Dear Colleagues,

I am inviting you to prepare a manuscript addressing the topic of “Advancements in Online/Blended Learning and Teaching: Shifting towards the New Normal”. Empirical research and review papers are welcome.

With the advent and spread of computers and the Internet, there has been a rise in digital educational technology. Instructional designs and educational technology were supported by the new communication and interaction possibilities offered by digital technology. With the invention of the Internet,  teacher–student interactions, the process of providing student support and feedback and the use of learning resources changed. Computer-supported collaborative learning introduced a variety specialized distance learning and e-learning modes and methods. Integrating interactive multimodal (multimedia) resources enhanced the approaches to learning and student assessment. Artificial intelligence is introducing a rapid shift in educational communication, and consequently, in the students’ and teachers’ attitudes and behaviors. The current educational era is facing safety, ethics and equity issues. Society’s requirements necessitate educational spaces for novel teaching and learning practices. With the rise of the Internet, the notion of literacy expands beyond grammar and arithmetic. There is a need for varied, multimodal skills and competencies.  Writing and literacy utilize various online and offline strategies and activities. The rapid shift to online teaching during the pandemic facilitated changes in higher education. Traditional learning is currently experiencing innovations due to developments in e-learning, distance learning and blended learning. We are facing expansions of the use of online learning resources, which are challenging traditional models.

The aim and scope of the Special Issue are to discuss the issues and  solutions in this area for researchers and practitioners. Integrating technologies has brought about concerns, as well as innovation. Educational systems are introducing curriculum reforms with underlining digital transformations.

The suggested themes are, but not limited to, the following:

• New educational communication patterns facilitating teaching and learning;
• Anticipating the future of teaching and learning;
• Educational technology in the past and the future;
• Analogue and digital learning environments;
• Educational, psychological, sociological, information technology and organizational theories influencing education;
• Teacher education and training for educational technology facing challenges to blending analogue and digital modes;
• Professional development and career planning utilizing digital resources;
• New research models and definitions in education;
• Analyzing communication modes and methods in teaching, learning, feedback and assessment;
• From computer-supported learning to embodied technology in learning (e. g. social robots);
• Concerns of digitalization in education.

Prof. Dr. Andreja Istenic
Guest Editor

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 double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences 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 1400 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.

• educational technology
• blended learning
• learning environment
• preschool education
• elementary education
• higher education
• lifelong learning
• qualitative methodology
• quantitative methodology
• teacher professional development