The Nineteenth EATEL Summer School on Technology Enhanced Learning 2025
10-18 May 2025 | Rethymno, Crete, Greece
CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS
The European Association of Technology-Enhanced Learning (EATEL) invites doctoral researchers and educators to participate in the 19th Technology-Enhanced Learning Summer School! Set in the stunning coastal town of Rethymno, Crete, this event offers a unique opportunity to advance your expertise in TEL, connect with international community, and engage in dynamic, hands-on learning experiences.
Whether you are a doctoral candidate looking to deepen your knowledge or a teacher seeking practical information on TEL integration in the classroom, JTELSS25 has something for you!
Application form: If you would like to participate in the summer school, we invite you to submit an application by filling in this form JTELSS25 participant application form.
Review: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We will try to review your submission and make a decision within one day after you submit this application.
Data: The data are securely stored by the RWTH Aachen University (EATEL member and partner).
Authors of accepted workshop: Authors of accepted workshops also have to fill in the application form. All optional fields can be skipped. It should only take 5 minutes.
Costs: By default, summer school participants are expected to cover the costs of their trip and accommodation. These costs can be covered by internal university funds, by research projects, or by ‘learning mobility’ grants of the EU. In the past, EATEL granted scholarships to selected participants from low- to mid-income countries. However, this practice has unfortunately been placed on hold in 2025.
Who is the EATEL summer school for?
The event is primarily designed for doctoral candidates and junior researchers working in the field of Technology-Enhanced Learning. However, our program can also be of interest to the teachers, learning designers, technology developers, and policy makers.
Diverse program tailored to PhD candidates and junior researchers
JTELSS25 provides a tailored academic program with interdisciplinary discussions, interactive workshops, informal learning, networking, and a possibility to present your own work. Key focus areas include learning analytics, AI in education, adaptive learning, gamification, and more. This week-long event supports both introductory and advanced learning paths to fit diverse backgrounds and research interests.
Prepare before filling in the Participant application form
The participant application form will ask several questions about the research you are doing to evaluate its relevance. For these questions you can prepare the following descriptions of your PhD work:
- Context and background
- Theoretical perspectives
- Methods
- Current progress and expected results.
Each of these sections is limited to 1000 characters.
Relevance for educators and practitioners
For the first time, the EATEL Summer School opens its doors to primary and secondary educators, policy makers, and practitioners eager to enhance their digital and TEL knowledge and skills. The program includes Workshops on Digital and AI literacy, with topics on Academic writing, Systematic literature review, Technology-Enhanced Learning, Learning Analytics, Artificial Intelligence in Education, Research methodologies, Quantitative and Qualitative data analysis, and Design-Based Research.
We invite teachers to join JTELSS25 to explore how to implement digital technologies effectively in classrooms and build a deeper understanding of learning technologies in education.
What to expect
The academic program at JTELSS 2025 offers a blend of formal and informal learning activities tailored to enhance your digital learning skills with the latest advancements in Technology Enhanced Learning. You will have the opportunity to engage in a wide range of sessions designed by members of the TEL community, alongside keynotes and specialized workshops.
More specifically, it is expected that the participants build competencies in Technology Enhanced Learning:
- TEL Pedagogy & Applications: Participate in specialized workshops that provide insights into using TEL tools for personalizing learning, supporting students’ needs, and improving learning outcomes. Engage in ethical discussions surrounding the impact of digital tools, especially AI, on students, teachers, and education systems.
- Practical Training & Case Studies: Discover actionable takeaways such as lesson plans, TEL-driven assessment tools, and TEL strategies you can directly apply in your teaching.
- Collaborative Research Opportunities: Work alongside researchers and educators to co-create innovative solutions for integrating digital technologies in classrooms, utilizing the TEL to shape long-term strategies, including AI-enhanced education.
Who Should Apply
- Teachers and Practitioners Using Technology for Educational Purposes: Individuals who are looking for implementing TEL strategies in their classrooms or educational institutions. Your experience will be enhanced by the discussions and workshop sessions around the challenges and opportunities in the field.
- Policymakers in digitalization of education: Policy makers are welcomed to apply and get an opportunity to engage with researchers and experts on the latest developments in TEL and future of learning applications.
