Conceptualising Embodiment through Virtual Reality for Education

Abstract

The concept of embodiment has been central to the design of XR (extended reality) technologies and is key to the deployment of and research on immersive learning, especially through virtual reality. Despite the important place that the notion holds in the immersive learning field, there have been few conceptual frameworks developed to assist developers, practitioners and educators understand how they might consider various aspects of embodiment and their implications for learning. The purpose of this paper is to present a set of sociological theoretical and empirical ways through which to reflect on how the body and human virtuality intertwine and how this occurs in educational endeavours. Specifically, the paper reviews how embodiment has been treated in the immersive learning literature, with a focus on virtual reality, and presents a conceptual framework, derived from the sociology of the body, intended to facilitate nuanced exploration of the topic in immersive learning. The paper concludes by demonstrating the utility of the conceptual framework by applying it to findings from the VR School Study, research that embedded immersive virtual reality into school classrooms.