Digital Twins in Education: Conceptual Foundations, Applications and Challenges

Although originally developed as part of an industry, digital twin (DT) technologies are now being adapted for education. Digital twins (DTs) can integrate artificial intelligence, Internet of Things technologies, learning analytics and immersive environments to model learners, learning processes and educational settings in a dynamic and data-informed manner. This paper conducts a review of academic articles between 2020 and 2026 to ascertain definitions, application areas, and areas regarding integration between humans and technology to better understand how DTs can be integrated in educational settings. Personalised learning, simulation-based training and immersive learning settings created using DT technology have shown to provide benefits to both educators and learners in terms of enhanced adaptability, engagement and improved decision-making based on the results of research studies. There are several significant barriers to widespread adoption of DT in education, including the technical complexity of implementation, high implementation costs, data privacy issues, and lack of a research-based pedagogical framework. The paper contributes by proposing a classification of educational digital twins according to the entity being modelled. Although the potential for DTs to transform education is great, further research is needed to develop standardized models to ensure DTs are successfully integrated into the teaching and learning process.