The Modern University: Bridging Technology and Human-Centered Pedagogy

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which seeks to explore how universities can navigate the complex relationship between technological innovation and human-centered pedagogical practices. By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives, this Special Issue aims to advance research and dialogue on how digital transformation can support educational practices that remain deeply rooted in human values. Higher education is currently undergoing a profound transformation shaped by technological advancement and changing pedagogical paradigms. Digital platforms, artificial intelligence, learning analytics, and virtual environments are redefining how knowledge is produced, shared, and experienced within universities. These developments offer unprecedented opportunities to expand access to knowledge, foster collaboration across borders, and create more flexible and personalized learning experiences.

At the same time, the rapid integration of technology into higher education raises important questions regarding the preservation of the human dimension of teaching and learning. Universities have historically served not only as centers of knowledge transmission but also as spaces for intellectual dialogue, ethical reflection, and the development of critical citizenship. As technological systems become increasingly present in educational processes, it becomes essential to ensure that innovation remains aligned with the broader educational mission of the university.

Human-centered pedagogy provides an important framework for addressing these challenges. This perspective emphasizes the central role of learners, educators, and social contexts in the educational process, promoting active participation, collaborative learning, and the development of critical thinking skills. Rather than viewing technology as a substitute for human interaction, human-centered approaches seek to integrate digital tools in ways that enrich learning experiences while maintaining meaningful relationships between students, teachers, and knowledge.

This Special Issue aims to examine the evolving relationship between technological innovation and pedagogical approaches that place human learning and development at the center of educational processes. It seeks to highlight research that critically reflects on how universities can integrate digital technologies in ways that support inclusive, ethical, and meaningful educational practices.

The topic aligns with the journal’s scope by addressing current developments in educational innovation, digital learning environments, and pedagogical research within higher education. As universities worldwide adapt to rapid technological change, there is a growing need to explore how these transformations affect teaching practices, institutional strategies, and the experiences of students and educators.

By gathering contributions from different disciplines and methodological perspectives, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive view of the opportunities and challenges associated with the digital transformation of higher education. In particular, it seeks to identify strategies that enable universities to harness the potential of technology while reinforcing the core principles of human-cantered education.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Desirée Ayuso Del Puerto
Guest Editor

Dr. Susana Sánchez-Herrera
Dr. Lucía Pérez Vera
Dr. Juan Luis Cabanillas-García
Dr. David Sotoca Fernández
Co-Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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 double-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 1200 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
• educational technology
• human-centered pedagogy
• digital transformation
• artificial intelligence in education
• student-centered learning
• hybrid learning environments
• digital literacy
• innovation in teaching
• university pedagogy