Design and Development Competition

Welcome to the Homepage for the AECT Design & Development Competition

 Competition Goals 

    • Improve the professional practice of design and development in adult learning and performance-improvement settings;

    • Promote collaboration among students, faculty, and practitioners;

    • Mentor promising students by leaders outside their home institutions; and,

    • Recognize innovative design-and-development approaches to adult learning and performance-improvement problems.

 2025 Competition Information

Save the date! Please plan to join us on 4 April 2025 at 10:00 am US EDT for an informational webinar. Registration information will be shared soon.

Problem statement: An updated problem statement with a new focus is now available. It supersedes any versions that were shared before 11 March 2025.

Summary: “Decisions Elevated” (a fictitious company) is a global training consulting firm. Its mission is to improve training experiences for nonprofit organizations. The company wants to design a new learning management system (LMS) for its nonprofit customers that supports personalized learning and internal employee professional development and operations for nonprofit organizations. The LMS should leverage artificial intelligence (AI) functions to personalize learning experiences, incorporate real-world workplace scenarios, and provide ongoing skill assessments. The goal is to ensure that all personnel at a nonprofit organization receive relevant, up-to-date training that adapts to changes.

Timeline: Review the updated timeline for the 2025 competition.

  • Phase 1 Abstracts are due 19 May 
  • Phase 2 Proposals are due 11 August 
  • Phase 3 Presentations will occur in person at the AECT Annual Convention 20-25 October

Coming soon: Guidelines for Students and Mentors.

Competition Sponsor

The AECT Design and Development Competition was graciously sponsored by NATO ACT (North Atlantic Treaty Organization Allied Command Transformation) between 2018 and 2025. NATO ACT’s sponsorship to the competition situates the event in a real-world context for adult learning, training, and performance improvement.

 

Congratulations to the 2024 Finalist Teams (listed in alphabetical order by university)

Kiely Kingsbury and Stacey Feindt

Baker University

Mentor: Dr. Larisa Olesova, University of Florida

 

Alex Barrett and Chaewon Kim

Florida State University

Mentor: Kathryn Berumen, Oriel STAT A MATRIX

 

Matthew Ryan McDonald and Rebecca Popielski (Winners of Best Presentation for 2024)

University of Oklahoma

Mentor: Dr. Sungwon Shin, Texas Tech University