The LED awards committee, comprised of LED Board members, coordinates, reviews, and approves nominations. Award nominees are notified shortly after the published deadline that their submission has been received and recorded by the Awards committee. The Awards committee notifies winners before AECT's annual convention, where they present the award.
Nomination Procedures
To submit a nomination, click on the nomination form linked below. Complete the form and provide additional relevant information to aid the awards committee in making final decisions. Supporting files must be named with the year (e.g., 2025), primary nominee's last name (e.g., SMITH), award name (Innovation), and a number (e.g., 1) with underline between items—for example, 2025_SMITH_Innovation_1. The following formats are acceptable: .doc, .pdf, .mp4, and .jpg.
You may nominate yourself for an award or recommend an individual or group. You can recommend the same individual or group for other AECT or division awards. Contact the LED communications officer if you have questions or technical issues with the nomination form.
Nature of Award
Plaque or Certificate
Funding and Support
AECT
Proposed Timeline
- Nominations are due by June 1, 2025.
- Review Period: June 7 to July 15
- Final Deliberation: July 31
- Award Winner Notification: August 15
Award Management
Managed on behalf of AECT by the Learner Engagement Division
Contact: Danilo Madayag Baylen – dbaylen@westga.edu
Approved by the LED Board on April 10, 2025.