Sustainability Sustainability in Digital Education Systems: A PRISMA Systematic Review of Online Learning Innovations
Article Sidebar
Abstract:
Purpose of the study: This study aims to map global research trends on sustainability in digital education systems and identify major themes, collaboration patterns, methodological characteristics, and future research directions related to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).
Methodology: A PRISMA-based Systematic Literature Review (SLR) combined with bibliometric analysis was conducted. Bibliographic data were retrieved from the Scopus database covering publications from 2016 to 2026. Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software were used for data analysis, including thematic mapping, collaboration analysis, and research trend identification.
Main Findings: The findings show increasing publications after 2019, with sustainability, digital transformation, innovation, artificial intelligence, and SDG 4 as dominant themes. Technology integration, learning effectiveness, user readiness, and implementation challenges were the main research focuses. Systematic reviews were the most frequently used research design, while empirical validation, longitudinal studies, and policy-oriented research remain important future directions.
Novelty/Originality of this study: This study provides a comprehensive integration of bibliometric analysis and PRISMA-based systematic review to reveal the intellectual structure, thematic evolution, methodological characteristics, and future directions of sustainability research in digital education systems. The findings extend existing knowledge by identifying research gaps and supporting sustainable, inclusive, and evidence-based digital education development.
Keywords: Digital Learning, Education System, innovation , SDGs, Sustainability
Copyright (c) 2026 Adelia Utari, Yeliza
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Adedoyin, O. B., & Soykan, E. (2023). Covid-19 pandemic and online learning: the challenges and opportunities. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(2), 863–875. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1813180
Almela-Baeza, J., Guercetti, J., & Febrero, B. (2023). The Importance of Engagement in the Dissemination of Audio-Visual Content by Spanish Health Influencers on Instagram. Social Sciences, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12040220
Alotaibi, N. S. (2022). The Significance of Digital Learning for Sustainable Development in the Post-COVID19 World in Saudi Arabia’s Higher Education Institutions. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316219
Alotaibi, N. S., & Alshehri, A. H. (2023). Prospers and Obstacles in Using Artificial Intelligence in Saudi Arabia Higher Education Institutions—The Potential of AI-Based Learning Outcomes. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310723
Anaelka, A. H. (2018). Education 4.0 Made Simple: Ideas For Teaching. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 6(3), 92. https://journals.aiac.org.au/index.php/IJELS/article/view/4616
Anderson, T., & Dron, J. (2011). Three generations of distance education pedagogy. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(3), 80–97. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v12i3.890
Barnes, K., Emerusenge, A. P., Rabi, A., Ullah, N., Mazari, H., Moustafa, N., Thakrar, J., Zhao, A., & Koomar, S. (2024). Designing for Social Justice: A Decolonial Exploration of How to Develop EdTech for Refugees. Education Sciences, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010077
Bond, M., Buntins, K., Bedenlier, S., Zawacki-Richter, O., & Kerres, M. (2020). Mapping research in student engagement and educational technology in higher education: a systematic evidence map. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0176-8
Bozkurt, A, Sharma, & C, R. (2020). Emergency remote teaching and learning in a time of global crisis. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), i–iv. View of Emergency remote teaching in a time of global crisis due to CoronaVirus pandemic
Brundiers, K., Wiek, A., & Redman, C. L. (2010). Real-world learning opportunities in sustainability: from classroom into the real world. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 11(4), 308–324. https://doi.org/10.1108/14676371011077540
Buildings, S. (2019). Guidance note Guidance note (Vol. 2019, Number April).
Bulathwela, S., Pérez-Ortiz, M., Holloway, C., & Shawe-Taylor, J. (2021). Could AI Democratise Education? Socio-Technical Imaginaries of an EdTech Revolution. (NeurIPS). http://arxiv.org/abs/2112.02034
Castro Benavides, L. M., Tamayo Arias, J. A., Arango Serna, M. D., Branch Bedoya, J. W., & Burgos, D. (2020). Digital Transformation in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 20(11), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20113291
Charles Hodges, Stephanie Moore, Barb Lockee, T. T. and A. B. (2020). View the full-text article online: https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-di ff erence-between-emergency-remote-teaching- and-online-learning. 2020.
