The Need for Universal Design of eXtended Reality (XR) Technology in Primary and Secondary Education

Abstract

eXtended Reality (XR) provides new opportunities for immersive and engaging ways of learning in primary and secondary education. Educators and educational decision-makers, however, lack knowledge about the opportunities of this emerging technology. At the same time, XR technology lacks a fundamental universal design framework targeted at improving accessibility and usability for all, specifically for pupils with disabilities. In the following paper, we present the results from two selective and weighed literature reviews identifying: (1) opportunities, positive outcomes and challenges of using XR technology in primary and secondary education; (2) general advantages and limitations in terms of universal design, including barriers and possible solutions of XR technology for pupils with disabilities. The results show that utilization of XR technology in primary and secondary education is versatile, may positively influence learning outcomes in pupils, contributes to increase motivation, engagement, and interest. The challenges in implementing XR technology were mainly related to economic cost, health-related limitations, pedagogy, editorial limitations, and lack of universal design. Pupils with disabilities and varying degrees of abilities face challenges because there is lack of multimodality, practical issues when setting up or using devices, lack of interoperability and compatibility with assistive technology, financial costs, health-related issues, overreliance on gamification, and ethical considerations. In addition, most devices are designed for adults and not recommended to be used by children younger than 13 years of age. Future research needs to address development of guidelines including best-practice examples for increased accessibility and usability of XR technology, as well as advance the standardization and solidification of said guidelines into standards, regulations, and laws.

Appendices

Appendix A: Protocol Parameters for the Search About XR Technology in Primary and Secondary Education

Sources:

We are including the first fifty hits of the search results in Google Scholar.

Inclusion Criteria:

We are using the general inclusion criteria described above. More precisely, we are looking for systematic literature reviews, scoping reviews, or survey articles about XR in primary and secondary education (“grunnskoler”) including literature about XR OR Extended Reality, VR OR Virtual Reality, AR OR Augmented Reality, MR OR Mixed Reality, AND primary schools, secondary schools, elementary schools, middle schools, junior high schools.

Exclusion Criteria:

We are using the general exclusion criteria described above. We excluded all papers that did not focus mainly on the technology part of XR technology. Moreover, we excluded papers that had the main focus on the following topics: (Senior) High school, and Higher education.

Search strings

(separated by “;”): (“extended reality” or “augmented reality” or “virtual reality”) AND (“grunnskoler” OR “grunnskole” OR “grunnskolen”); (“extended reality” OR “augmented reality” OR “virtual reality”) AND (“elementary schools” OR “elementary school”) AND (“case study” OR “case studies”) AND (“systematic literature review” OR “state-of-the-art”); (“extended reality” OR “augmented reality” OR “virtual reality”) AND (“elementary school students”) AND) AND (“education” AND “learning” AND “teaching”) AND (“systematic literature review” AND “case studies”); (“elementary school students”) AND (“extended reality” OR “augmented reality” OR “virtual reality”) AND (“education” AND “learning” AND “teaching”) AND (“systematic literature review” AND “case studies”).

Relevance Assessment:

We awarded 0 or 1 point to each paper in each of the following relevance assessment categories:

• Does the paper address mainly AR, VR, or both (i.e. MR or XR). When the article addressed both, two points were awarded. (Necessary requirement.)

• Is the article a scoping state-of-the-art article, scoping article, or systematic literature review? (Necessary requirement.)

• Does the article discuss mainly primary and lower secondary school education? (Necessary requirement.)

• Does the article have clearly defined research questions?

• How many individual cases does the article address? None, one or multiple?

• Are the educational courses mentioned? When the article addressed more than one project, two points were awarded.

• Is the technology, e.g. devices, software, hardware, mentioned in the article?

• Are the benefits of XR technology mentioned in the article? Are the challenges mentioned in the article?

• Are barriers for people with different needs mentioned in the article?

• Is anything related to UU, accessibility or usability mentioned in the article explicitly?

• Are teachers’ skills mentioned in the article?

• Are there explanations on how the outcomes have been assessed in the article?

Appendix B: Protocol Parameters for the Search About Universal Design of XR Technology

Sources:

We are including the first fifty search results in Google Scholar, and Google.

Inclusion Criteria:

We are looking for systematic literature reviews, scoping reviews, or survey articles about barriers, accessibility, usability, and universal design of XR technology including literature about XR OR Extended Reality, VR OR Virtual Reality, AR OR Augmented Reality, MR OR Mixed Reality, AND Universal Design, Accessibility, Usability, Barriers, Disability, AND Education, Learning.

Exclusion Criteria:

We are excluding all studies that only mention universal design, accessibility, and usability peripherally, as well as usability or accessibility studies for individual projects whose results cannot be generalized.

Search strings

(separated by “;”): (“extended reality” OR “augmented reality” OR “virtual reality”) AND (“accessibility” AND “usability” AND “universal design”) AND (“systematic literature review” AND “state-of-the-art”); (“extended reality” OR “augmented reality” OR “virtual reality”) AND (“universal design” AND accessibility AND barriers) AND (disability OR disabled OR impairment OR disorder); (“extended reality” OR “virtual reality” OR “augmented reality”) AND (accessibility OR usability OR “universal design”) AND education AND (disability OR disabled); General literature search: (“virtual reality” OR “augmented reality” OR immersive) AND (“accessibility” AND “usability”) AND (challenge* AND oportunit* AND need* AND barrier*); (“extended reality” OR “virtual reality” OR “augmented reality”) AND (accessibility OR usability OR “universal design”) AND education AND (disability OR disabled); (“extended reality” OR “virtual reality” OR “augmented reality”) AND (accessibility OR usability OR “universal design”) AND education AND (disability OR disabled) AND (challenge* AND oportunit* AND need* AND barrier*) (“upper limb” OR “upper body”) OR (“lower limbs” OR “lower body” OR “wheelchair”) OR (voice AND muteness) OR (blind OR “low vision”) OR (deaf OR “hard of hearing”) OR (cognitive OR intellectual OR developmental OR emotional); accessibility AND (“virtual reality”) AND disability AND barriers; (barriers OR challenges) AND (VR OR AR OR XR) AND accessibility AND disability.

Relevance Assessment:

We awarded 0 or 1 point to each paper in each of the following relevance assessment categories:

• Does the paper address mainly AR, VR, or both (i.e. MR or XR). When the article addressed both, two points were awarded. (Necessary requirement.)

• Is the article a systematic literature review, scoping article, or concept/opinion article? Does the article represent comprehensive guidelines or a standard? (Necessary requirement.)

• Does the article address XR in education?

• Does the article address universal design?

• Does the article address the accessibility of the XR technology?

• Does the article address the usability of the XR technology?

• Does the article address the barriers of XR technology for people with disabilities?

• Does the article propose solutions to the previously mentioned barriers?

• Does the article address people with disabilities?

• Does The article address any of the following disabilities? Motor, Mobility, Voice, Senses (seeing), Senses (hearing), Senses (touch), Cognition