Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on Socio-Technical XR Implementation in Higher Education Curricula

Abstract

As eXtended Reality (XR) technologies continue to mature, they present significant opportunities to enhance higher education through immersive, experiential, and learner-centered pedagogies. Despite this potential, adoption within higher education institutions remains limited due to complex, interdependent socio-technical barriers that extend beyond the technology itself. This study investigates XR implementation at Virginia Tech, a land-grant R1 institution, through a systems engineering lens, focusing on identifying key stakeholders, characterizing their roles and interdependencies, and examining the barriers and enablers influencing adoption and scalability. A single-case study design was employed, integrating mixed methods comprising a campus-wide survey (N = 232), educator focus groups (N = 14), and semi-structured interviews with domain experts in information technology, accessibility, and information security (N = 3). The study also documents the development process of a supplemental XR tool, in collaboration with an external team, to examine the real-world development workflows and identify implementation constraints. Across these data sources, findings indicate that XR adoption is shaped by interdependent socio-technical factors. These include financial constraints, infrastructure limitations, pedagogical misalignment, accessibility concerns, governance requirements, and fragmented institutional coordination. Critical gaps were identified in faculty training, cross-functional collaboration, and governance frameworks for XR-generated behavioral and biometric data. Despite these challenges, XR demonstrates strong potential to enhance engagement and experiential learning when aligned with instructional goals and supported by sustained institutional infrastructure. This study contributes a stakeholder-informed framework and actionable recommendations, namely a Stakeholder Needs Document and an External XR Development Guide, to support scalable and sustainable XR implementation in higher education.