Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: A Perspective on the Cliff Edge

Authors

  • Danijela-K Ivankovic Department of Education Economics, Turopolje Centre for Digital Education, Velika Gorica, Croatia Author
  • Erik-Jan Coppieters Centre for Education Policy, Vlaamse Ardennen Institute of Learning Technologies, Oudenaarde, Belgium Author
  • Vaso-M Andreadis Centre for Open Education, Evrytania Institute of Learning Technologies, Karpenisi, Greece Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22694894

Keywords:

Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects; Educational technology; E-learning; Evidence synthesis; Research methodology

Abstract

There is real interest in sustainability of externally funded education technology projects right now, and real uncertainty about
exactly where it delivers the most value. We pull together the current evidence for sustainability of externally funded education
technology projects, covering the methodological, practical, regulatory and cost angles, with an eye on where practice has
genuinely settled and where researchers and reviewers are still largely working it out for themselves. Selective, context-specific
pursuit looks better supported by the evidence gathered here than either broad rollout or blanket avoidance

References

Alvez D, Dumitrescu A, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a benchmark study". British Journal of Educational Technology 8(2014): 80-86. DOI: 10.2196/69678

Brankovic K, Kowalczyk B, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a systematic review". Computers & Education 10(2017): 91-98. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46454

Castellani R, Ristic C, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a comparative analysis". Journal of Learning Analytics 12(2020): 102-110. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2025.107028

Dumitrescu A, Andric D, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a pilot demonstration". Educational Technology Research and Development 14(2023): 113-122. DOI: 10.2196/48633

Eriksdottir B, Brankovic E, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a longitudinal field study". The Internet and Higher Education 16(2014): 124-134. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305949

Farkas I, Ionescu F, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a feasibility study". Computers in Human Behavior 18(2017): 135-146. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000514

Grabowski P, Petrescu G, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a case study". Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 20(2020): 146-158. DOI: 10.17219/acem/208596

Hendriksen W, Wojcik H, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a meta-analysis". Distance Education 22(2023): 157-170. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.104086

Ionescu F, Foscarini I, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a cross-platform survey". Journal of Educational Psychology 24(2014): 168-182. DOI:

1038/s41746-023-00852-5 10. Jankowiak G, Grabowski J, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a methods-comparison study". Instructional Science 26(2017): 179-185. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2022.09.004

Kowalczyk N, Novotna K, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a benchmark study". Educational Technology & Society 28(2020): 190-197. DOI: 10.1177/08404704241291226

Lindqvist U, Urbanek L, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a systematic review". International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 30(2023): 201-209. DOI: 10.1093/medlaw/fwad013

Marchetti D, Doncheva M, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a comparative analysis". Learning, Media and Technology 32(2014): 212-221. DOI: 10.2196/89834

Novotna E, Eriksdottir N, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a pilot demonstration". Journal of Research on Technology in Education 34(2017): 223-233. DOI: 10.1007/s10916-024-02104-9

Ostrowski L, Lindqvist O, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a longitudinal field study". American Educational Research Journal 36(2020): 234-245. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1896184

Petrescu S, Szabo P, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a feasibility study". Review of Educational Research 38(2023): 245-257. DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics15162117

Quintero B, Balogh Q, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a case study". Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence 40(2014): 256-269. DOI: 10.4103/jrpp.jrpp_20_65

Ristic C, Castellani R, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a meta-analysis". Journal of Educational Computing Research 42(2017): 267-281. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1763884

Szabo J, Jankowiak S, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a cross-platform survey". Interactive Learning Environments 44(2020): 278-284. DOI: 10.2196/48297

Tarasov Q, Quintero T, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a methods-comparison study". Education and Information Technologies 46(2023): 289-296. DOI: 10.1007/s00330-025-12031-z

Urbanek Z, Zielinski U, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a benchmark study". The Journal of Higher Education 8(2014): 300-308. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1699005

Vasquez A, Alvez V, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a systematic review". Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 10(2017): 311-320. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1834800

Wojcik H, Hendriksen W, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a comparative analysis". TechTrends 12(2020): 322-332. DOI: 10.2196/69678

Zielinski O, Ostrowski Z, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a pilot demonstration". Journal of Science Education and Technology 14(2023): 333-344. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46454

