Call for Papers

Volume 1, Issue 1
Lifelong Education and Learning in Polycrisis: Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Disruptive Technologies

The Commonwealth Centre for Connected Learning Foundation (3CL) is pleased to announce the launch of the Journal of Disruptive Technologies, Education, and Communications (JDTEC)—a new open-access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to exploring and critically engaging with ongoing and prospective intersections of technology, education, and communication.

The 3CL’s established international reach, particularly within Commonwealth nations and the Global South, and the journal’s open-access platform are assets to mainstreaming conventionally overlooked insights when exploring the intersections of education and disruptive technologies—those that significantly transform industries or societal structures.

JDTEC is committed to fostering interdisciplinary and evidence-based dialogue. It welcomes submissions that combine education and learning with fields such as digital sciences, communication studies, cognitive science, media literacy, political literacy and political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, cultural studies, economics, leadership, governance, and management.

We invite researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to contribute original scholarly work for the inaugural issue.

Theme for Volume 1, Issue 1

Lifelong Education and Learning in Polycrisis: Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Disruptive Technologies

Publication Date: January 2026

Lifelong education and learning encompass the continuous pursuit of knowledge and skills development throughout an individual’s life. They transcend formal and compulsory education by incorporating non-formal and informal learning experiences across the lifespan, responding to societal, cultural, economic, technological, environmental, and climatic changes. Lifelong education and learning can be transformative, supporting individuals, communities, and societies in developing reflective, critical, and emancipatory agency when grappling with complex global, regional, and local issues (Darder, 2023; Kinsella, 2012; Langdon, 2012; Knowles, 1980; Freire, 1970).

This is particularly relevant amid the evolving landscape of interconnected crises arising from war, terror, radicalisation, polarisation, climate change, irregular migration, demographic shifts, pandemics, economic instability, neocolonialism, gentrification, and other phenomena with comparable impacts or implications. Many such crises transcend national borders; they loom so large that they thwart national responses, yet their tangible effects are felt by millions. These present unprecedented challenges and opportunities for lifelong education and learning. Emerging crises are deepening pre-existing educational and social disparities (Shaeffer, 2024), creating new ones, and broadening the divide in access to quality and emancipatory educational experiences. Inequalities are surging and intensifying, undermining the protections that postwar institutions established to contain them (Varoufakis, 2002–03). The clash between cultures and the rapid evolution of technology require educational systems to be more adaptable and responsive (Susskind, 2022).

In response, discourses and research agendas themed around ‘polycrisis’ and ‘permacrisis’ have been amplified, elaborated, and complexified.

In this context, lifelong education and learning present opportunities for individual empowerment and play a key role in fighting unsustainable development and social inequities exacerbated by crises. Digital literacy, sustainability, and resilience are central to navigating the complexities of our turbulent times (Dixson-Declève et al., 2023).

Tracking progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implies adaptive educational systems that are agile in maintaining progress even in times of profound upheaval (UNESCO, 2021). Educational institutions must innovate to respond to technological disruptions and shifting labour markets, ensuring that education remains relevant in an increasingly volatile global environment—yet without compromising on quality, emancipation, and equitable sustainable development. Interdisciplinary, disruptive, and research-driven innovation is key if lifelong education and learning are to rise to the occasion.

We invite papers of approximately 6,000 words that critically examine lifelong education and learning in the context of the multiple and interconnected crises of the present epoch.

Topics of Interest

Topics include, but are not limited to:

Technologically-Driven Paradigm Shifts in Lifelong Education and Learning
- Technologies that disrupt colonising paradigms through lifelong education and learning.
- Using disruptive technologies to foster resilience to crisis.
Disruptive Technologies in Lifelong Education and Learning: Concerns and Dilemmas
- Curricular, pedagogical, and quality assurance concerns.
- Leadership, governance, and management concerns.
- Ethical dilemmas concerning crisis-driven development and use.
Digital Equity in Crisis Contexts
- Bridging the digital divide through lifelong education and learning programmes.
- The role of online platforms in democratising access amid disruption.
Economic Inequalities and Skill Development
- Technologically supported upskilling and reskilling.
- Microcredentials and non-formal education as crisis responses.
Policy Frameworks for Crisis-Responsive Education
- National and international policy alignment.
- Lessons from crises (e.g., COVID-19, conflict, terrorism).
Decolonising Lifelong Education and Learning
- Critiques of paradigm-centric models.
- Indigenous knowledge for resilience and crisis management.
Political and Media Literacy
- Combating misinformation, radicalisation, and democratic backsliding.
- Fostering inclusive civic engagement and governance.
Intersectionally-Responsive Technologies
- Education technologies for groups at risk or impacted by crisis.
- Responsive education in crisis-affected regions.
Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
- Cross-border, interdisciplinary partnerships.
- Governance for sustainable collaboration in crisis contexts.
Funding and Accessibility Challenges
- Innovative financing models in austerity-driven economies.
- Barriers to access in crisis-affected regions.
Measuring Impact in Polycrisis Contexts
- Metrics for evaluating effectiveness.
- Longitudinal/tracer studies on education’s role in risk mitigation.

Types of Submissions

We welcome:

Original manuscripts (circa 6,000 words) addressing the theme of the issue.
Book reviews (circa 1,000 words) offering a crisp and critical analysis of recent publications relevant to the issue theme. No citations or references are required for reviews.

Important Dates

Abstract final submission date: 15 June 2025
Feedback from Editorial Board: 1 July 2025
Submission of draft manuscript: 30 September 2025
Notification of outcomes of peer review: 15 October 2025
Submission of final manuscript: 1 December 2025
Publication date: 31 January 2026

Submission Details

Abstracts should be submitted via email to the Editor at editor@jdtec.mt. Completed manuscripts must be submitted through the submissions page. For authorship guidelines, please consult our website.

Contact Us

For inquiries or further information, please contact: editor@jdtec.mt

References

Darder, A. (2023). The Antonia Darder reader: Education, art, and decolonizing praxis. New York, NY: Myers Education Press.

Dixson-Declève, S., Renda, A., Schwaag Serger, S., Soete, L., Balland, P., Christophilopoulos, E., Dunlop, K., Martins, F., Pedersen, G., Walz, R., Charveriat, C., Isaksson, D., Mir Roca, M., Stres, Š., Gołębiowska-Tataj, D., & Huang, A. (2023). Transformational education in poly-crisis. Brussels: Publications Office of the European Union, European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/98947

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York, NY: Continuum.

Kinsella, M. P. (2012). Learning in social movements: The case of the anti-roads movement in the UK. In Hall, B.L., Clover, D.E., Crowther, J. & Scandrett, E. (Eds.), Learning and education for a better world: The role of social movements (pp. 161–174). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy (2nd ed.). Cambridge, NY: Cambridge Books.

Langdon, J. (2012). Learning to resist: The impact of social movements on adult education in Ghana. In Hall, B.L., Clover, D.E., Crowther, J. & Scandrett, E. (Eds.), Learning and education for a better world: The role of social movements (pp. 189–202). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Shaeffer, S. (2024, January 11). Young children and the ‘polycrisis’. UNESCO World Education Blog. Accessed 18 March 2025 at: https://world-education-blog.org/2024/01/11/young-children-and-the-polycrisis/

Susskind, J. (2022). Digital republic: On the clash of cultures, the future of technology, and the lessons we must learn. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 2021. Education for sustainable development: A roadmap for 2030. Paris: UNESCO.

Varoufakis, Y. (2002-2003). Against equality. Science & Society, 66(4), 448–472. Retrieved from https://www.yanisvaroufakis.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/against-equaltiy-published-version.pdf