Immersive Learning, Immersive Scenarios, and Immersive Technologies

Introduction

In online learning, which is a combination of the learner, instructor and technology factors (Yumurtacı, 2020), learner is always in the center, instructor is the facilitator, takes the role of a guide and technology expresses the environment which gathers these two factors. Aforementioned three factors transform continually and quickly with the effect of digital transformation. In this change and transformation process technology, both concrete and abstract technologies (Bozkurt, 2019, 2022), together with the one and only element it plays an important role in the shaping of the learning environments. While being designed, the learning environments provide flexibility, accessibility and user-friendliness to support the users with effective and productive use (Oktay & Yüzer, 2022). However, following the tendencies of designing learning environments which improve depending on technology, it is important in terms of the sustainability of the institutions (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2020). Online learning took its place among learning environments with the widespread of Internet and development of web technologies. Through developing web and mobile technologies, interaction in the learning environments became possible (Bozkurt, 2017; Yüzer, 2013). In recent years especially with the systems depending on Artificial Intelligence, the increasing tendency of using the immersive technology applications in education involved the whole dimensions of interaction in the learning environments (Nedumkallel, 2020) and brought the immersive learning environment and immersive scenario concepts, which are for increasing the interaction, forward as current issues. The necessity to use immersive learning scenarios (ILS) in order to design immersive learning environments (ILE) is the same as the necessity to use the interactive learning scenarios to make interactive videos: To create a sense of presence in the learner and to use adaptable original elements. In this sense, the advanced version of interactive learning scenarios is immersive learning scenarios. Although the technologies used in the design of a learning environment change because the aim is to design an environment to provide a learning experience, it is inevitable to present the learning environment which would be experienced by the learner as s/he wished, which is holistically. In the immersive learning environments, which were designed through ILS, virtual reality-VR, augmented reality-AR, mixed reality-MR and extended reality-XR are the technologies which could be expressed as immersive technologies.

In the design of learning ecosystems, the use of technology certainly shapes the learning environments, but technology itself cannot develop an approach for individual differences on its own. Therefore, it is important to consider the technology where the learning environment would be designed according to the target group, adaptability of the learning preferences and learning to learn directed to the concept of heutagogy when applying it. In the Heutagogy approach the learning environment designed with the use of technology provides exploring, creating, connecting, cooperating, reflecting and sharing. On that sense a learner-centered approach depending on the learner’s active participation emerges (Oktay & Yüzer, 2022). Oktay (2022) remarks that in the learning environments the selections that the learners make in the learning environments to have their learning path according to their qualifications and needs, in the direction of their decisions, on time feedback, via variable learning paths and resources so they can have a learning experience specific to themselves. Furthermore, the study states that general qualifications of the 21^st Century learners influence the shaping of the adaptable learning environments as well as the potential of learning environments gaining the qualifications that the 21^st Century learners should have. This potential has a world-wide popularity. In brief, in the design of learning environments the approach needed to be improved intended to the learning should let each learner have their own learning path through considering interactivity, adaptability and heutagogy. After all, it is a learning experience and includes experiential learning.