This article presents a vision of what the digital transformation in education could look like and what some of its benefits and challenges are. It argues that digital technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), could improve the effectiveness and quality of education by personalizing education, by making it more inclusive and equitable, and by improving the cost-efficiency of the sector. A digital transformation of education also comes with risks that must be mitigated.

While digital technology holds great potential to help realize our collective educational commitments and to build the futures of education beyond 2030, it also comes with negative consequences and uncharted risks. To be effective, digital education needs to be properly steered and governed to ensure it serves public interests, happens in public spaces, and is accountable to the public. This paper first provides a comprehensive overview on UNESCO’s human-centered approach to steering digital education that counter-balances dominant techno-solutionist thinking. This includes ensuring that the use of digital technology enhances human capacity, rather than undermining it, adequately addresses digital divides and digital gender inequality, and assures effective regulation to minimize the negative impact both on human well-being, and on the environment. This paper then presents recommendations to help build integrated digital education systems which prioritize support for teachers, and which address connectivity issues, not only with opportunities for the strengthening of competencies, but also with open access inclusive quality digital learning content. Finally, this paper shares a forward-looking vision for the futures of school systems, exemplified by a framework of digital open schools.

The emergence of general artificial intelligence (AI) model technology, notably ChatGPT, has substantially transformed contemporary approaches to knowledge exploration and acquisition, presenting significant challenges to educational concepts and methodologies. This article initially delineates the myriad obstacles encountered in learning during the AI era and meticulously scrutinizes the attributes and limitations of conventional educational concepts and instructional approaches, which are prevalent in examination-oriented education in primary and secondary schools. Commencing with the requisites of “human beings” and transition “to adulthood,” it delves into the educational objectives of fostering individuals and advocates for the fundamental integration of education within the realm of philosophy. Subsequently, by elucidating the correlation between “fish” and “fishing” in conjunction with the concept of the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS), it furnishes numerous illustrations of incorporating the thoughts and methodologies of scientists in the exploration and resolution of problems within the classroom. The article underscores the profundity of insight of educators compared to adult cogitation and the perceptual limitations of adolescent students, underscoring the imperative for educators to concentrate on guiding students in their pedagogy.

The rapid development of digital technology has fundamentally changed the ways we live, work, and study. Digital education has gradually emerged under the influence of social change, technological advancements, global competition, and innovative educational practice. Digital education is not just a simple application of digital technology in education but a new educational paradigm. It builds a more equitable, higher-quality, environmentally friendly, and openly cooperative new education system through data-driven methods, human-technology integration, the combination of virtual and real elements, and open sharing. Developing digital education involves focusing on scenarios, resources, models, evaluation, and digital literacy. China has made significant progress in developing digital education, accumulating valuable experience that can inform the continued and prosperous growth of digital education worldwide. While acknowledging the advantages that digitalization brings to teaching, evaluation, and management, we also need to be aware of the risks and challenges it brings to data security, privacy protection, ethical issues, and humanistic concerns.

Personalized education, tailored to individual student needs, leverages educational technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in the digital age to enhance learning effectiveness. The integration of AI in educational platforms provides insights into academic performance, learning preferences, and behaviors, optimizing the personal learning process. Driven by data mining techniques, it not only benefits students but also provides educators and institutions with tools to craft customized learning experiences. To offer a comprehensive review of recent advancements in personalized educational data mining, this paper focuses on four primary scenarios: educational recommendation, cognitive diagnosis, knowledge tracing, and learning analysis. This paper presents a structured taxonomy for each area, compiles commonly used datasets, and identifies future research directions, emphasizing the role of data mining in enhancing personalized education and paving the way for future exploration and innovation.

Educational digitalization is a trend in both domestic and international educational development. The importance of educational digitalization lies in its potential to improve the efficiency, engagement, and equity of education. However, it also encounters challenges in terms of macro-planning, support infrastructure, and regional balance, which necessitate proactive responses. As a crucial contributor to the process of educational digitalization, the community of educators, notably those teaching foundational mathematics, must adapt to the evolving landscape. By shifting their mindsets, enhancing their capabilities, and guiding students accordingly, they can effectively enhance the quality and effectiveness of teaching, thereby making substantial contributions to the advancement of educational digitalization.