ITC Awards for Excellence in eLearning

The Instructional Technology Council would like to give you the opportunity to recognize your staff for their tremendous hard work, excellent service to your students, and quality eLearning courses.

Nominees can include ITC member college administrators, faculty members, or individuals from other agencies that have supported eLearning initiatives at a community college or other higher education organization.

Award winners will accept their awards and be recognized during the 2026 ITC eLearning Conference in Austin, Texas.

The deadline to submit nominations for the 2026 Awards is Friday, November 14 (11:59 p.m. Eastern).

Click here to submit an award nomination

The "Keep eLearning Weird" Award

This award is a celebration of the unconventional, the quirky, and the downright bizarre in online education. We're looking for projects that stray far from the standard curriculum, defy the norms of instructional design, and delight students with their sheer originality. This isn't about simply using new technology—it's about using it in a way no one else would have thought to.

The recipient will be an individual or team that has fearlessly embraced an eccentric or non-traditional approach to a learning challenge, resulting in a remarkably effective and engaging outcome.

Examples of "Keep eLearning Weird" projects could include:

• A course on microbiology taught entirely through a Dungeons & Dragons-style role-playing game. Students don't just learn about bacteria; they embody them, navigating a mythical world of cellular combat and metabolic quests.
• An interactive, choose-your-own-adventure video series for a course on ethical leadership. Learners face difficult moral dilemmas in a surreal, animated world where the consequences of their choices are absurdly exaggerated.
• A "digital scavenger hunt" for a history class that requires students to find and curate historical artifacts from obscure corners of the internet, like forgotten forums or archived GeoCities pages. The learning objective is to foster deep research skills by sending students on a wild goose chase.

The "Keep eLearning Weird" award is a 3D-printed brain wearing a tiny propeller beanie. It's a tribute to the beautiful, messy, and wonderfully strange things that happen when we let go of the textbook and embrace the delightfully weird.

Required Information

Explain why this person, team, or unit is being nominated to receive the “Keep eLearning Weird” Award. (500 word maximum)

Innovative eLearning Technology

Institutions of higher education may nominate an organizational unit or person that has demonstrated the outstanding use of a new technology tool or delivery system to accomplish a new method of student delivery or learning. The students may be located on or off campus, and may be taking a face-to-face, blended learning, or fully distance course. The application must include how the efforts of the organizational unit or individual are new, innovative, unique and replicable.

Required Information

Access & Overview: (500-word maximum)

• Provide a link to the nominated eLearning technology along with any necessary login details. Briefly describe its primary innovations and its role in enhancing the eLearning experience.

Innovation & User Experience: (200-word maximum)

• Explain why this unit or individual is a standout contender for the ITC award, focusing on the unique and innovative features of the eLearning technology.
• Detail its user-friendly design and how it offers an optimized learning experience for faculty and students.

Benefits & Impact with a Focus on DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging): (200-word maximum)

• Describe the transformative impact of the technology in teaching and learning.
• Provide evidence or statistics showcasing its effectiveness. Emphasize how it champions diversity, ensures equity, fosters inclusion, and promotes a sense of belonging among diverse student populations.

Evaluation & Forward-Thinking: (200-word maximum)

• Share insights on how the eLearning technology has been evaluated. Highlight any upcoming enhancements or features, particularly those that further reinforce the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Outstanding eLearning Support for Faculty or Students

Institutions of higher education may nominate an organizational unit that has built a solid reputation for outstanding support and service for their faculty or students. Nominations should only include one organizational unit focused on either student or faculty support. The application must include how this unit’s efforts are replicable and innovative.

Required Information

Access & Overview:

• Provide a link to the nominated technical support and services. Include necessary login details to allow the panel a thorough examination while ensuring security.

Unit Distinction & Impact: (500-word maximum)

• Describe why this organizational unit is noteworthy for the ITC award, emphasizing its exemplary eLearning faculty or student support services.

