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Sustainability-Oriented Digital Transformation and Innovative Assessments in Higher Education
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Sustainability-Oriented Digital Transformation and Innovative Assessments in 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: 24 July 2026 | Viewed by 7403

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mirko Prosen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia
Interests: education; e-learning; vocational training; transcultural education; sociology of health and illness; inequalities; social justice; transcultural health care; global health; qualitative research methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sabina Ličen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia
Interests: e-learning; digital education; innovative learning and teaching methods and techniques; green teaching; inclusive pedagogy; transcultural health care; global health; quantitative research methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, ‘Sustainability-Oriented Digital Transformation and Innovative Assessments in Higher Education’, examines the dynamic interplay between digital transformation (DT) and sustainability within higher education institutions (HEIs). It emphasises the urgent need for education systems to adopt cutting-edge technologies and innovative assessment methods that are aligned with global sustainability goals. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, this Special Issue explores the transformative potential of digital transformation to enhance teaching practises, promote sustainability skills, and address the evolving demands of digital and inclusive learning environments.

This theme includes analyses of digital tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and adaptive learning platforms that are redefining traditional educational paradigms by promoting flexible, interactive and inclusive learning experiences. This Special Issue emphasises the important role of HEIs in promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the use of innovative assessment strategies that align learning outcomes with sustainability attributes such as diversity, equity, resilience, and global citizenship.

This Special Issue invites contributions from a variety of disciplines, including education, technology, environmental studies, social sciences, and policy development, to promote a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities in implementing sustainability-focused DT practises. By integrating empirical studies, theoretical perspectives, and policy recommendations, systemic frameworks and strategies will be developed to address gaps in digital literacy and to align educational practises with sustainability goals. Through this interdisciplinary perspective, this Special Issue aims to inspire innovative approaches that will shape the future of higher education.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Mirko Prosen
Dr. Sabina Ličen
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 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

  • digital transformation
  • sustainability in higher education
  • innovative assessments
  • artificial intelligence
  • virtual reality learning
  • sustainable development goals
  • inclusive learning environments
  • adaptive learning platforms
  • education for sustainable development
  • interdisciplinary educational practises

