Teachers as Agents of Change in the Digital Era – Building Bridges Toward EduSummIT 2027

Story by Prof. Ottavia Trevisan, coordinator of the Seminar

On October 30, 2025, the University of Padova hosted an inspiring afternoon dedicated to the theme “Teaching and Technologies: Teachers as Agents of Educational Change – From the Classroom to the World”. The event brought together doctoral candidates, undergraduate students, and practitioners for a dialogue on how educational technologies are reshaping teaching, learning, and research across contexts.

The discussion featured two distinguished international scholars: Professor Gerald Knezek (University of North Texas, USA), an expert in learning technologies and psychometric approaches to educational innovation; and Professor Takahisa Furuta (Gunma University, Japan), a specialist in educational technology, experimental psychology, and the integration of large language models in research. The session was moderated by Professor Ottavia Trevisan (University of Padova).

Held at Beato Pellegrino, the event was very well attended, confirming the strong engagement of our academic and professional community in exploring how digital tools can support meaningful, inclusive, and evidence-based educational change. Participants actively contributed to the discussion, linking classroom practice, pedagogical research, and global perspectives on technology-enhanced learning.

This initiative also represented an important milestone on the road to EduSummIT 2027, which will be hosted in Padova. EduSummIT, held under the patronage of UNESCO, is the international Summit on Information and Communication Technologies in Education, bringing together leading researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from around the world. Its mission is to promote collaboration and critical reflection on how digital innovation can advance equitable and quality education globally.

The October 30th meeting reflected precisely this spirit: building connections across disciplines, careers, and countries in anticipation of Padova’s pivotal role in EduSummIT 2027.

We warmly thank all participants and speakers for their contributions and enthusiasm, and look forward to continuing this shared journey toward a more connected and forward-looking educational community.

Hands on!
Prof. Takahisa Furuta and the future of EdTech!
Prof. Gerald Knezek in Action, talking about the long journey done by the educational technologies in the US!