Al-Samarraie Hosam, Sarsam Samer Muthana, Alzahrani Ahmed Ibrahim, Aldowah Hanan
School of Design, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
School of Management, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2025 Jul 14;20(7):e0327311. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0327311. eCollection 2025.
This study explored online users' sentiments about the use and application of Extended Reality (XR) in higher education. X social media platform was used as the main source for assessing users' perceptions of XR in teaching and learning. A topic modelling approach was used to identify and compare main themes and topics in relation to the use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)/Mixed Reality (MR). The sentiment and polarity of each topic were assessed and compared across these technologies. The results revealed three themes for VR (self-directed learning, creativity-promoting environments, and challenges and concerns) and three themes for AR/MR (guided and oriented learning experience, playful and flexible learning experience, and challenges and concerns). The results also demonstrated significant differences in users' sentiments, with VR use in higher education achieving higher positivity, anticipation, trust, and joy compared to AR/MR. Findings from this study are unique in the sense that they offer a comparative perspective on XR inclusion in university teaching and learning. The findings can direct policy makers in higher education about the suitability and feasibility of using certain XR technologies in facilitating their digital transformation goals.
本研究探讨了在线用户对高等教育中扩展现实（XR）的使用和应用的看法。X社交媒体平台被用作评估用户对XR在教学中的认知的主要来源。采用主题建模方法来识别和比较与虚拟现实（VR）和增强现实（AR）/混合现实（MR）使用相关的主要主题。对每个主题的情感和极性在这些技术之间进行了评估和比较。结果揭示了VR的三个主题（自主学习、促进创造力的环境以及挑战与担忧）和AR/MR的三个主题（引导式和定向式学习体验、有趣且灵活的学习体验以及挑战与担忧）。结果还表明用户情感存在显著差异，与AR/MR相比，高等教育中使用VR获得了更高的积极性、期待感、信任感和愉悦感。本研究的结果具有独特性，因为它们提供了关于在大学教学中纳入XR的比较视角。这些发现可以指导高等教育政策制定者了解使用某些XR技术以实现其数字转型目标的适用性和可行性。