Effectiveness & Outcomes: (200-word maximum)

• Discuss how the unit's efforts have made a positive impact on student retention and faculty satisfaction.
• Back up claims with evidence or evaluation results to showcase the effectiveness of their support services.

Evaluation & Enhancement: (200-word maximum)

• Detail the methodologies used by the unit to appraise and refine its services.
• Share specific instances where feedback led to improvements or innovations in their support framework.

Outstanding eCourse Designer or Design Team

Institutions are invited to nominate one eCourse designer or design team to receive this award.  An eCourse is defined as one where fifty percent or more of the instruction and activities take place at a distance.  Only courses developed in-house at a post-secondary institution will be considered. The course must be designed with a high level of interactivity, multimedia, communication, and a variety of instructional and course management strategies. These strategies must be replicable and assist an instructor to facilitate more effectively; continuously evaluate student performance and course quality; and provide an outstanding educational experience for the students. Information about the course will be gathered from the application and access to the course for verification and review will be used for the evaluation.

Required Information

Access & Overview:

• Share a link to the nominated eCourse. Provide any necessary login details ensuring student privacy is maintained. Mention the name of the fully-online course.

Course Distinction & Design: (500-word maximum)

• Describe why this eCourse stands out and merits the ITC award.
• Highlight its instructional design, ease of navigation, and how it ensures mastery learning of course objectives.

Interactivity & DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging): (200-word maximum)

• Provide examples of communication strategies that foster interaction among students and with the instructor.
• Highlight eCourse design features that promote content accessibility, catering to diverse student needs, including ADA compliance considerations.

Evaluation & Feedback: (200-word maximum)

• Describe methods to assess student performance and ensure learning objectives are achieved.
• List opportunities for student feedback on eCourse content, and share examples of formal course evaluation methods.

Outstanding Distance Educator (Faculty or Staff Member)

ITC will recognize every distance educator (faculty or staff member) nominated for this award, chosen by their institution as an exemplary member of their community. We encourage nominations to be submitted by their institution’s President/CEO, Provost/Academic Vice President, or Dean with a limit of one nominee per institution.

Required Information

Course Access: (500-word maximum)

• Share a link to the nominated educator's courses or materials. If login is required, provide the necessary credentials. Ensure student privacy is maintained.

Reason for Nomination: (500-word maximum)

• Why should this person receive an ITC award? Highlight their contributions as an eLearning champion. Consider their attention to equity and how they address the needs of diverse student populations.

Teaching Strategies: (200-word maximum)

• Share creative and innovative examples of their eLearning strategies. Ensure to highlight
  • Creativity
  • Attention to equity and diverse student needs
  • Use of diverse technologies
  • Mastery of course learning objectives

Course Interaction, Management, and Collaboration (Choose any to elaborate on): (200-word maximum)

• Communication & Collaboration: Describe their methods for effective communication and collaboration in eLearning.
• Management & Retention: Discuss strategies they employ for course management and student retention.
• Group Activities: Explain how they incorporate group or collaborative activities with a focus on diverse student needs and equity.

Outstanding eLearning Student

ITC will recognize every online student who is nominated for this award as a distinguished eLearner, chosen by his or her institution as an exemplary member of his or her community. There is a limit of one nominee per institution. ITC judges will choose ONE or TWO exemplary students to receive ITC's 2026 Outstanding eLearning Student award from this pool of distinguished online learners. (500-word maximum)

Outstanding Pedagogy Media

The staff or faculty member will have a published scholarly or trade article or a book that has positively added to the community of eLearning. Online media (including podcasts) is also acceptable.

Required Information

• If the media is available online, please provide a link with any necessary access information.
• Brief summary about the media and how it demonstrates a commitment to eLearning.

We look forward to the opportunity to highlight your institution’s award-winning innovations, recognize your representatives, and celebrate your institution's wonderful accomplishments in providing leadership and innovation in eLearning! See Past Recipients of ITC's Awards for Excellence in eLearning.