From Generative AI to Extended Reality: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on the Challenges, Opportunities, and Future of Educational Computing
Jordan Allison, Gwo‐Jen Hwang, Richard E. Mayer, Νικόλαος Πέλλας, Oscar Karnalim, Sara de Freitas, Oi‐Lam Ng, Yueh-Min Huang, Danial Hooshyar, Robert H. Seidman, Mostafa Al‐Emran, Tassos A. Mikropoulos, Noah L. Schroeder, Rod D. Roscoe, Ismaila Temitayo Sanusi
Abstract
This editorial brings together the insights of fourteen members of the journal’s editorial board to critically examine the evolving landscape of educational computing. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements; from generative artificial intelligence to extended reality, this editorial explores the multidimensional challenges and opportunities these developments present for education. Drawing from multidisciplinary perspectives, the contributors collectively identify four thematic areas that demand sustained scholarly attention: (1) Equity, Inclusion, and the Digital Divide; (2) Ethics, Social Sustainability, and Well-being; (3) Instructional Design; and (4) Human-Computer Interaction in Educational Technologies. Each theme reflects a convergence of urgent concerns and transformative potential and is accompanied by forward-looking research questions that aim to shape the future agenda of the field. Together, the contributions highlight critical tensions and possibilities, offering a roadmap for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers committed to harnessing educational computing technologies in socially responsible, pedagogically sound, and human-centred ways.