The MEDEA Awards were launched in November 2007 and were an immediate success with submissions sent in from across Europe and beyond. Over the years, several new awards have been introduced, recognising and rewarding different aspects of the field of media in education and its importance in a European context. Since 2010 the MEDEA Awards are also integrated in the Media & Learning Conference, a conference bringing together practitioners and policymakers and highlighting the latest developments, services and digital and media competences in education and training.
From 2012 to 2014, the MEDEA Awards were supported by the Lifelong Programme of the European Commission through the MEDEAnet project. Two previous European Commission funded projects expanding the reach of the MEDEA Awards were called MEDEA:EU (2008-2011) and MEDEA2020 (2010-2012). From 2015 onwards, the MEDEA Awards have been supported by the Media & Learning Association.
In recent years there has been remarkable interest in the creation and use of digital video and audio in education, boosted by the increasing impact of multimedia and video-based websites and the widespread availability of mobile devices with increasing imaging capacity. The pedagogical vision is clear: it is only when video and audio are routine components of education and online learning, that we will have an educational environment that reflects the media-rich world in which our learners now live.
The annual MEDEA Awards have become a well-known landmark in the international educational calendar. The aim of this awards scheme is to encourage innovation and good practice in the use of media (audio, video, graphics and animation) in education. The awards also recognise and promote excellence in the production and pedagogical design of media-rich learning and teaching materials, resources, tools, processes and services.
Each year, the specific target of the year is announced along with the timetable for submission and judging. Entries need to be submitted via the online submission form before the specified deadline. Judging takes place online by a highly expert judging panel that is responsible for the selection of the MEDEA Award winners. The MEDEA Awards Judging Panel consists of key players and experts in the educational multimedia sector as well as representatives of higher education institutions, research centres, production houses and broadcasters specialised in the use of audio and visual material in education.
Once the finalists are selected, they are promoted through our channels including the Media & Learning Newsletter and invited to take part in the Awards Ceremony which takes place either during one of our face-to-face conferences or online.
The final winner (s) is announced during the Awards Ceremony.