Sustainable Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Enhancing Sustainable Smart Education

Dear colleagues,

E-learning has become a key issue in higher education. Universities commonly employ Learning Management Systems (LMSs) to facilitate e-learning, having emerged quite some time ago and been used ever since in a traditional manner, with only basic functionality (i.e., Moodle, Blackboard, etc.). Over time, educational software has become more complex regarding the educational content, technology resources, and interaction options offered by Learning Management System platforms. The latest generation of such systems offers more advanced features. In an open and sustainability-oriented society, characterized by increasing distribution and access to dynamic information, researchers point out that e-learning is entering a mature stage with potential to significantly change the teaching experience for both teachers and students, supporting the principles of sustainable development in education. E-learning platforms have expanded in scope and become integrated with video conferencing systems and online collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, etc., facilitating inclusive and accessible education and specifically supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4. In this era, universities are increasingly using and implementing a new generation of so-called Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). In line with the latest developments, e-learning is entering an even more advanced and mature stage with the emergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality, referred to as intelligent or smart e-learning, with the potential to contribute to a more sustainable and efficient use of educational activities and resources.

Higher education is following mainstream developments, but it also entails many specifics. With the rapid development of information technology, e-learning is becoming an increasingly important aspect of higher education studies. Understanding advanced and innovative technology-enabled teaching approaches in engineering and identifying best practices are necessary to enhance the motivation and engagement of both educators and students. E-learning is implemented in most universities today, but new technologies are not used frequently enough; their potential for effective connection between teachers and students with a focus on learning goals is not yet fully realized. Smart e-learning is emerging within higher educational study programs, integrating augmented reality, artificial intelligence, gamification tools, simulation systems, collaboration tools, etc. These innovations can contribute to more engaging and practical training, preparing future specialists for the challenges of sustainable development in their professional fields. Although a number of good practices have been identified, many aspects of smart e-learning are still not well researched. With this Special Issue, we intend to fill this gap and add sustainability dimensions of smart e-learning concepts into the mix. This includes exploring the potential of these technologies to promote equal access to quality education (SDG 4) and to prepare students for sustainable practices in their future careers.

The topics of this issue may include, but are not limited to,

• Learning management systems (LMSs);
• Virtual learning environments (VLEs);
• Intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs);
• E-learning platforms;
• E-learning collaboration tools;
• E-learning maturity;
• Augmented reality in e-learning;
• Artificial intelligence in e-learning;
• Simulation tools in higher education disciplines;
• CAD in e-learning;
• E-learning for software engineering;
• Smart e-learning approaches and technologies;
• Students’ attitudes toward technology-enabled learning;
• Teacher attitudes toward technology-enabled teaching;
• Environmental aspects of e-learning in higher education;
• Multidisciplinary approaches for smart e-learning in higher education.

Prof. Dr. Silvia Parusheva
Dr. Simona Sternad Zabukovsek
Prof. Dr. Samo Bobek
Guest Editors

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• e-learning
• artificial intelligence
• augmented reality
• intelligent tutoring systems

• Sustainable Higher Education: From E-learning to Smart Education in Sustainability (8 articles)