Two members of the Virtual Worlds and Digital Games Group presented at the 12th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN 2026), held June 27– 30, 2026, at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.

Kathrin Knutzen presented "Scaling Authenticity: Low-Threshold Social VR for Teacher Training and Didactical Practice" (with Thorsten Ziegler and Ulf Sauerbrey, University of Erfurt, and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Broll). This paper explores the potential of low-threshold Social VR to facilitate authentic classroom management practice for teachers. In the study, five participants, including in-service teachers and Master's students, managed disruptions caused by virtual students within a browser-based simulation created using open-source tools. The results indicate that low-threshold Social VR could be a valuable and scalable method for undergraduate teacher training, assuming improvements in technical stability. The study also questions assumptions that authentic teacher training necessarily requires high-fidelity technology, while acknowledging substantial limitations in sample size and diversity.
Full Paper is available at this link: doi.org/10.56198/S7USIAY3Q

Gunjan Kumari presented "Audio Design Preferences for Immersive Learning Environments: Comparing Autistic Users' Preferences with Stakeholder Perceptions" (with Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Broll). Just days earlier, she had presented a companion study, "Foundational Visual Design Preferences for Accessible Immersive Learning Environments: Autistic User and Stakeholder Perspectives” at DSAI 2026, held in Alexandroupolis.
Full paper is available at this link: https://doi.org/10.1145/3859892.3859899 

Both papers address the same question from different sensory perspectives: to what extent can stakeholder judgment serve as a proxy when designers can not consult autistic users directly? Working with 16 autistic participants and seven stakeholders, the studies found a consistent pattern. In passive environmental features, stakeholders accurately understood users: background music and ambient noise in the audio study and 3D model styles, background colors, and animated objects in the visual study. However, the two groups differed regarding interactive and comfort-critical features. Stakeholders misjudged interactive and feedback audio, background speech, font choice, and certain text-color combinations. Together, the results provide ILE developers with a practical guideline for when stakeholder consultation is sufficient and when direct user involvement is indispensable.
Full Paper is available at this link:: https://doi.org/10.56198/S7USIQJBL 

Gunjan also served as an expert panelist in the Panel: Immersive Technologies and Inclusion alongside Georgia Iatraki (University of Ioannina) and Dr Sarune Savickaite (University of Exeter).