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Sustainability
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Digital Teaching and Development in Sustainable Higher Education
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Digital Teaching and Development in Sustainable Higher Education

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Education and Approaches".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 2996

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Naser Sedghi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L69 3GJ, UK
Interests: digital technology-enhanced learning; eLearning; innovations in higher education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Higher education institutions play a vital role in shaping future leaders. In today's world, sustainable development has become a fundamental objective in various sectors, including higher education. It is crucial to integrate sustainability into educational frameworks to foster a generation capable of addressing complex environmental, social, and economic challenges.

At the same time, integrating digital teaching and development has revolutionised educational methodologies, offering tools and platforms that can enhance learning and teaching. The convergence of sustainability in higher education and digital teaching and development creates a promising opportunity for educators and institutions to break through geographical barriers, use innovative teaching techniques, and provide students with learning experiences centred around sustainability principles.

In this Special Issue, we invite contributions of original research articles and reviews that explore the intersection of sustainability in higher education and digital teaching and development. We seek scholarly articles elucidating innovative approaches and theoretical frameworks that advance the integration of sustainability into digital learning environments.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Digital curriculum development for sustainability integration.
  • Online resource management and accessibility for sustainable education.
  • Remote teaching and learning technologies for reduced carbon footprint.
  • Virtual laboratories and simulations for sustainable science education.
  • Digital assessment and feedback methods for sustainable evaluation.
  • Remote collaboration and project-based learning for sustainable development.
  • Role of authoring tools in sustainable content creation.
  • Social media in sustainable higher education.
  • Virtual reality and augmented reality for immersive sustainable education.
  • Mobile learning applications for sustainable education.
  • Open educational resources and sustainable knowledge sharing.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Naser Sedghi
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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.

Keywords

  • sustainability integration
  • online learning
  • digital pedagogy
  • virtual reality
  • augmented reality
  • open educational resources

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1217 KiB  
Article
University Students’ Usage of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability: A Cross-Sectional Survey from China
by Lin Xiao, How Shwu Pyng, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd Ayub, Zhihui Zhu, Jianping Gao and Zehu Qing
Sustainability 2025, 17(8), 3541; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083541 - 15 Apr 2025
Viewed by 1131
Abstract
The rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology has triggered extensive discussions about its potential applications in sustainable higher education. Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and task–technology fit (TTF) theory, this research aimed to investigate the current situations and challenges [...] Read more.
The rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology has triggered extensive discussions about its potential applications in sustainable higher education. Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and task–technology fit (TTF) theory, this research aimed to investigate the current situations and challenges of Chinese university students using GenAI in four typical task scenarios. This was performed using a cross-sectional research design. The data were collected via questionnaire, with 486 undergraduates from a Chinese university participating. The data analysis methods include descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and content analysis. The results show that more than 70% of university students actively use GenAI, but nearly half of them are not very proficient in its use. Doubao and ERNIE Bot are the GenAI tools they prefer most. The primary functions they use are text production and information retrieval. They mainly learn the relevant knowledge and skills through self-media and knowledge-sharing platforms. Among the four typical task scenarios, GenAI is widely used in course learning and research activities, while its application in daily life and job search is relatively limited. The analysis of demographic variables shows that grade and major have a significant impact on university students’ use of GenAI. In addition, university students suggest that universities should offer relevant courses or lectures and provide comprehensive technical support to improve the popularity and operability of GenAI. This study provides suggestions for universities, education administration departments, and technology development departments to improve GenAI services. It will help universities optimize the allocation of educational resources and promote educational equity for sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Teaching and Development in Sustainable Higher Education)
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43 pages, 4157 KiB  
Article
Sustainability of Remote Teaching in Serbia: Post-Pandemic Perspectives from Education Faculty Students
by Jelena R. Petrović, Uroš V. Šuvaković and Ivko A. Nikolić
Sustainability 2025, 17(6), 2769; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062769 - 20 Mar 2025
Viewed by 819
Abstract
Emergency remote teaching was first introduced in the educational system of the Republic of Serbia during the COVID-19 pandemic, not as a planned change but as an imposed solution aimed at suppressing this infectious disease. This raises the question of the sustainability of [...] Read more.
Emergency remote teaching was first introduced in the educational system of the Republic of Serbia during the COVID-19 pandemic, not as a planned change but as an imposed solution aimed at suppressing this infectious disease. This raises the question of the sustainability of remote teaching after the pandemic and the effects and experiences with emergency form of this method of teaching in the form it was used during the pandemic. Therefore, this paper is aimed at examining whether and in what manner technical factors such as digital competence, device equipment, Internet connection, and Zoom fatigue could contribute to students’ attitudes and satisfaction with this form of teaching, as well as how all these factors might contribute to the perception of satisfaction, efficiency, and sustainability of RT among the students of the teacher education faculties. The research involved 138 female university students from the faculties of education in Serbia. The results point to the unpreparedness of the educational system for the quick transition to emergency remote teaching and to inadequate logistic support for the implementation of this form of learning: from insufficient computer literacy, problems with the good-quality Internet in the territory of the whole country, having no adequate devices for following classes (most frequently mobile phones), students’ dissatisfaction with the effectiveness, to the phenomenon of Zoom fatigue as a consequence. The main finding is that students perceive remote teaching as a “necessary evil”, something that should be applied only when it is absolutely impossible to have the usual form of classes, only in emergency situations. This is also corroborated by the fact that after the pandemic, the school system returned to classes under traditional conditions. This leads to a conclusion about the unsustainability of the remote teaching model in Serbia, at least in the form that was applied, most probably because it was university students’ first and only experience in relation to it gained with emergency remote teaching, in the conditions of the COVID-19 crisis with its health, psychosocial, and economic pressures and with emergency form of this method of teaching. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Teaching and Development in Sustainable Higher Education)
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