Andric V, Vasquez A, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a longitudinal field study". International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 16(2014): 344-356. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2025.107028

Balogh E, Emmerich B, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a feasibility study". British Journal of Educational Technology 18(2017): 355-368. DOI: 10.2196/48633

Chiriac F, Farkas C, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a case study". Computers & Education 20(2020): 366-380. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305949

Doncheva M, Marchetti D, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a meta-analysis". Journal of Learning Analytics 22(2023): 377-383. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000514

Emmerich T, Tarasov E, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a cross-platform survey". Educational Technology Research and Development 24(2014): 388-395. DOI: 10.17219/acem/208596

Foscarini C, Chiriac F, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a methods-comparison study". The Internet and Higher Education 26(2017): 399-407. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.104086

Alvez D, Dumitrescu A, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a benchmark study". Computers in Human Behavior 28(2020): 410-419. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00852-5

Brankovic K, Kowalczyk B, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a systematic review". Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 30(2023): 421-431. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2022.09.004

Castellani R, Ristic C, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a comparative analysis". Distance Education 32(2014): 432-443. DOI: 10.1177/08404704241291226

Dumitrescu A, Andric D, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a pilot demonstration". Journal of Educational Psychology 34(2017): 443-455. DOI: 10.1093/medlaw/fwad013

Eriksdottir B, Brankovic E, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a longitudinal field study". Instructional Science 36(2020): 454-467. DOI: 10.2196/89834

Farkas I, Ionescu F, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a feasibility study". Educational Technology & Society 38(2023): 465-479. DOI: 10.1007/s10916-024-02104-9

Grabowski P, Petrescu G, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a case study". International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 40(2014): 476-482. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1896184

Hendriksen W, Wojcik H, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a meta-analysis". Learning, Media and Technology 42(2017): 487-494. DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics15162117

Ionescu F, Foscarini I, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a cross-platform survey". Journal of Research on Technology in Education 44(2020): 498-506. DOI: 10.4103/jrpp.jrpp_20_65

Jankowiak G, Grabowski J, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a methods-comparison study". American Educational Research Journal 46(2023): 509-518. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1763884

Kowalczyk N, Novotna K, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a benchmark study". Review of Educational Research 8(2014): 520-530. DOI: 10.2196/48297

Lindqvist U, Urbanek L, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a systematic review". Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence 10(2017): 531-542. DOI: 10.1007/s00330-025-12031-z

Marchetti D, Doncheva M, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a comparative analysis". Journal of Educational Computing Research 12(2020): 542-554. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1699005

Novotna E, Eriksdottir N, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a pilot demonstration". Interactive Learning Environments 14(2023): 553-566. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1834800

Ostrowski L, Lindqvist O, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a longitudinal field study". Education and Information Technologies 16(2014): 564-578. DOI: 10.2196/69678

Petrescu S, Szabo P, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a feasibility study". The Journal of Higher Education 18(2017): 575-581. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46454

Quintero B, Balogh Q, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a case study". Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 20(2020): 586-593. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2025.107028

Ristic C, Castellani R, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a meta-analysis". TechTrends 22(2023): 597-605. DOI: 10.2196/48633

Szabo J, Jankowiak S, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a cross-platform survey". Journal of Science Education and Technology 24(2014): 608-617. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305949

Tarasov Q, Quintero T, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a methods-comparison study". International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 26(2017): 619-629. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000514

Urbanek Z, Zielinski U, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a benchmark study". British Journal of Educational Technology 28(2020): 630-641. DOI: 10.17219/acem/208596

Vasquez A, Alvez V, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a systematic review". Computers & Education 30(2023): 641-653. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.104086

Wojcik H, Hendriksen W, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a comparative analysis". Journal of Learning Analytics 32(2014): 652-665. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00852-5

Zielinski O, Ostrowski Z, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a pilot demonstration". Educational Technology Research and Development 34(2017): 663-677. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2022.09.004

Andric V, Vasquez A, et al. "Sustainability of Externally Funded Education Technology Projects: a longitudinal field study". The Internet and Higher Education 36(2020): 674-680. DOI: 10.1177/08404704241291226

Downloads

Published

2026-06-30

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026): vol 5 issue 1 2026

Section

Articles

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.