ICD Teaching Contest 2026
Every year, the International Communication Division teaching award recognizes excellence, innovation, and effective approaches to teaching international communication and journalism studies. We invite interested applicants to submit their best class-tested activities for this competition. Class activities can be large- or small-scale projects, assignments, games, service-learning projects, or assessment techniques that address one or more specific learning objectives in the context of teaching international or global communication and journalism studies.
Thematic areas include, but are not limited to:
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The role of social media platforms in international reporting.
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Open Source Intelligence for human rights reporting.
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Artificial intelligence and global news engagement.
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De-westernizing journalism studies.
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Teaching digital security for international reporters.
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Data journalism and visualization for global reporting.
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Comparative studies and multidisciplinarity in journalism research.
Each entry should be between 500 and 1000 words in length, and must include the following sections:
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Title
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A description of the activity, including a discussion of the learning goals and objectives.
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Learning outcomes. You may illustrate these with samples of students’ work, pictures capturing different elements of the learning process, or any other relevant supporting materials.
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Include a brief paragraph that incorporates at least one student comment or piece of feedback reflecting on the activity’s impact from the learner’s perspective.
Prizes
Winners of the ICD Teaching Contest (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) will be recognized at the ICD Business Meeting during the 2026 AEJMC Annual Conference in New Orleans. Winning submissions will also be featured on the ICD website and social media, and winners will receive awards as follows:
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First Place — $150
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Second Place — $100
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Third Place — $50
Eligibility
The ICD teaching contest is open to full-time faculty, adjunct professors, and graduate student instructors who have taught at least one course in international and/or global communication and journalism. The contest is open to ICD members and non-members. Current ICD board officers are not eligible to participate in the contest.
Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will undergo a peer-review process and will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Innovation. In what ways does this teaching activity/project expand the boundaries of existing teaching practices in new and unique ways?
Contribution to international communication. To what extent does this teaching activity/project contribute to understandings about international/global communication?
Connection with the learning objective(s). How strong and clear is the relationship between various elements of the activity/project and the learning objective(s)?
Impact. How well do the learning outcomes correspond to the learning objectives, and how clearly is this link explained and supported in the contest entry?
Deadline and Submission Process
Submissions must be emailed to Tomás Dodds, ICD Teaching Standards Chair, at doddsrojas@wisc.edu by 10 p.m. EST on Sunday, May 10, 2026.
Include full contact information, including your name, title, and email address, in the body of your email message.
Winners will be announced at the ICD business meeting in New Orleans in August.
Serving As a Reviewer for the Contest
If you are willing to serve as a reviewer for the contest submissions, we would love your help! If you have any questions about the contest or wish to serve as a reviewer, please contact Tomás Dodds, ICD Teaching Standards Chair, at doddsrojas@wisc.edu.
We look forward to receiving your submissions!