Special Issue "Educational Technologies"

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 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Mike Barnett
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Teaching, Curriculum and Society, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
Interests: science education; educational technology; urban education
Dr. Helen Zhang
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
Interests: learning sciences; emerging technologies; computational sciences; social justice
Ms. Megan McKinley-Hicks
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
Interests: science education; transdisciplinary education; social justice; equity; STEM identity
Mr. Sheikh Ahmad Shah
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Curriculum and Instruction Program at Boston College, Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and Society, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
Interests: science education; learning sciences; STEM learning; equity in STEM education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past decade, we have seen a rapid digital transformation of the global economy and society.  This has led to a rapidly changing world, both in terms of climate but also in terms of the proliferation of learning devices and technologies to engage learners in developing the skills and practices necessary to contribute and engage with a rapidly changing world. Learning about sustainability and the impact that one has on the planet’s ecosystems is critical if we are to have a citizenry that internalizes sustainable policies and practices that lead to more just and healthier socio-ecological systems. Learning technologies offer a powerful way to engage learners in the exploration of sustainability concepts, especially many emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, computational modeling, and data visualizations, to name a few.  Thus, learning technologies have the potential to deeply engage learners in critical collaborative inquiry and exploration of topics that cut across disciplines, while learning to critically examine and reflect upon their professional responsibilities, capabilities, beliefs, and personal motivations. 

This Special Issue of Sustainability will provide a core knowledge base for understanding and progressing cutting-edge theory and practices for the use of learning technologies to support learning about sustainability issues. We encourage researchers and practitioners to submit original research contributions that may be articles, case studies, critical perspectives, and reviews on topics related to learning technologies including, but not limited to:

  • The use of emerging technologies (e.g., augmented reality, AI, physical computing, modeling) in both formal and informal settings that engage K-16 learners in the exploration of sustainability related issues.
  • Preparing both pre- and in-service teachers to use learning technologies to support learning about sustainability.
  • Frameworks and curriculum models that leverage learning technologies to engage learners
  • The impact and mechanisms of novel and emerging technologies on supporting communities to learn about sustainability issues
  • Teaching and learning through the use of learning technologies across fields in service to learning about sustainability
  • The use of learning technologies in higher education to teach sustainability

Prof. Dr. Mike Barnett
Dr. Helen Zhang
Guest Editors

Ms. Megan McKinley-Hicks
Mr. Sheikh Ahmad Shah
Guest Editor Assistants

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 papers will be 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 1900 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

  • learning technologies
  • emerging technologies
  • social justice
  • computational thinking
  • visualizations and modeling
  • environmental sciences

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Article
Assess the Engagement with 3D Virtual Learning Tools during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8632; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158632 - 03 Aug 2021
Viewed by 440
Abstract
The recent growth of learning technologies has catalyzed the surge in investments in e-learning systems across higher education to revolutionize pedagogical practices. Thus, the implementation of 3D virtual learning tools has become an indispensable, standard methodological tool in higher education. More recently, the [...] Read more.
The recent growth of learning technologies has catalyzed the surge in investments in e-learning systems across higher education to revolutionize pedagogical practices. Thus, the implementation of 3D virtual learning tools has become an indispensable, standard methodological tool in higher education. More recently, the enforcement of restrictions and emergency lockdowns to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic compelled higher education institutions worldwide to cope with and meet the requirements of online education while preserving the quality of the learning experience at an equal pace. To develop a 3D physics laboratory, the appropriate equipment for physical experiments was first collected; then, the design software was applied to construct the 3D model. Software was then developed to edit the 3D experimental environment. Two practical tests were performed on the completed setup to verify the disadvantages and feasibility of the experiments. The present study develops and validates the incorporation of user satisfaction approaches to examine the quality of the most influential 3D learning tools during the coronavirus outbreak. The findings of this study confirm that 3D laboratories can positively influence learning attitudes when it comes to physics and improve learners’ understanding of physics concepts; they also confirm that 3D laboratories are a suitable tool for teaching physics experiments. Finally, the difficulties and solutions encountered in the development of the 3D laboratory are outlined as a reference for subsequent studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Technologies)
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Article
Sustainable Education Using Augmented Reality in Vocational Certification Courses
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6434; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116434 - 05 Jun 2021
Viewed by 642
Abstract
In the field of vocational education, no studies have examined the use of augmented reality (AR) learning technologies in the teaching of cosmetology. However, this study proposed the “Makeup AR” learning approach and conducted a quasi-experiment to examine the interaction effect between said [...] Read more.
In the field of vocational education, no studies have examined the use of augmented reality (AR) learning technologies in the teaching of cosmetology. However, this study proposed the “Makeup AR” learning approach and conducted a quasi-experiment to examine the interaction effect between said approach and students with active and reflective learning styles. The research participants were 70 students from a vocational senior high school. The experimental group comprised 36 participants who were taught using Makeup AR, and the control group comprised 34 participants who were taught using an e-book. The results revealed that the use of Makeup AR improved students’ learning effectiveness. The proposed approach also effectively enhanced students’ self-efficacy and reduced their cognitive load. The students with a reflective learning style had a higher cognitive load than those with an active learning style when using the e-book learning approach. No difference in learning motivation was noted between the experimental and control groups. Overall, Makeup AR is suitable for makeup design certification courses in vocational senior high schools and can enhance learning effectiveness, improve students’ self-efficacy, and reduce cognitive load. This study suggests that the implementation of AR technology in certification courses can be beneficial to learning outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Technologies)
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