EDEN 2024 Annual Conference will be held at University of Graz, Austria, 16-18 June. The conference theme is “Learning in the Age of AI: Towards Imaginative Futures”. Find more information regarding the Call For Papers below. Also, to discover more about the event, take a look at the Official Website of EDEN 2024 Annual Conference.

At EDEN 2024, we propose the following thematic fields:

How do we promote fairness in digital learning futures? In the age of AI, it has become evident that technology is not impartial. We must delve deep into the ethical implications of AI in education to ensure that the digital systems we implement are fair and just. How can we safeguard human decisions against AI systems that perpetuate existing inequalities or inadvertently create new disparities? How can we explore and refine strategies and practices to promote fairness and equity in AI-enhanced learning environments. 

What is required to help foster nestedness and integration in the complex digital learning ecosystem? Our educational institutions are richly diverse, historically grounded, and technologically distinct. As we embrace AI in education, we must address the intricacies of “rewilding” our educational landscapes with cutting-edge digital learning and teaching approaches. At the same time, we need to foster meaningful connectivity and collaboration among institutions that may operate uniquely. (How) can we adapt AI solutions to accommodate the nuanced differences and interdependencies  and ensure interoperability of our educational systems, all while working toward common goals?

What does learner-centered pedagogy look like in reimagining the digital classroom of the future?  In an era where AI is transforming the educational landscape, the notion of learner-centric care takes on new dimensions. Artificial Intelligence may offer unprecedented opportunities to support individual learners. However, how can we ensure this support does not take away learner agency and be counterproductive to authentic learning experiences? Can AI-driven personalization still foster collaboration, engagement, and promote meaningful learning experiences? Join us to delve into AI’s potential and challenges and talk about our care for each learner and their individual educational journeys. Let’s explore the yet-uncharted territory of AI-driven learner-centric care in the digital age.

What digital transformations  are needed for learning and teaching in the future? Keeping pace with evolving educational needs and technological advancements means designing best practices for blended, hybrid and online learning, transforming assessment in the encounter of AI practices as well as realizing the potential of open educational practices. These are just some of the challenges and potential transformations ahead as well as policy, strategy and leadership needed for the next normal.

In the spirit of the EDEN community, we welcome all contributions that connect to the proposed themes and relevant topics to do with digital learning.

Submission Types and Guidelines

Authors are invited to submit high-quality manuscripts reporting original unpublished research and recent developments. Submissions should align to the conference theme and in the topics related to the scope of the conference (see below). All paper types will be double blind peer reviewed by members of the Scientific Committee. Find all the submission types and guidelines below.

There are three different paper submission categories:

Full paper – A Full Paper allows you to present a slightly longer account of your work. This presentation format is better suited to sharing the findings of case studies, research projects or more mature innovations related to the conference theme/topics which allow you to provide a richer analysis, description and interpretation of the work. Importantly, a Full Paper should identify the main implications or discussion points which will be of wider interest to conference participants. The paper length is 2500 to 3500 words, including tables, figures and references. If your Full Paper is accepted, the presentation time is a maximum of 15 minutes and 5 minutes for questions (i.e., 20 minutes in total). 

Concise paper – A Concise Paper allows you to present a shorter summary of your work. This presentation format is ideally suited to small projects, new and emerging areas and works in progress. The format allows you to showcase and/or offer a brief snapshot of your work, with a specific focus on the main findings or discussion points that should be of wider interest to conference participants. The length of a Concise Paper abstract should be 200-500 words. If your Concise Paper is accepted, the presentation time is 10 minutes with 5 minutes for questions (i.e., 15 minutes in total).

Poster – A Poster allows you to present your work on a poster board which will be on display throughout the conference. This format is ideal for showcasing and/or offering a brief snapshot of your work in order to generate more interest and follow up conversations with conference participants. The author(s) need to bring the printed poster to the conference and attach it on the poster board when they arrive at the conference venue. There will be a dedicated poster session in the conference programme, but we encourage presenters to be available to discuss their work during the refreshment breaks. Poster submissions are between 250 and 500 words, including references. Authors of posters accepted for presentation will be required to prepare a maximum A0 (1189mm x 841mm) size poster for display. More details concerning poster requirements will be provided upon acceptance.

