NATO-ACT and AECT announce extension of partnership, citing impact

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., June 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association for Educational Communications and Technology and NATO-Allied Command Transformation announced a four-year extension of their partnership agreement citing the impact the partnership has had on AECT's design competition and on NATO-ACT's training development initiatives

"NATO has a very strong educational mission for our members," said Salih Cem Kumsal, NATO-ACT's staff officer for training technologies management. "NATO's Allied Command Transformation leads NATO's education and training. We need strong partnerships in order to accomplish that mission. The partnership with AECT has exceeded our expectations in terms of learning outcomes for our members."

"It has been a pleasure to see this partnership thrive," said Dr. Tonya Amankwatia, AECT liaison to NATO-ACT and assistant vice provost for distance education and extended learning at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. "AECT is committed to more effective teaching and learning in a number of global settings, and this partnership with NATO-ACT has created value for both organizations."

The extension of the agreement includes knowledge exchange between partners, expanding research on learning technologies, designing and developing new resources utilizing AECT members' expertise and further dialogue through conventions, meetings and symposia.

"AECT shares basic values with NATO-ACT," said Vice Admiral Paul Bennett, chief of staff at NATO-ACT. "Learning design is a science, driven by data. There may be no more essential role for rigorous learning design than NATO-ACT's mission to prepare our members to defend the free world."

NATO provides a growing catalog of 120 courses to its more than 20,000 members. Most of these courses are delivered online and accessed by members in the field.

"AECT members around the world are dedicated to culturally situated learning design and research," said Dr. Xun Ge, AECT president and professor of learning sciences at the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, University of Oklahoma. "Our focus on culturally situated learning design is particularly important for NATO-ACT's culturally diverse membership."

The agreement will expand NATO-ACT's sponsorship of the annual graduate student design competition at the 2021 AECT International Convention. The NATO-ACT Design and Development Competition is designed for advanced graduate student teams to design effective learning approaches for NATO's agencies in diverse settings around the world.

"This partnership continues to deepen in meaningful ways for both organizations," said Dr. Phillip Harris, executive director of AECT. "NATO-ACT's sponsorship of our annual graduate student design competition has provided real-life applications for many graduate student members of AECT. Those students' creative approaches to learning design have, in turn, strengthened NATO-ACT's impact on its many members."

The AECT Board unanimously agreed to the four-year extension.

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

About the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
NATO's purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its 30 members through political and military means. Allied Command Transformation is NATO's Warfare Development Command to enhance the Alliance' posture, military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines to improve its military effectiveness.

Website: www.act.nato.int

Twitter: @NATO_ACT

Media Contact:

James Shea
AECT Media Consultant
812-335-7675

SOURCE Association for Educational Communications and Technology