- Those Seeking Professional Growth: Whether you are looking to understand the latest trends in Technology-Enhanced Learning or refine your understanding of digital technology and AI in education, learn new research methodologies, or engage with experts in discussions about the future of TEL, the program is designed to elevate your practice and motivate the usage of new technologies in your teaching.
Benefits for educators
- Workshop Sessions: Participate in emerging trends presentations, focusing on practical applications of TEL in the classroom. Learn how to integrate new technologies into your teaching practice effectively.
- Professional Development in Digital Competencies: Learn how to design, implement, and assess technology-driven projects and tools to enhance student engagement and outcomes.
- Practical Takeaways: Gain actionable insights, lesson plans, and tools that you can implement directly in your classroom. Discover strategies to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes through technology based on TEL and AI for education.
Consider before filling in the Participant application form
The participant application form will ask several questions about the prior knowledge and experience with Technology-Enhanced Learning and about your motivation for applying to participate in the event.
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
The academic program of the EATEL summer school offers a wide variety of formal and informal learning activities. The types of training sessions you can expect and the topics we usually cover in the program are presented below.
Most of the sessions in the program are submitted by the TEL community members, while the keynotes and some other sessions are organized by EATEL and the JTELSS25 organizing committee.
The draft program with the specific sessions we offer this year will soon be available on the Program page. You can get an overview of the program by studying the information on the Accepted workshops page.
Workshop types of the JTELSS Activity Framework
The summer school offers six types of workshops. You can read more about them and the Summer School Activity Framework in the article “Interdisciplinary Doctoral Training in Technology-Enhanced Learning in Europe” in Frontiers in Education, 2020 or on the JTELSS Activity Framework page.
Thematic workshops
Thematic workshops cover one or multiple wide or narrow areas of TEL research or practice, subdomains within the TEL field. The topics of the workshops change year by year, driven by community interest. Some of the most common topics are listed below.
Methodology workshops
Methodological workshops focus on different research methodologies that can be applied in various contexts of TEL research, such as systematic reviews, design-based research, statistics for TEL, field studies, and many others.
Soft-skills workshops
Soft-skills workshops focus on developing research-related soft skills, such as well-being, academic writing, data visualization, dissemination & communication, or presentation skills.
Informal learning sessions
Informal learning sessions encourage active participation and allow participants to present their work, bring up their questions and challenges, without any restriction to specific topics. These sessions play a key role in developing strong ties in the community, contributing to the social atmosphere of the event. The following informal learning sessions are usually offered by the organization team: Ice-breaker, Pecha Kucha, Pitch and Poster session, Game Night, and Speed Mentoring.
Career workshops
Career workshops usually target late-stage PhD candidates and focus on opportunities for PhD graduates in both academia and business.
Invited workshops
As dedicated organizers of JTELSS, we are committed to providing unparalleled learning and networking opportunities. In our ongoing efforts to enhance the summer school experience, unless covered by volunteer submissions, we will actively seek and invite accomplished lecturers to deliver specialized workshops covering diverse aspects such as relevant TEL topics, research methodology, career planning, and more.
Keynotes
Keynotes presented by established researchers cover central themes as well as frontiers topics. Keynote speakers are selected and invited by the organization team. It is not possible to propose lectures or keynote sessions. Since 2018, it has been decided to accept only interactive workshops via the open call, removing the lecture category from the open submission process, while increasing the number of keynotes and managing the speakers by drafting the process centrally through invitation.
Level of relevance in the JTELSS program
The summer school offers workshops on four different levels tailored to the participants’ experience in Technology-Enhanced Learning. You can read more about them on the JTELSS Levels of Relevance page or below.
Level 0: General PhD
Tailored for all PhD candidates, irrespective of their specific research area. Ideal for participants seeking a comprehensive understanding and foundational skills crucial to their PhD journey. Examples of general PhD topics: “Academic writing”, “Academic publishing”, “Data visualization”, “Quantitative data analysis”, “PhD mental health”, “Research ethics”, etc.
Level 1: TEL Core.