Guidelines for posters:

The author(s) need to bring the printed poster to the conference and attach it to the poster board when they arrive at the conference venue. There will be a dedicated poster session in the conference programme, but we encourage presenters to be available to discuss their work during the refreshment breaks. Authors of posters accepted for presentation will be required to prepare a maximum A0 (1189mm x 841mm) size poster for display.

Note: Posters’ authors are not required to make poster presentations

 Action Lab – upon invitation only. Action Labs give participants the opportunity to debate, discuss and engage in lively professional dialogue on high profile topics or issues relevant to the conference theme. Each Action lab will be structured around a handful of big questions for participants to debate.

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PhD Symposium

The EDEN 2024 PhD Symposium will be organized in the frame of the conference. The Symposium, held in previous years in Barcelona (2018), Bruges (2019), Dublin (2019), Timisoara (2020), Lisbon (2020), Madrid (2021), Tallinn (2022) and Dublin (2023) has been designed to foster the exchange of experiences and knowledge among doctoral students conducting research in the area of technology enhanced online, digital, open and distance learning, and provides a valuable forum for the advancement of doctoral research. The Symposium is open to all doctoral students, both PhD and EdDs, and will be led by the host university with contributions from EDEN Management Board members and a panel of international experts. Doctoral candidates are invited to submit a brief Synopsis Paper of their work in progress or proposed research topic, as there will be an opportunity to discuss your research during the Symposium. This Synopsis Paper should be a maximum of 500 words, including references. Participation in the Symposium is not dependent on submission of a paper.

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General Instructions

As all submission types will be subject to a peer review process. Full Papers will be double blind peer reviewed by members of the Scientific Committee consisting of international experts working in the field. Other paper types will be peer reviewed by the conference co-Chairs and members of the Programme Committee. Authors should leave their names and affiliations blank when uploading  submission documents, and take care to avoid details that could be used to identify contributing  authors. These include institution information, specific funding information and clear self-citations. Authors of selected top quality Full Papers will be invited to submit an extended manuscript for publication as a scientific journal paper in EURODL.

 All Papers will be published in EDEN’s conference proceedings (ISSN: 2707-2819). Full papers will be published  as Ubiquity press proceedings special issue with unique DOIs. The formatting of all types of submissions should follow the guidelines and templates provided. References should follow the APA (7th) style.  Please note that authors are limited to one Full Paper in which they are the first author. There is no restriction on the number of submissions by multiple authors. 

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Acceptance Criteria

Decisions on acceptance will be based on the following criteria:

• Originality
• Innovation
• Quality of scholarship
• Contribution to new knowledge
• Alignment to the conference theme

Contributions outside of the main conference themes will be considered if they bring new knowledge and benefit to delegates. The Conference co-Chairs and the Scientific Committee will make the final decision as to the accepted submission format in order to ensure quality and the coherence of the conference theme. Note that some Full Paper submissions may be accepted following revisions as Concise Papers after the review process. All Full Papers will be considered for the prestigious EDEN Best Research Paper Award, which will be presented at the Gala Dinner. 

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EDEN Best Research Paper Award in cooperation with The UNESCO Chair in Education and Technology for Social Change

EDEN Best Research Paper Award competition is based on evaluation results on submission of Full Papers presented to the Annual Conference that follow five standard evaluation criteria:

• The paper deals with a research question.
• Rigorous examination/research methods are applied.
• Findings, results and outcomes are convincingly presented and critically examined.
• Conclusions are thoroughly discussed (including applicability, transferability, and further research.
• Literature is reviewed against state of the art.

The composition of the honourable jury for the EDEN Best Research Paper Award is composed in cooperation with The UNESCO Chair in Education and Technology for Social Change