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Innovative Learning Environments and Sustainable Development

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 2183

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Computer Languages and Systems Department, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 20080 Donostia, Spain
Interests: computer science; education; learning innovations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Ciencias Empresariales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja 1101608, Ecuador
Interests: education; science; food; history
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has seen a great development in the latter part of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, to the point where it has shaped what is called “Knowledge Society”. It should also be said that “there is practically no single area of human life that has not been impacted by this development: health, finance, labor markets, communications, government, industrial productivity, education, etc.” (Severin, 2013). Likewise, educational environments at the level of higher education have been subjected to greater pressure in recent decades due to global competitiveness (Slater, Hult, & Olson, 2010); the greater demand from society itself regards their role as a social and development agent, especially in the context of the training of computer engineers whose skills must be aligned with the development of technology and contribution to society (Gumusluoglu & Ilsev, 2009).

New technologies and especially "computational paradigms" can be used in a variety of fields, including educational ones. This fact helps with the design, search, presentation, exchange reuse, and learning properties of objects, since technologies can store, organize, file, disseminate, and transform, which saves time and educational resources. In the educational area, we have seen the need to create spaces where there are no limits on time or capacity; this is how education uses various platforms for the teaching–learning process. At the level of higher education, especially in the fields of computer engineering and education, academia shows significant enthusiasm for the development of various skills related to technological competencies. This fact leads to the need to adapt the use of complementary tools such as cloud tools, which are a body of knowledge for correct Integrated Learning Innovations.

This Special Issue will outline the key issues and barriers involved with directly engaging technology in teaching and learning processes, with use of the Body of Knowledge, cloud computing engineering education, and STEAM.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Educational models;
  • Pedagogical models;
  • Technology-enhanced learning environments;
  • Issues related to maintaining sustainability in education in the context of rapidly developing technologies;
  • Evaluations of smart-technology-enhanced learning scenarios in educational settings;
  • Body of Knowledge in relation to education;
  • Cloud computing in relation to education;
  • Design and evaluation of smart-technology-assisted support mechanisms for teachers and students;
  • Pedagogical models based on technologies;
  • STEAM;
  • Mathematics;
  • IA in education;
  • Intercultural education;
  • Internationalization of education;
  • Gamification.

Dr. Pablo Alejandro Quezada-Sarmiento
Dr. Patricia Marisol Chango Cañaveral
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 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

  • educational models
  • technology-enhanced learning environments
  • sustainability in education in the context of rapidly developing technologies
  • evaluations of smart-technology-enhanced learning scenarios in educational settings
  • body of knowledge in relation to education
  • cloud computing in relation to education
  • design and evaluation of smart-technology-assisted support mechanisms for teachers and students
  • IA in education
  • intercultural education
  • internationalization of education

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 1159 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (2016–2030) and Their Integration into Tourism Activities in Lago Agrio Canton, Sucumbíos Province: SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 15 (Life on Land)
by Patricia Marisol Chango-Cañaveral, Pablo Alejandro Quezada-Sarmiento and Valeria Jaqueline Morales-Herrera
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 6023; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17136023 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 553
Abstract
This study analyzes the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and 15 (Life on Land) into the tourism development strategies of Lago Agrio Canton, Sucumbíos Province, Ecuador. The main objective is to assess how tourism can serve as [...] Read more.
This study analyzes the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and 15 (Life on Land) into the tourism development strategies of Lago Agrio Canton, Sucumbíos Province, Ecuador. The main objective is to assess how tourism can serve as a driver for sustainable infrastructure development, environmental conservation, and inclusive local growth, in alignment with the 2030 Agenda. A qualitative methodology was adopted, involving documentary analysis with exploratory and descriptive scopes. The sources included national development plans, regional policy frameworks, institutional reports, and the relevant academic literature. This study employed territorial indicators related to infrastructure quality, ecosystem protection, and stakeholder participation to evaluate SDG alignment. The results highlight that sustainable tourism practices—particularly those incorporating corporate social responsibility and environmental stewardship—can stimulate innovation and enhance resilience in underdeveloped territories. Wetlands and forested areas emerge as key natural assets with strong potential for ecological tourism and sustainable investment. The findings suggest that collaborative actions between the public and private sectors, guided by SDGs 9 and 15, can generate long-term benefits, including biodiversity preservation, improved service infrastructure, and economic inclusion for local communities. Overall, the research underscores the potential of sustainable tourism as a practical mechanism for localizing the SDGs in fragile yet high-value ecological regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Learning Environments and Sustainable Development)
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16 pages, 1251 KiB  
Article
Ethical Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Among Ecuadorian University Students
by Jorge Buele, Ángel Ramón Sabando-García, Bosco Javier Sabando-García and Hugo Yánez-Rueda
Sustainability 2025, 17(10), 4435; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104435 - 13 May 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1185
Abstract
Artificial intelligence has transformed educational environments by facilitating processes such as information retrieval, assisted writing, automated feedback, and personalized tutoring. Within university settings, the adoption of technologies capable of autonomously generating content has increased rapidly, becoming a common academic resource for students. However, [...] Read more.
Artificial intelligence has transformed educational environments by facilitating processes such as information retrieval, assisted writing, automated feedback, and personalized tutoring. Within university settings, the adoption of technologies capable of autonomously generating content has increased rapidly, becoming a common academic resource for students. However, this accelerated integration poses ethical challenges, particularly when such tools are used without a clear understanding of their implications. This study aimed to examine how students’ emotional attitudes (affective), understanding (cognitive), and practical use (behavioral) of AI relate to their ethical engagement with these technologies. A structured questionnaire was administered to 833 university students in Ecuador. The instrument showed excellent internal consistency (α = 0.992; Ω = 0.992), and the validity analyses confirmed that the dimensions measured distinct but related constructs. ChatGPT was reported as the most used tool (62.2%), followed by Gemini and Siri. The structural model indicated that emotional and cognitive dimensions substantially influenced ethical behavior (β = 0.413 and β = 0.567, respectively), whereas frequent use alone exhibited no significant effect (β = −0.128; p = 0.058). These results suggest that ethical engagement with AI is primarily driven by reflection and knowledge rather than habit. This study contributes to the literature by modeling how different learning dimensions shape ethical behavior in AI use and underscores the relevance of aligning academic practices with socially responsible uses of emerging technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Learning Environments and Sustainable Development)
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