Can extended reality (XR) technology—which includes virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality—transform education? The University of Glasgow has published a new whitepaper looking at its benefits and challenges.

Supported by Big Tech company Meta, which has made significant investments into XR in recent years, the whitepaper makes a series of recommendations to the XR technology industry, government, and the education sector in light of the advantages and obstacles.

The paper notes that XR “represents a significant watershed” in the progress made with audiovisual technology, with devices now modelled “on the way we naturally interact with the world.”

“Instead of reading about the distinguishing features of various dinosaurs, a user can don an XR headset and walk up to a virtual dinosaur as it’s grazing on Mesozoic grass and get an immediate experience of its size, shape and presence in the world,” it explained.

For the XR technology industry, the paper’s researchers advise the sector should build products that will allow for a growth of use. This includes a set of standardised, cost-effective tools and platforms allowing educators to be trained and to create content fit for purpose in the classroom.

It also encourages the education sector to bring forward processes that will help prepare teachers, curricula, and classrooms for XR technology, and for government to support research to help inform strategy and regulation.

A recent survey by XR Association (XRA) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) found that over two-thirds (67%) of educators hope that immersive technologies will be used regularly in schools, and that 77% believe in the power of extended reality to incite curiosity and engagement in the classroom.

Neil McDonnell, professor of philosophy and XR technology at the University of Glasgow and based at its Advanced Research Centre (ARC), said: “I believe that XR technology will transform what we teach and how we teach in ways we cannot yet fully comprehend.

“That is both exciting and daunting and our work on this project aims to prepare educators, technologists, and policymakers for the opportunities and the challenges that such change will bring.”

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The research was supported by a gift from Meta’s Immersive Learning Fund. The firm’s global affairs president, Nick Clegg, said: “This whitepaper adds to a growing evidence base that demonstrates just how powerful metaverse technologies can be in education.

“What’s really encouraging to see is the optimism educators have about how these technologies can inspire students and improve learning.

“We will take the recommendations on board as we continue to build these tools, and we hope policymakers and those in the education sector will learn from this work too.”