ISU Instructional Design and Technology Students and Professors Elected to AECT International Association

Four current graduate students, a recent graduate, and their professors from the Idaho State University Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) program were recently selected to serve as representatives for the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) international association in the following positions:

Theresa Huff, IDT doctoral student: AECT Graduate Student Assembly's representative to the Research and Theory Division Board.

Rebekah Gruel, IDT doctoral student: Graduate Student Assembly's representative to the Systemic Thinking and Change Division Board.

Catherine Leavitt, IDT doctoral student: Secretary of the Technology Integrated Learning Division. 

Danielle Fernandez, IDT master’s student: Graduate Student Assembly's representative to the Teacher Education Division Board.

Dr. Rebeca Peacock, Educational Leadership, Instructional Design and Technology Concentration, Ed.D graduate: Vice President of Records and Archives for the Division of Distance Learning.

Dr. David Coffland, ISU Associate Professor of Instructional Design and Technology: Communications Officer for the Division of Emerging Learning Technologies.  

Dr. John Curry, ISU Chair for the Organizational Learning and Performance Department and Professor of Instructional Design and Technology: President of the Technology Integrated Learning Division. 

AECT is the major international academic organization for students, professionals, educators, and researchers involved in instructional design and the development of a systematic approach to learning. Valuing diversity of thought, AECT members across the world are able to collaborate and share their passion for finding better ways to help people learn. Due to AECT’s prestigious recognition and their numerous state and international affiliates, elected positions within AECT can be highly competitive. 

Representing ISU through a variety of elected positions and boards, the selected students and their professors will have the chance to be at the forefront of emerging technologies, ideas, and research as it relates to the field of instructional design when they start their positions in the Fall 2023 semester. Representatives will also have the unique opportunity to serve on the international level and network with AECT members from across the world. 

“Having so much ISU representation in AECT leadership is a testament to the quality of the students and faculty we have in our program,” said Dr. John Curry, Chair for the College of Education’s Organizational Learning and Performance Department and Professor for the Instructional Design and Technology Program. “They have embraced our philosophy of being a part of the academic conversation, and they are representing us well at the highest levels.

Curry has been associated with AECT throughout his career and strongly believes in the power of national and international networking. Most recently, Curry served as the AECT 2022 Convention Planning Committee Co-Chair, and was proud to take nineteen of his IDT graduate students to the AECT Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada in October 2022. Thanks to a grant provided by the Idaho State University College of Education’s Dean’s Excellence Fund, students had the opportunity to attend and network with leaders in the field, present their research, and learn more about career opportunities. This exposure provided students with their first introduction to the AECT organization which sparked many students’ interest to serve in AECT leadership roles. 

To learn more about the ISU Instructional Design and Technology program, please visit https://www.isu.edu/olp/. To learn more about AECT, please visit https://aect.org/.