Educational Immersion for All: Accessibility and Inclusion in eXtended Reality

Éditeurs invités

• Andrea Antonio Cantone, University of Salerno
• Dragan Ahmetovic, University of Milano
• Paloma Diaz, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
• Giuliana Vitiello, University of Salerno

Synthèse

This special issue explores how immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality can be designed and implemented to create equitable educational experiences that serve all learners. While immersive technologies offer significant potential for engaging students through interactive, embodied learning, many current applications lack adequate accessibility and inclusive design considerations, potentially creating new digital divides.

The special issue welcomes interdisciplinary research integrating perspectives from human-computer interaction, educational technology, accessibility research, and learning sciences. It seeks contributions investigating how immersive technologies can support diverse learners, including students with disabilities, neurodivergent learners, and individuals from varied cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

Original research articles, empirical studies, case studies, and evidence-based methodological analyses addressing accessibility challenges, design frameworks, adaptive systems, evaluation methods, and inclusive practices in XR educational environments are invited for submission.

Thèmes proposés

• Design and development of accessible and inclusive immersive learning and training environments
• Inclusive design frameworks and guidelines for immersive educational technologies
• Immersive technologies supporting students with disabilities (e.g., cognitive, sensory, motor, neurodevelopmental conditions)
• Adaptive and personalized immersive learning and training experiences
• Accessibility challenges and solutions in XR educational interfaces
• Use of immersive technologies to support neurodivergent learners
• Evaluation methods for accessibility, usability, and user experience in immersive educational systems
• Immersive technologies for social skills training and behavioral learning
• AI-driven adaptive systems in immersive learning environments
• Multimodal and embodied interaction techniques for accessible XR learning
• Immersive simulations for inclusive education and special education
• XR technologies for experiential and collaborative learning in inclusive classrooms
• Ethical, social, and accessibility implications of immersive technologies in education