Immersive Education in Practice: Pedagogical Considerations for Designing Deep and Meaningful Immersive Learning Experiences

Abstract

Modern teaching and training practices can be enhanced by engaging students in immersive experiences that are multi-sensory, interactive, and authentic. When augmented with social-emotional elements, these immersive experiences can facilitate deep meaningful learning (DML). Our panel will present three distinct case studies of DML in practice: 1) fostering historical thinking in undergraduate students through narrative immersion and game-based learning (GBL); 2) training adolescents’ attention through virtual reality (VR) meditation and mindfulness activities; 3) building clinical reasoning capabilities in new graduate nurses through VR training scenarios. Each presenter will share practical insights and empirical evidence from their research on integrating immersive technologies and immersive storytelling to facilitate DML, highlighting the impact on learning outcomes and engagement. The case studies examine the role of VR and GBL in supporting reflective practice, critical thinking, and the development of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills among students and professionals. The panel aims to provide effective pedagogical strategies for designing immersive learning experiences, balancing the needs of diverse learners with technical capabilities, within authentic educational settings such as academic institutions and healthcare training environments.