The year 2001 was a year of significant personal change for me. I moved from Illinois to Wisconsin (where I still reside) to start a Ph.D. program. I bought my first house. I got a puppy (R.I.P. Scout). 9/11 happened, and we all came together as a nation and said, “never again.”
That very same year, OLC began offering awards of excellence to recognize the outstanding work of our then nascent community.
But 2001 was a very long time ago, and a lot has changed. I now have four wonderful kids, refinanced my third house twice, and rescued an Australian Shepherd mix (Fika) from the Humane Society. I’m still waiting for us to come together again as a nation.
Similarly, the OLC awards have evolved over the years, and I’m writing to introduce our newest addition to the awards ecosystem: OLC’s Award for Excellence in AI-Enabled Education. Here is a brief description:
This award recognizes outstanding achievements in the thoughtful, ethical, and effective use of artificial intelligence to advance teaching, learning, and student success. Eligible initiatives may include AI-supported research, instructional practices, learner support systems, assessment strategies, institutional policies, or scalable models that reflect innovation grounded in evidence, transparency, and responsible use. The award emphasizes not only technological sophistication, but also pedagogical soundness, learner-centered design, and measurable impact.
If you look closely at our awards website, you’ll notice that OLC has an award for Excellence in Digital Learning Innovation, which might seem redundant, considering AI—by its newness and dynamic nature—requires innovation. That is a fair concern.
Our intention in creating a new award focused on AI is not in response to AI hype but because launching this award reflects the growing role AI plays in shaping online, blended, and digital learning environments. AI is increasingly influencing core aspects of digital education, including course design, assessment and feedback, learner support, accessibility, academic integrity, and instructional decision-making. An AI-focused award allows us to recognize uses of AI that strengthen the quality and effectiveness of digital learning experiences.
Furthermore, we want to ensure that our community can also be recognized for innovative practices that are NOT based on AI. Trust me, there are some amazing pedagogical advances out there that have nothing to do with AI. Collectively, we need to hear about those, too.
If you are interested in applying for the Excellence in AI-Enabled Education award or any of our other awards, please check out our website for more information. The awards portal will remain open until June 15, so there’s still plenty of time to submit.
Also of interest: Award winners receive one complimentary registration to the Accelerate conference in November to attend an awards ceremony. There’s a plaque, too!
