Immersive by Design: VR/AR Integration in Adaptive Learning Platforms

Adaptive learning platforms have increasingly been built to respond to individual learner behavior and performance by adapting instructional paths. However, most implementations are constrained by two-dimensional, screen-based interfaces, creating a gap between what adaptive algorithms can calculate and what learners can experience. At the same time, virtual and augmented reality technologies have become viable. They are now increasingly affordable as educational tools, providing spatial interaction, the opportunity for embodied practice, and real-time contextual feedback, something that conventional interfaces do not offer. The two fields are still divided, with contributions spread across educational technology, human-computer interaction, and the learning sciences. Each uses different terminology, methods, and evaluation methods.A major issue in this area is that adaptive learning systems and immersive technologies have developed largely on their own, so no existing frameworks allow adaptive algorithms to interpret and respond to behavioral, spatial, and physiological signals specific to virtual and augmented reality environments. For instance, signals such as gaze, gesture, movement, and physiological arousal are rarely used as triggers for adaptation outside limited experimental prototypes. This Research Topic brings together experts from education, computer science, and human-computer interaction to establish design principles, technical architectures, and evaluation methods for adaptive learning systems that use VR/AR. By gathering together empirical studies, theoretical models, and critical viewpoints in a single collection, it aims to make clear what advantages immersive adaptivity has over conventional interfaces, in what cases it leads to improved learning outcomes, and the obstacles relating to cost, accessibility, and equity that have to be overcome before such systems can be responsibly rolled out on a large scale.We invite contributions addressing, but not limited to, the design of learner models that integrate spatial, gestural, and physiological signals unique to immersive environments; Adaptive tutoring strategies in immersive settings, such as hints, scaffolding, feedback, and difficulty adjustment that are aware of context and embodiment; embodied pedagogical agents and virtual tutors, including conversational agents powered by generative AI in VR/AR; the implementation and evaluation of VR/AR enabled adaptive learning systems; and comparative analyses of learning outcomes, engagement, and retention between immersive and conventional adaptive platforms. Original Research, Systematic Reviews, and articles that provide empirical, theoretical, or design-oriented insights into this emerging field are encouraged. Topic editors: Fatima-Zohra HIBBI, Mohamed Oubibi, Khalid Benabbes, Brahim HMEDNA Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86496/immersive-by-design-vrar-integration-in-adaptive-learning-platforms