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 500 KB  
Article
How ICT Human Capital Shapes Sustainable Employment Outcomes in European Higher Education: EU-27 Panel Evidence (2013–2023)
by Ramona Vasilas Pirvu, Cerasela Adriana Luciana Pirvu, Răducu Ștefan Bratu, Riana Maria Ciobanu, Elena Rodica Opran and Ionuț Dragoș Lupșoiu
Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 11342; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172411342 - 17 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 793
Abstract
The persistent shortage of ICT specialists across the European Union has intensified the strategic relevance of digital human capital as a determinant of labour market resilience and structural competitiveness. This study provides a systematic assessment of how ICT human capital—proxied by ICT tertiary [...] Read more.
The persistent shortage of ICT specialists across the European Union has intensified the strategic relevance of digital human capital as a determinant of labour market resilience and structural competitiveness. This study provides a systematic assessment of how ICT human capital—proxied by ICT tertiary enrolments, graduate output, and specialist employment—shapes the employment prospects of recent tertiary graduates in the EU-27 between 2013 and 2023. Drawing on harmonised Eurostat panel data and fixed-effects estimations with robust corrections for cross-sectional dependence, the analysis disentangles both direct effects and context-specific moderations associated with economic development, urbanisation patterns, and renewable energy penetration. Results demonstrate that ICT enrolments exert a consistently positive influence on graduate employability, whereas the labour market impact of ICT graduates and specialists is heterogeneous, reflecting differentiated absorptive capacities and sectoral saturation dynamics across Member States. Interaction effects further reveal that the urban concentration attenuates marginal returns to ICT education, while the integration of digital and green transitions remains institutionally underdeveloped. Collectively, the findings position digital tertiary education as a core pillar of sustainable employment formation yet highlight the necessity of coordinated policy architectures that align higher education pathways with regional labour market structures and the evolving green-digital policy agenda in Europe. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability-Oriented Digital Transformation and Innovative Assessments in Higher Education)
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19 pages, 4782 KB  
Article
A Web-Based Learning Model for Smart Campuses: A Case in Landscape Architecture Education
by Gamze Altun and Murat Zencirkıran
Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 11203; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172411203 - 14 Dec 2025
Viewed by 873
Abstract
This study presents the development and evaluation of a Quick Response (QR) code-integrated, web-based, and GIS-supported interactive learning model designed to enhance field-based plant learning in landscape architecture education. Conducted on the Görükle Campus of Bursa Uludağ University (BUU), the research systematically inventoried [...] Read more.
This study presents the development and evaluation of a Quick Response (QR) code-integrated, web-based, and GIS-supported interactive learning model designed to enhance field-based plant learning in landscape architecture education. Conducted on the Görükle Campus of Bursa Uludağ University (BUU), the research systematically inventoried 6869 individual woody plants belonging to 172 taxa, georeferenced them using GPS, and visualized the data on an interactive campus map. Unique QR codes were generated for each taxon, providing instant access to plant profiles via a web platform and the Landscape Plants mobile application. The pedagogical effectiveness of the system was evaluated through a survey administered to 158 students, yielding a high internal reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.969). The findings indicated a high level of student satisfaction and a strong positive correlation between web-based and QR code applications (r = 0.941, p ≤ 0.001). This research represents the most comprehensive campus-scale digital plant learning system in Turkey, in terms of both species diversity and individual count. It provides a scalable and sustainable smart campus model which is applicable to nature-based disciplines worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability-Oriented Digital Transformation and Innovative Assessments in Higher Education)
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31 pages, 2313 KB  
Article
Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Toward a National Model of Digital University in Kazakhstan Through Global and Local Comparison
by Tamara Zhukabayeva, Dilaram Baumuratova, Lazzat Zholshiyeva, Akerke Karabay and Kairat Abdrakhmanov
Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 11132; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172411132 - 12 Dec 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3355
Abstract
Today, digital transformation is a major factor that determines the renewal and strategic expansion of higher education institutions. It is not only about the use of technology in classrooms but the whole paradigm of universities organizing learning, research, and societal interaction. This study [...] Read more.
Today, digital transformation is a major factor that determines the renewal and strategic expansion of higher education institutions. It is not only about the use of technology in classrooms but the whole paradigm of universities organizing learning, research, and societal interaction. This study explores how universities perceive and implement digital change, what factors influence these changes, and what barriers prevent them from moving forward. This research explores both the theory and the real-world application of digital transformation in higher education with an emphasis on creating a national model of a digital university in Kazakhstan. This research adopts a qualitative design and is grounded in well-founded theory principles. A wide range of academic publications from 2020 to 2025 have been reviewed, and key studies were deeply analyzed with the help of Atlas.ti25, which facilitated the identification of recurring themes and conceptual relationships in the higher education sector. The results reveal that successful digital transformation depends on the balancing of the four interrelated factors that are articulated in this study. Among those are empathetic leadership, a trustworthy digital infrastructure, innovative teaching and learning methods, and the continuous development of employee qualifications. The universities that were able to implement digital transformation more thoroughly are usually the ones showing strategic consistency, internal collaboration, and the sustained investment in human and technological resources. However, at the same time, numerous institutions confront financial constraints, weak infrastructure, and faculty members’ varying levels of digital preparedness. To the problems mentioned above, this research offers a Digital University Model which sees the university as a changing ecosystem that merges institutional, technological, pedagogical, and cultural processes into one structure of ongoing innovation. This study continues the discussions on digital transformation in higher education in a clear and accessible manner. The authors explain how digitalization influences the development of universities and colleges, offering valuable guidance for institutional leaders and decision makers. In addition, this article presents concrete and practical recommendations that can support educational institutions in advancing their digital maturity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability-Oriented Digital Transformation and Innovative Assessments in Higher Education)
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13 pages, 238 KB  
Article
Promoting Sustainable Medical Education Through Digital Competence: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study
by Sabina Ličen and Mirko Prosen
Sustainability 2025, 17(19), 8699; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17198699 - 27 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1317
Abstract
The increasing digitalisation of medical education requires teachers to have a broad range of competences that go beyond basic technical knowledge. This pilot cross-sectional study assessed the self-perceived digital competence of medical faculty members and examined differences by professional role, experience and gender. [...] Read more.
The increasing digitalisation of medical education requires teachers to have a broad range of competences that go beyond basic technical knowledge. This pilot cross-sectional study assessed the self-perceived digital competence of medical faculty members and examined differences by professional role, experience and gender. Of 298 eligible staff, 48 participated (response rate 16.1%), including 19 women (39.6%) and 29 men (60.4%). The data was collected via an online survey using the validated Digital Competence Scale for University Teachers, which comprises four subscales: digital literacy, digital skills, digital interaction and technology integration. The overall median score indicated a generally high level of self-perceived digital competence, with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals confirming this pattern. Assistant professors achieved higher scores in all subscales than associate and full professors. Self-perceived digital competence was positively correlated with participation in structured training, higher interest and frequency of use of digital tools, while age and teaching experience were negatively correlated. The findings suggest unequal levels of self-perceived digital competence across the academic status and highlight the positive association of self-perceived digital competence with participation in targeted, practical and inclusive training programmes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability-Oriented Digital Transformation and Innovative Assessments in Higher Education)
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