Higher Education and Digital Transformation within the Virtuality Continuum

Dear Colleagues,

The role of teachers in 21^st Century higher education has evolved dramatically. University teachers are no longer considered the authority in the classroom, as there are now many methods for transferring knowledge to the “ignorant” students.

Knowledge is co-created as a result of a dialectical relationship in which teacher–student roles are often reversed. In an educational context where the vast majority of students are very familiar with technology, the role of the teacher is being redefined. Mastering the new role requires university teachers to build a digital culture. At this moment in time, this is even more imperative.

Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, universities in most countries remained closed for many months, forcing students, teachers, educational systems, and society as a whole to rapidly acclimate to new systems. In this context, improving digital skills and technological equipment in terms of software, devices, and overall digital education has been a priority for most governments. The key components of digital transformation in education are:

• Enrichment of classrooms with digital devices.
• Personalized learning.
• Artificial intelligence tools and applications.
• Use of cutting-edge technologies such as augmented and virtual reality that enable users to utilize the virtuality continuum.
• Gaming and gamification of learning.
• Redesign of learning.

Prerequisites for successful digital transformation are the digital literacy of teachers, high-quality educational content, easy-to-use tools, and secure platforms that respect privacy and ethical standards.

Within higher education, academics already contribute to the construction of up-to-date practical guides, enabling the design and development of digital materials that university teachers and students can utilize in order to meet challenges and acquire the expertise required for digital transformation. This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of innovative methods of ubiquitous learning in higher education emerging through digital transformation.

Original research articles, literature reviews, case studies, and applications from different domains and learning perspectives are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to):

• Learning theories and models supporting digital transformation.
• Higher education and digital tools.
• Design and development of AR/VR/XR/MR educational applications.
• Digital educational games.
• Educational technology.
• Digital transformation of the learning environment.
• Digital transformation in education.
• Inclusive education supported by cutting-edge technologies.
• Transmedia learning.
• Interactive 360° training videos and instructional material.
• Gamification techniques and learning.
• Smart learning environments.
• 3D technologies for cultural heritage education.
• Applications for special educational needs students in higher education.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ioannis Deliyannis
Dr. Polyxeni Kaimara
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Trends in Higher Education is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• higher education and digital tools
• cutting-edge technologies in higher education
• interactive 360° training videos
• gamification techniques and learning
• educational technology
• virtuality continuum