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Digital Technologies in Education: Empowering Teachers and Learners for Collective Well-Being

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2025 | Viewed by 2069

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), New Delhi, India
Interests: educational technology; learning & cognition; learning science; multi-modal learning analytics; authentic learning; development of scientific temperament

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Historically, notions of collective well-being have been evident throughout many societies, both literate and non-literate. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, its implications came into sharper global focus, with digital technology serving as a lifeline for community connectivity. For many communities, resilience emerged as a shared experience. The experience of connectivity was not universal, however, with many populations left disenfranchised, existing divides deepening, and new divides forming. This raises a host of questions concerning the scope of innovation. What does this mean for teaching and learning? Adding further complexity, the disruption triggered by generative AI in this last year suggests that effective and sustained responses may take time to emerge.

In the contemporary context, sustainability has arguably emerged as the word of the decade, becoming a term that now has a much wider reach than environmental issues and the pivotal message of UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG4 commits to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.  This is a clear goal, but such aspirations were articulated long before the change of the millennium. Moreover, digital technology has often been seen as part of the solution, as with one laptop per child, the hole in the wall and other related initiatives. The issue is that such initiatives have not been sustainable. What then might help create more durable solutions? And how is individual and societal well-being considered in the midst of ongoing advancements in digital innovation? How do we meaningfully prepare for future waves of disruption? Will the aggregate impact only widen existing divides? Are ‘lighthouse’ innovations emerging?

This Special Issue calls for papers that address these topics with an over-arching focus on promoting collective well-being. What is already working? What programs are positioned to achieve such goals? What ‘good news’ stories provide insight and evidence that might guide others?

Dr. Jon Mason
Dr. Shitanshu Mishra
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

  • well-being
  • digital technology
  • global citizenship
  • SDGs
  • innovation
  • disruption
  • education
  • learning
  • e-learning
  • frameworks

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 276 KiB  
Article
Teacher and School Mediation for Online Risk Prevention and Management: Fostering Sustainable Education in the Digital Age
by Esther Chiner, Marcos Gómez-Puerta, Santiago Mengual-Andrés and Gladys Merma-Molina
Sustainability 2025, 17(8), 3711; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083711 - 19 Apr 2025
Viewed by 394
Abstract
(1) Background: The increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in educational environments has introduced new challenges related to digital safety and sustainability. Teacher mediation and institutional initiatives are pivotal for preventing and managing Internet-related risks. This study investigates teacher and school [...] Read more.
(1) Background: The increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in educational environments has introduced new challenges related to digital safety and sustainability. Teacher mediation and institutional initiatives are pivotal for preventing and managing Internet-related risks. This study investigates teacher and school mediation strategies for online risk prevention, analysing differences across educational settings and stages in Spain to inform inclusive digital safety practices. (2) Methodology: a quantitative study was conducted using a cross-sectional survey design involving 550 elementary and secondary school teachers from both mainstream and special education schools. (3) Results: Most schools implement intervention plans to mitigate risks associated with students’ Internet use, although the approach to these plans varies according to educational stage and school setting. Teachers employ strategies such as setting classroom rules and supporting students with online challenges, with secondary school teachers and those in mainstream schools tending to adopt more comprehensive or conversation-based prevention strategies. (4) Conclusions: Teachers and schools play a crucial role in ensuring digital safety and sustainability. Future efforts should strengthen digital skills, foster responsible online behaviour, and build inclusive, flexible learning environments according to the differing needs observed across stages and school settings. Full article
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