The annual awards, presented to organizations and individuals, recognize four categories of excellence: (1) 21st-Century Best Practice; (2) Best Practice for Distance Learning Programming; (3) Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching; and (4) Outstanding Leadership by an Individual.

The USDLA's 21st- Century Best Practice Award recognizes outstanding leadership in the field of distance learning for an agency, institution, or company incorporating blended or individual distance-learning technologies.

The awards for Best Practice in Distance Learning Programming are presented to organizations that have designed and delivered outstanding and comprehensive solutions for individual programs or a series of programs through online, videoconferencing, and satellite delivery technologies.

Award levels include Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories. The Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching Awards will honour outstanding instructors whose programs demonstrate extraordinary achievements in a distance-learning environment for teachers or trainers.



Finally, the Outstanding Leadership by an Individual Awards recognize people who have demonstrated strong, innovative skills for the development and/or administration of programs or who are recognized scholars in the field of distance learning globally.