Dear Colleagues,

Digitalization is changing almost every aspect of our life, which is also true in the domain of education. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, this domain experienced a major digital transformation, from customized learning experiences using advanced learning analytics, ICT-supported gamification, improved accessibility to learning materials through audio, video online and offline lectures, real-time communication tools, online learning management systems, and redesigned learning spaces to parental controls in online learning. However, months after the pandemic, a major milestone for digital transformation will be seen in the huge push towards fully integrated online education systems.

Technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, IoT, AR/VR, as well as Distributed Ledger Technologies like blockchains and other decentralized systems are currently the big promoters of digital changes in the domain of education. One example is digital (micro-) credentials implemented through various forms but, recently, highly coupled with decentralized systems like blockchain. We are witnessing a surge in blockchain-related platforms for digital credentials, developed and exploited by start-ups as well as academia. Even governments and transnational organisations are very much focusing on the “Diploma” use case and its digital transformation using blockchain. Such an example is the European Union’s supported and funded EBSI project (European Blockchain Service Infrastructure), whose core use case is the Diploma. Even decentralized identities and the Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) principle with its fundamental Verifiable Credentials (VC) at its core are highly focused on Higher Education diplomas (e.g., a formal VC Data Model for the Europass Digital Credentials Infrastructure (EDCI). 

Nevertheless, digital transformation in education is still very much immature, probably since this is a highly conventional field coupled with major organisational and societal aspects, thus resulting in changes happening slowly. Even though a lot of research is happening in this field, there is a long path yet to be covered. We are still facing the challenges of acceptance, scalability, interoperability, legal compliance, privacy, and security, etc.

This Special Issue therefore addresses the broader research field of digital transformation in education, with an emphasis on the challenges and open questions yet to be solved and answered related to decentralized systems and distributed ledger technologies. We are searching for original high-quality research articles and the latest advances in the theoretical or practical aspects of the field. The Special Issue will also accept and review articles that have a thorough methodology and results. 

The potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Decentralized systems in Education: Architecture, Applications, Models, Best Practices
• Decentralized ICT solutions for Education
• Blockchain technology in Education as a (1) Disruptor; (2) Digital Asset; (3) Efficiency play; (4) Record Keeper
• DLT and Blockchain-related digital platforms explicitly for the domain of education
• Self-Sovereign-Identity (SSI) and its connection to education
• Decentralized identifiers and Verifiable Credentials (VC)
• Digital academic passports
• Tokenisation of digital micro-credentials (badges)
• Managing intellectual property assets in education through digital platforms
• Any kind of digital certification
• Any kind of optimization of education using DLT, blockchain, SSI
• Smart Contracts for education
• Organisational aspects of Digital Transformation in education
• Governance of Digital Transformation in education
• Innovative E-Government services for education
• Security and Privacy aspects of digitalization in education
• Managing personal data in the digital transformation of the education domain
• Educational data access and inspection rights and control

as well as:

• Gamification in Education
• Learning Analytics in Education

Prof. Dr. Muhamed Turkanović
Prof. Dr. Marjan Heričko
Guest Editors

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