These workshops delve into the foundational aspects of TEL, offering a comprehensive exploration of key concepts and practices that are universally relevant to all PhD candidates in the field of TEL. TEL Core workshops are ideal for those seeking a holistic perspective on the TEL field itself, broadening awareness, and getting into the field. Examples of TEL Core topics: “What is TEL?”, “Methodologies in TEL research”, “Interdisciplinarity of TEL research”, “Historical perspective of TEL research”, “TEL research across the world”, etc.
Level 2: TEL Introductions
These workshops offer introductions to the key sub-topics of TEL. Participants are offered to deepen their understanding of a chosen sub-topic or method, gaining valuable expertise that aligns with their research interests. Examples of the TEL Introductions: “Introduction to learning analytics”, “Latest trends in AI in education”, “Gamification in TEL”, “Introduction to Open educational resources”, etc.
Level 3: TEL ‘deep dive’
Workshops that go into details of specific topics and can be highly relevant to some participants. They provide focused insights into a particular aspect of the TEL field, a specific approach or technology. Examples of TEL ‘deep dives’: “A new approach to apply learning analytics in higher education”, “Better AI in education: experience from our project”, “How to design better feedback with technology in schools: results of a study”, etc.
LIST OF TOPICS
The list of topics covered by JTELSS can be found on the JTELSS Topics page or below.
Topics marked with a star were found to be most important and sought after by PhD candidates, based on our needs analysis.
- ⭐Learning analytics
- ⭐Artificial Intelligence in education
- ⭐Personalized and adaptive learning
- ⭐Self-regulated / Informal Learning
- ⭐Smart / Intelligent Learning Environments
- ⭐Pedagogical Patterns
- ⭐Gamification
- ⭐Visualization / Visual Analytics
- ⭐Mixed and Augmented Reality
- ⭐Engagement / Emotion / Affect
- Wearable Enhanced Learning
- Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Content
- Microlearning
- Immersive Technologies (Virtual Reality and Simulations)
- Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs)
- Scalability / mainstreaming
- Blockchain in education
- Competence Development
- Intelligent tutoring
- Connecting Learning (Social media / web 2.0 / social software), Connectivism, Learning Networks, and Communities of Practice
- Interoperability and standards in TEL
- Knowledge Work Management / Knowledge Maturing
- Application domains of TEL
- Learning Object Repositories and Meta-Data
- Game-based learning
- Problem-based and Inquiry-based learning
- Responsive learning environments
- Robots in education
- Knowledge Representation: Semantic Web
- Recommender systems
- Remote labs
- Constructionism / maker spaces
- Pervasive, ubiquitous and mobile technologies for learning
- Assessment technology and Technology-Enhanced Assessment (TEA)
- Orchestration
- Authoring tools in TEL
- Professional TEL / Workplace learning
- Security and privacy in learning / Ethics
- Big Data / Open data
- Digitally mediated communication
- Sensors / Multimodal Learning Analytics
- Cloud in TEL
- Personal Learning Environments (PLE)
- HR Management / Learning Processes
- E-Mentoring
- Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)
- TEL Business case / Case Studies
- TEL Policy
- Contextualised Learning
- Learning systems (LMS / VLE)
- Quantitative methods in Technology-Enhanced Learning
- Qualitative methods in Technology-Enhanced Learning
- Research design
- Research ethics
- Design-Based Research in Technology-Enhanced Learning
- Action research in Technology-Enhanced Learning
- Information systems methods in Technology-Enhanced Learning
- HCI methods in Technology-Enhanced Learning
- Software engineering methods in Technology-Enhanced Learning
- PhD well-being
- Academic writing and publishing
- Data visualization and presentation of research results
- Scientific communication, including use of social media
- Pitching of research ideas
- Pecha Kucha – introduce yourself in 1 minute with 1 slide
- Fish Bowl – highly engaging and intensive discussion
- Speed Mentoring – short one-to-one mentoring with several senior researchers
- Educational board games – learning research design in a highly informal setting
- Technology-Enhanced Learning community-development discussions
- Business and entrepreneurship opportunities in Technology-Enhanced Learning
- European funding for research in Technology-Enhanced Learning
- Poster and demo session
- Mini-doctoral consortium
SPECIAL WORKSHOP TOPICS IN 2025
At the summer school, we organize certain Level 0 General PhD sessions almost every year.
