Agency in Teaching and Learning with Digital Technology: Opportunities and Challenges

Dear Colleagues,

In the rapidly advancing digital age, the integration of digital technologies into educational environments has significantly reshaped the landscape of teaching and learning. This transformation extends beyond mere technological substitution, fostering a paradigm shift towards enhancing agency among educators and learners (Gentile et al., 2023; Holmes et al., 2022). Agency, defined as the capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own free choices, becomes particularly pertinent as digital technologies facilitate personalised learning paths, democratise access to information, and empower learners to take control of their educational journeys (Engeness, 2021). Concurrently, educators are leveraging these tools to tailor pedagogical approaches that respond to diverse learner needs and contexts. However, the proliferation of digital technology also introduces complex challenges related to digital literacy, equity, and the ethical use of technology (Holmes & Tuomi, 2022; Hopfenbeck et al., 2023).

The European Union's (2024) pioneering legal framework on AI underscores the importance of navigating these challenges responsibly, highlighting the necessity for policies and frameworks that support safe and equitable digital learning environments. As society evolves alongside technological advancements, the need to adapt policy and pedagogical strategies to enhance both teacher and learner agency within digital education becomes evident.

This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted dimensions of agency in teaching and learning with digital technology, examining how digital tools and platforms can both empower and challenge educators and learners. It seeks to provide a comprehensive examination of opportunities for enriching learning experiences through enhanced agency, as well as the obstacles that may impede the realization of these opportunities.

Aim and Scope: The aim of this Special Issue is to compile pioneering research that explores the concept of agency in the context of technology-enhanced teaching and learning. It will serve as a platform for scholarly discourse on the theoretical, empirical, and practical aspects of fostering agency through digital technology, offering insights into how technology can be harnessed to support independent action and decision making by educators and learners alike.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

• Theoretical perspectives on agency in learning and teaching with digital technology;
• Empirical studies on digital tools and platforms that enhance or challenge agency in learning;
• Innovative pedagogical strategies that promote learner and teacher agency;
• Challenges to agency in digital learning environments, including equity, access, and ethics;
• The role of AI and other digital technologies in supporting personalised and autonomous learning;
• Evaluation and assessment practices that empower learners and educators;
• Case studies on successful practices that enhance agency in technology-enhanced learning.

Suggested Themes: Submissions are invited on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Personalisation and Agency: Investigating how digital technologies support personalised learning paths that enhance agency.
• Empowering Educators: Strategies for leveraging technology to increase teacher agency in curriculum design and pedagogical decisions.
• Ethical Considerations: Examining the ethical implications of digital technology on learner agency and autonomy.
• Equity and Access: Addressing the digital divide and ensuring that all learners have the agency to participate fully in digital learning.
• Digital Literacy: Exploring the role of digital literacy in empowering learners to navigate and utilise digital technologies effectively.

This Special Issue aspires to illuminate the complexities of enhancing agency in teaching and learning through digital technology, paving the way for innovative educational practices that respond to the opportunities and challenges of the digital era. 

References

Gentile, M., Città, G., Perna, S., & Allegra, M. (2023). Do we still need teachers? Navigating the paradigm shift of the teacher's role in the AI era [Review]. Frontiers in Education, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1161777.

Holmes, W., Persson, J., Chounta, I.-A., Wasson, B., & Dimitrova, V. (2022). Artificial intelligence and education: A critical view through the lens of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Council of Europe.

Holmes, W., & Tuomi, I. (2022). State of the art and practice in AI in education. European Journal of Education, 57(4), 542-570. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12533.

Hopfenbeck, T.N., Zhang, Z., Sun, S.Z., Robertson, P., McGrane, J. (2023). Challenges and opportunities for classroom-based formative assessment and AI: a perspective article. Frontiers in Education, 8:1270700, https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1270700.

Engeness, I. (2021). Developing teachers’ digital identity: towards the pedagogic design principles of digital environments to enhance students’ learning in the 21st century. European Journal of Teacher Education, 44(1), 96-114.

European Union (2024). AI Act. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/regulatory-framework-ai#:~:text=
The%20AI%20Act%20is%20the,play%20a%20leading%20role%20globally.&text=The%20AI%20Act%20aims%20to,
regarding%20specific%20uses%20of%20AI.

Prof. Dr. Irina Engeness
Prof. Dr. Siv M. Gamlem
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 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 1800 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.

• technology-enhanced learning (TEL)
• digital literacy
• virtual reality (VR)
• augmented reality (AR)
• artificial intelligence (AI) in education
• blended learning
• digital divide
• learning management systems (LMSs)
• personalised learning
• educational gamification