Dr. CAO Lu Presents Research on XR and Generative AI at the ICLS 2025 Conference

Dr. CAO Lu, Assistant Professor at the School of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, presented her latest research at the 2025 International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), a key program of the ISLS Annual Meeting held by the International Society of the Learning Sciences. ICLS is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious conferences in the field of the learning sciences, bringing together leading researchers from around the world to explore learning across contexts, including schools, homes, and digital environments. The 2025 Annual Meeting was held under the theme "Educating for world-making: Envisioning and enacting sustainable solutions to global crises."

Dr. CAO’s presentation, titled “Exploring Students’ Emotions in an Extended Reality (XR) with Generative AI Learning Environment”, was part of Session 5J: ICLS Short Paper Session – Engaging Students with AI. The study was co-authored with Dr. Hongzhi Yang (The University of Sydney) and Dr. Shufeng Ma (East China Normal University).

The research investigated how students emotionally responded while engaging in a technology-enhanced STEAM program that integrated extended reality (XR) and generative AI (GenAI). Fourth-grade students participated in an instructional program during which they co-constructed a virtual ecology corner using immersive XR and GenAI technologies. The findings highlighted that while students reported positive emotions such as enjoyment and hope during the learning activities, the functional complexity of the XR technologies also increased anxiety levels, particularly among female students.

This work contributes to the growing body of literature examining emotional experiences in AI-supported learning environments. It offers insights into the design of emotionally interactive, student-centered, technology-based learning environments.

During her visit to Finland, Dr. CAO also visited Tampere University, where she met with Dr. Muhterem Dindar, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education and Culture. Tampere University is a multidisciplinary, research-intensive public university in Finland, known for cutting-edge work in technology, health, and society. The Faculty of Education and Culture is renowned for its strong research in digital learning, educational equity, and assessment.

Dr. CAO toured the university’s XR Lab, introduced the School of Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and shared her recent work in the field of game-based learning. Dr. Dindar presented his team’s research on multimodal data in game-based learning environments. The two researchers engaged in productive discussions on potential research collaboration and shared interests in AI-supported learning technologies.

For more information about the ISLS Annual Meeting 2025, please visit https://2025.isls.org.

Written by CAO Lu

Proofread and Edited by CHEN Ruoxi