JTELSS Classics in 2025:
- Ice-breaking games
- Pecha Kucha
- Poster and demo session
- Game Jam
We encouraged the community to submit workshops on one of the essential topics, which in our experience are highly appreciated by the participants.
JTELSS Essentials in 2025:
- Academic writing
- Systematic literature review
- Technology-Enhanced Learning history, interdisciplinarity, innovation, trends, misconceptions, or similar
- Introduction to Learning Analytics
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence in Education
- Research methodologies in TEL
- Quantitative data analysis
- Quantitative data analysis in TEL
- Qualitative data analysis
- Qualitative data analysis in TEL
- Design-Based Research
IMPORTANT DATES FOR PARTICIPANTS
We encourage you to apply early so that you can benefit from early acceptance and arrange your travel plans.
- 22 February 2025 – Application submission opens
- (1-2 days after you submit) – Notification of acceptance
10 March 202417 March 2025 – Submission deadline for applications- 17 March 2025 – Final notification of acceptance for applications
More information is available on the Important Dates page.
VENUE AND ACCOMMODATION
JTELSS25 will be hosted in Rethymno, on the north coast of Crete, Greece. The summer school will take place at the luxurious Aquila Rithymna Beach, a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ hotel.
More information is available on the Venue page.
COST OF SUMMER SCHOOL
You can learn about the cost of the summer school on the Fees page (info by 1 March 2025 10 March 2025).
You can register on the Registration page (online 1 March 2025 10 March 2025) after your workshop proposal has been accepted.
Scheduling your participation
You can register for a specific period you are planning to attend the event.
- The recommended arrival day is Saturday, 10 May 2025.
- Our main social event will be on Sunday, 11 May 2025.
- The main academic program starts on Monday, 12 May and ends on Friday, 16 May 2025.
- The extra program day will be organized on Saturday, 17 May 2025.
- The recommended departure day is on Sunday, 18 May 2025.
We strongly recommend that you participate in the whole event, but it is also possible to attend a part of the event.
You do NOT need to book your accommodation. The accommodation cost will be included in our registration fee for the number of days you intend to stay.
You can arrive up to 5 days earlier and stay up to 5 days longer in the venue hotel, taking advantage of our special rates. You can also bring a guest with you (partner/family). We designed a separate registration form for private stays and for guests.
What your registration fee will cover
The EATEL summer school follows a non-profit scheme. The organizing committee members work as volunteers to make the event possible. The educational program is provided free of charge.
The registration fee of the school covers the costs of accommodation, meals, excursions, conference facilities at the venue, and printed materials for each participant. All these costs will be listed in a single invoice issued by EATEL for each participant during the registration process.
EATEL membership discount
All active individual and institutional EATEL members are eligible for the 25€ EATEL membership discount. You can check your membership status on your profile page of the EATEL membership system.
EATEL institutional members are listed on the Institutional Members page of the EATEL website. If you work at any of these organizations, you are eligible for the membership discount.
Both institutional and individual EATEL membership gives you registration discounts at the EATEL summer school and at the ECTEL Conference during one year. If you plan to attend both events in 2025, we recommend you become a member of EATEL.
Funding sources
Instructors who plan to deliver workshops often use funding from research projects to cover the cost. The EATEL summer school is a primary event in Europe for dissemination and networking in the Technology-Enhanced Learning community.
PhD candidates can use different funding schemes to cover the cost of the summer school. As scholarships are only available for applicants from low-income countries, we advise you to look for local or university funding. The EATEL summer school will provide great value to the progress of your research and studies. The contents of the school can extend or replace some of your courses.
Another option to cover the cost is to apply for an Erasmus+ teaching and training mobility funding. We are currently exploring the possibility of providing support for Erasmus mobilities. While we do not have updates at this time, we will keep you informed as more information becomes available.
SOCIAL PROGRAM
The social program includes a full day excursion on Sunday, 11 May, and a half-day excursion and a Gala dinner on Wednesday, 14 May. The summer school program includes a wide variety of informal learning sessions and optional social activities every evening.
More information is available on the Excursions page.