AECT to recognize global teaching and learning successes during the COVID-19 pandemic with HERO awards

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., April 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global pandemic revealed many heroes in teaching and learning across the world. The Association for Educational Communications and Technology intends to identify and recognize them by establishing the Honoring Educational Revolutions in Online (HERO) Practice Awards. The awards will recognize innovative uses of educational technology across a variety of settings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic's impacts on teaching and learning.

"The pandemic is one of the most significant events in the history of education, an event that has changed our practices nearly overnight"

"The pandemic is one of the most significant events in the history of education, an event that has changed our practices nearly overnight," said Alison Carr-Chellman, incoming president of AECT and dean of the School of Education and Health Sciences at the University of Dayton. "It fostered a wholesale change in teaching and learning as educators world-wide pivoted to use technology in ways they never have before. Honoring practitioners' tireless and innovative work is the prime focus of the HERO awards program."

The HERO awards will honor practitioners in three categories, including K-12 education, higher education and workforce learning settings, who quickly adapted to significant disruptions to teaching and learning systems during the pandemic.

"The pandemic impacted teaching and learning on many levels," said Tonia Dousay, co-creator of the awards and associate dean of assessment and accreditation at the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences at the University of Idaho. "Classroom teachers, university faculty, instructional designers and performance improvement practitioners were forced to solve novel challenges and experiment with new technology and tools while delivering effective learning across many settings. As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, AECT is committed to recognizing these innovative efforts with the HERO awards."

The nominations are open to AECT members and non-members in the global teaching and learning community. The nominated project must have occurred between March and December 2020. Specific requirements and guidelines can be found on the award webpage (https://aect.org/heroes.php). The call for nominations closes on June 15.

"It's impossible to overstate the impact of the pandemic on teaching and learning worldwide," said Hengtao Tang, co-creator of the award and assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina. "The HERO awards provide an opportunity for AECT members and non-members to reflect on the technology-driven teaching strategies that emerged during the pandemic and had a noteworthy impact on learners. These efforts should be both rewarded and replicated."

Award winners will be invited to present their work and receive an honorarium at the 2021 AECT International Convention in Columbus, Ohio, this November.

About the Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT) 

AECT is an international organization that values diversity of thought, culture and people whose activities are directed toward improving learning. AECT members may be found in colleges and universities; in the armed forces and industry; in museums, libraries, and hospitals; and in any other places where educational change takes place. AECT members include instructional designers, researchers, professors and teachers, educational technologists and other professionals united by a passion for improving teaching and learning. AECT members serve in many different settings including education, business and industry, non-profits, military, health care and other environments.

Website: www.aect.org

Twitter: @AECT

Media Contact:
James Shea
AECT Media Consultant
812-335-7675

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SOURCE Association for Educational Communications and Technology