Editorial. Extended education as an interconnected ecosystem

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Italian Journal of Educational Technology - Accepted Manuscripts Online Section
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Published: 2026-03-14
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17471/2499-4324/1579
Keywords:
Extended Education, Inclusion and accessibility, Teacher Professional Development, AI in Education, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Metacognition, Lifelong , Educational Technology, Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL)

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Barbara Bruschi
University of Turin, Italy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6734-0953
Laurent Dutoit
HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland
Ioannis Lefkos
University of Macedonia, Greece
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1895-4588
Manuela Repetto
University of Turin, Italy

Abstract

Extended Education is increasingly evolving into an inclusive ecosystem in which technological innovation, professional agency, and pedagogical intentionality intersect. Drawing on current research on AI, immersive technologies, multimedia learning, and inclusive education, this issue explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and digital media can enhance accessibility, teacher professional development, and cognitive growth across diverse educational contexts. The contributions examine inclusive museum environments for people with disabilities, podcast-based teacher training, AR-supported memory development in primary education, and AI-powered programming education grounded in metacognitive reflection. Across these varied settings, common threads emerge: the foundational role of accessibility, the centrality of teacher professionalism, and the importance of fostering higher-order cognitive and metacognitive skills. Extended Education thus emerges not as mere technological expansion, but as a systemic transformation requiring sustainable integration, ethical awareness, and human-centred design.

Article Details

Issue

Accepted Manuscripts Online

Section

Editorial
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References

Arias, J., Salas, J. I., Chiappe, A., & Sáez Delgado, F. (2025). The Extended Education 4.0: Lifelong Learning in Times of Artificial Intelligence. Applied Sciences, 15(17), 9352.