Can Digital Education Drive Sustainability? Evidence from IoT and Big Data–Enabled Learning

The study by Universitas Negeri Jakarta and Universitas Padjajaran shows that IoT and Big Data significantly improve digital learning effectiveness and digital literacy, but only effective digital learning, not digital skills alone raises students’ sustainability awareness. Sustainability outcomes emerge when technology is deliberately integrated with sustainability-focused pedagogy rather than used as a standalone educational upgrade.

Authored by researchers from Universitas Negeri Jakarta and Universitas Padjajaran in Indonesia, a study investigates how digital technologies can move beyond efficiency gains in education to support sustainability awareness among students actively. Set in the context of rapid digital transformation, the study responds to a critical gap in existing research: while the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data are widely credited with improving access, personalization, and engagement in learning, their contribution to shaping students’ sustainability mindsets has rarely been examined empirically, particularly in developing-country settings.

Framing Technology as a Sustainability Tool

The authors position sustainability as one of the defining challenges of the 21st century and argue that education plays a central role in cultivating environmentally and socially responsible behaviour. Although international organisations emphasise sustainability education, in practice, such content often remains marginal and poorly integrated into digital learning systems. The paper argues that IoT and Big Data can become powerful enablers of sustainability education if they are integrated into pedagogical strategies that deliberately foreground sustainability concepts, rather than treating technology as a neutral delivery mechanism.

Research Design and Analytical Approach

To test this argument, the study proposes a conceptual model linking IoT in education and Big Data in education to sustainability awareness through two mediating variables: digital learning effectiveness and students’ digital literacy. Digital learning effectiveness is defined in terms of engagement, comprehension, retention, and skill development in digital environments, while digital literacy refers to students’ ability to access, evaluate, and responsibly use digital information. Using survey data from 287 high school and university students in Jakarta who actively engage with IoT- and Big Data-enabled learning platforms, the authors apply Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess both measurement validity and causal relationships.

What the Evidence Reveals

The findings show that IoT and Big Data have strong, positive, and statistically significant effects on both digital learning effectiveness and students’ digital literacy. IoT-based tools enhance interaction, real-time feedback, and personalized learning pathways, while Big Data analytics support adaptive teaching, performance monitoring, and evidence-based decision-making. Together, these technologies clearly strengthen the quality of digital learning environments.

However, the pathway to sustainability awareness is more selective. Digital learning effectiveness emerges as a decisive factor, exerting a strong and direct influence on students’ sustainability awareness. When digital learning is well designed and explicitly integrates sustainability-related content, students are more likely to understand sustainability principles and express motivation to apply them. In contrast, students’ digital literacy does not have a significant direct effect on sustainability awareness, nor does it mediate the influence of IoT or Big Data. The results suggest that technical proficiency alone does not translate into sustainability awareness unless sustainability is intentionally embedded within learning experiences.

Implications for Policy and Practice

The mediation analysis reinforces the central message of the study: technology contributes to sustainability outcomes only through effective pedagogy. IoT and Big Data indirectly enhance sustainability awareness when they improve digital learning effectiveness, but not simply by raising digital skill levels. In the Indonesian context, this finding reflects broader structural challenges, including uneven access to technology, limited teacher preparedness, and the absence of systematic sustainability integration in digital curricula.

The authors argue that policymakers and educators should prioritise curriculum development that explicitly links digital learning with sustainability themes, alongside targeted teacher training in digital and sustainability pedagogy. Investments in equitable digital infrastructure are also essential to ensure that the benefits of IoT and Big Data are widely shared. By aligning digital education strategies with sustainability objectives, the study contributes to global discussions around Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), demonstrating that digital transformation in education can support long-term sustainable development, but only when guided by clear educational intent.