Chen, L., Chen, P., & Lin, Z. (2020). Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Review. IEEE Access, 8, 75264–75278. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2988510
Choi-Lundberg, D. L., Butler-Henderson, K., Harman, K., & Crawford, J. (2023). A systematic review of digital innovations in technology-enhanced learning designs in higher education. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 39(3), 133–162. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.7615
Cobo, C., & Rivas, A. (2023). The New Digital Education Policy Landscape. In The New Digital Education Policy Landscape. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003373018
Crawford, J., Butler-Henderson, K., Rudolph, J., Malkawi, B., Glowatz, M., Burton, R., Magni, P. A., & Lam, S. (2020). COVID-19: 20 countries’ higher education intra-period digital pedagogy responses. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 3(1), 09–28. https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2020.3.1.7
Ertmer, P. A., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. T. (2010). Teacher technology change: How knowledge, confidence, beliefs, and culture intersect. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42(3), 255–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2010.10782551
Filho, W. L., Vargas, V. R., Salvia, A. L., Brandli, L. L., Klavins, M., Ray, S., Moggi, S., Maruna, M., & Conticelli, E. (2019). The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Sustainability Initiatives at the Local Level Journal of Cleaner Production 233 : 1004-1015 01 Oct 2019 DOI The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Sustainability Initiatives at the Local Level Abstract Un. 1004–1015.
García-Hernández, A., García-Valcárcel Muñoz-Repiso, A., Casillas-Martín, S., & Cabezas-González, M. (2023). Sustainability in Digital Education: A Systematic Review of Innovative Proposals. Education Sciences, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13010033
Ginting, N., Gardiner, S. J., Rahman, N. V., & Saragih, S. N. (2024). Towards a Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Tourism Governance: A literature review. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 9(28), 329–338. https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v9i28.5859
Guandalini, I. (2022). Sustainability through digital transformation: A systematic literature review for research guidance. Journal of Business Research, 148, 456–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.05.003
Holmes, W., & Porayska-Pomsta, K. (2022). Artificial intelligence in education: Contexts, methods and implications for teaching and learning. Journal of Learning Analytics, 9(1), 1–20.
Hu, K., & Raman, A. (2024). Systematic literature review on the holistic integration of e-learning in universities: Policy, human, financial, and technical perspectives. Contemporary Educational Technology, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/14287
Jannah, R. (n.d.). RETHINKING GLOBAL EDUCATION IN THE ERA OF DIGITAL. 3(3), 95–103.
Khalil, R., Mansour, A. E., Fadda, W. A., Almisnid, K., Aldamegh, M., Al-Nafeesah, A., Alkhalifah, A., & Al-Wutayd, O. (2020). The sudden transition to synchronized online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A qualitative study exploring medical students’ perspectives. BMC Medical Education, 20(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02208-z
Li, M., & Yu, Z. (2022). Teachers’ Satisfaction, Role, and Digital Literacy during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sustainability (Switzerland) , 14(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031121
Mintz, J., Connolly, C., O’Brien, E., Daniela, L., & Ceallaigh, T. J. Ó. (2024). Inclusive Digital Education: Contexts, Practices and Perspectives. Computers in the Schools, 41(2), 115–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2024.2340873
Obed Boateng, & Bright Boateng. (2025). Algorithmic bias in educational systems: Examining the impact of AI-driven decision making in modern education. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 25(1), 2012–2017. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2025.25.1.0253
Ober, T. M., Lehman, B. A., Gooch, R., Oluwalana, O., Solyst, J., Phelps, G., & Hamilton, L. S. (2023). Culturally Responsive Personalized Learning: Recommendations for a Working Definition and Framework. ETS Research Report Series, 2023(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/ets2.12372
Pathak, V., & Deshkar, S. (2023). Transitions towards Sustainable and Resilient Rural Areas in Revitalising India: A Framework for Localising SDGs at Gram Panchayat Level. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097536
Philipsen, B., Tondeur, J., Pareja Roblin, N., Vanslambrouck, S., & Zhu, C. (2019). Improving teacher professional development for online and blended learning: a systematic meta-aggregative review. Educational Technology Research and Development, 67(5), 1145–1174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-019-09645-8
Pragya Mishara. (2024). The Ethical Implications of AI in Education: Privacy, Bias, and Accountability. Journal of Informatics Education and Research, 4(2), 3550–3556. https://doi.org/10.52783/jier.v4i2.1827
Redecker, C., & Punie, Y. (2017). European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators: DigCompEdu, EUR 28775 EN, Oficina de Publicaciones de la Unión Europea.
Tanveer, U., Hoang, T. G., Ishaq, S., & Khalid, R. U. (2025). Public-private partnerships as catalysts for digital transformation and circular economy: Insights from developing countries. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 219(July), 124270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2025.124270
Teräs, M. (2022). Education and technology: Key issues and debates. International Review of Education, 68(4), 635–636. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-022-09971-9
Viner, R. M., Russell, S. J., Croker, H., Packer, J., Ward, J., Stansfield, C., Mytton, O., Bonell, C., & Booy, R. (2020). School closure and management practices during coronavirus outbreaks including COVID-19: a rapid systematic review. The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, 4(5), 397–404. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30095-X
World Bank. (2022). the Promise of Edtech.
Zhang, W., Wang, Y., Yang, L., & Wang, C. (2020). Suspending Classes Without Stopping Learning: China’s Education Emergency Management Policy in the COVID-19 Outbreak. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm13030055
