Exploring sentiments and topics in Extended Reality learning environments: A comparative study

Area of Science:

• Educational Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Social Media Analytics

Background:

• Extended Reality (XR) technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), are increasingly explored for higher education.
• Understanding online user perceptions is crucial for effective integration of XR in academic settings.
• Previous research often examines XR technologies in isolation, lacking comparative sentiment analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and compare online user sentiments regarding the application of VR versus AR/MR in higher education.
• To identify key themes and topics associated with VR and AR/MR use in teaching and learning.
• To provide insights for policymakers on the suitability of different XR technologies for digital transformation in universities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a social media platform (X) as the data source for user perceptions.
• Employed topic modeling to identify and compare themes for VR and AR/MR.
• Assessed sentiment polarity for each identified topic across the different XR technologies.

Main Results:

• Identified three core themes for VR: self-directed learning, creativity-promoting environments, and challenges/concerns.
• Identified three core themes for AR/MR: guided/oriented learning, playful/flexible learning, and challenges/concerns.
• VR use in higher education showed significantly higher positivity, anticipation, trust, and joy compared to AR/MR.

Conclusions:

• VR elicits more favorable user sentiments than AR/MR in the context of higher education.
• Comparative sentiment analysis reveals distinct user perceptions influencing the adoption of specific XR technologies.
• Findings can guide higher education institutions in selecting appropriate XR tools to meet digital transformation objectives.