Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Educational Systems: Challenges and Opportunities

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid advancement of digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping education. This Special Issue of Systems will explore the holistic and systemic implications of this transformation. We are seeking papers that analyze how the integration of AI—from personalized learning and virtual tutors to the metaverse—alters the entire educational ecosystem, which we define as a complex, unified network of learners, educators, technologies, policies, and administrative structures.

While AI offers immense potential for efficiency and equity, it also introduces significant systemic challenges, including ethical deployment, data privacy, and the widening of the digital divide. We are particularly interested in research that examines these complex interrelations and the development of robust governance frameworks.

This issue aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the opportunities and challenges of this AI-driven transformation. We welcome original research and comprehensive reviews that emphasize a systems thinking approach by integrating multiple aspects of the educational domain. Papers should demonstrate how various components—such as AI literacy, STEM applications, and administrative processes—interact and influence one another within the system, rather than focusing on a single, isolated aspect. We encourage submissions from researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who can contribute to a deeper understanding of how these powerful tools can be leveraged to build more effective, just, and sustainable global education systems.

Suggested topics for an integrated, systemic analysis include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Integrated Learning Systems: Examining how multi-agent systems, virtual tutors, and adaptive platforms interact with teacher roles, curriculum design, and student outcomes to form a new learning ecosystem.
• Ethical and Governance Frameworks: Analyzing how data privacy, bias, and the digital divide are addressed through new governance and policy frameworks, and how these frameworks impact the entire educational system's equity and access.
• AI and AI Literacy: Exploring how the implementation of AI technologies in the classroom necessitates and influences the development of new AI literacy curricula for both students and educators, creating a co-evolving system.
• Technology and Management Integration: Investigating the systemic impact of using AI for both immersive learning experiences (e.g., the metaverse) and administrative optimization and how these two applications influence each other.
• Sustainable and Scalable Educational Systems: Analyzing how AI-driven resource efficiency and environmental education initiatives can be holistically integrated into the entire educational lifecycle, from curriculum to campus management.
• Long-Term Systemic Impact: Conducting empirical and comparative studies that measure the long-term effectiveness and broad-scale impact of AI integration on student outcomes, teacher roles, and institutional policies, demonstrating how the entire system adapts.

We encourage submissions from researchers, practitioners, and policymakers across disciplines to contribute their insights and findings. Together, we can better understand and navigate the profound systemic impact of digitalization and AI, ensuring these powerful tools serve to create a more effective and just global education system.

Prof. Dr. Xuesong Zhai
Prof. Dr. Andreja Istenic
Prof. Dr. Jiong Guo
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. Systems is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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.

• digitalization
• artificial intelligence
• educational systems