Assessing XR Technologies in Education
Location: NCSA 1040
Following the morning panel on XR Applications for Learning and Education, this workshop will explore the assessment of XR (eXtended Reality) technologies in education, bridging theory and practice to better understand how learning unfolds in immersive, interactive digital environments.
As XR tools move from experimental pilots to broader classroom and informal learning adoption, assessment practices are evolving - often relying on traditional measures that do not fully capture the complexity of immersive and collaborative experiences.
Bringing together researchers, educators, and industry and community partners, the session will examine what constitutes state-of-the-art assessment in XR, how to build effective collaborations around assessment design, and the opportunities and challenges of integrating assessment tools from the outset versus retrofitting it after development.
Participants will explore how interactivity, immersion, and multi-device environments reshape what counts as evidence of learning, and how emerging approaches such as embedded analytics, AI-enabled feedback systems, and cross-platform data infrastructures can generate meaningful, actionable insights.
Participants will engage in a structured, case-based activity in which they analyze short XR learning scenarios and collaboratively map how multimodal data (e.g., interaction logs, movement, dialogue, and observation) can be interpreted as evidence of learning. This mapping approach is intended to help make explicit how low-level data connects to higher-level learning constructs, supporting more transparent and actionable assessment practices.
In addition to working with shared cases, participants will also have the opportunity to bring in their own XR or related learning scenarios, allowing them to apply the approach directly to their own contexts. We also envision collecting these mappings and cases (with participants’ consent) as a way to support ongoing exchange and potential future collaboration across projects.
With a focus on improving practice, the workshop aims to advance research–practice partnerships that strengthen the responsible and effective use of XR technologies in STEM and beyond.