Immersive, Interactive, Informative: IWM Researchers on Learning with VR and AR

How can immersive media such as Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) be meaningfully integrated into schools and teaching practice? This question is at the heart of a new article by Maren Gebhardt, Dr. Gabriele Irle, and Tamara Schilling, three researchers at the Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM), published in the latest issue of bildungSPEZIAL 2/25 (Friedrich Verlag) - read now.

The article offers practical insights into the educational value of immersive technologies – from virtual field trips and 360° videos to SocialVR experiences. The authors emphasize a central point: technology alone is not enough. Only when immersive tools are embedded within well-considered didactic frameworks can they help deepen learning, increase motivation, and open new pathways to understanding complex content.

Research-based knowledge transfer in digital education

The authors are part of the editorial teams at schule-mal- digital.de and the Future Space on lernen:digital. Both platforms contribute to research-based knowledge transfer in the field of digital education and are part of the nationwide initiative lernen:digital.

The article also ties in with the Future Innovation Space at the IWM – an interactive learning lab where immersive technologies like VR are explored and further developed for educational settings. One of its key focus areas: learning with VR, including spatial thinking, visualization, and embodied interaction.