This paper explores how Mixed Reality (MR) and 2D video conferencing influence children's communication during a gesture-based guessing game.Finnish-speaking participants engaged in a short collaborative task using two different setups: Microsoft HoloLens MR and Zoom.Audio-video recordings were transcribed and analyzed using Large Language Models (LLMs), enabling iterative correction, translation, and annotation.Despite limitations in annotations' accuracy and agreement, automated approaches significantly reduced processing time and allowed non-Finnish-speaking researchers to participate in data analysis.Evaluations highlight both the efficiency and constraints of LLM-based analyses for capturing children's interactions across these platforms.Initial findings indicate that MR fosters richer interaction, evidenced by higher emotional expression during annotation, and heightened engagement, while Zoom offers simplicity and accessibility.This study underscores the potential of MR to enhance collaborative learning experiences for children in distributed settings.

Synchronous hybrid learning allows physically distributed students and teachers to participate simultaneously in learning activities. Despite the growing interest in synchronous hybrid learning, there remains a need for further investigation into effective pedagogical approaches and technological implementations that support teacher-student interactions at the school level. Addressing this, we present a prototype of an in-house holographic telepresence environment for synchronous hybrid learning, demonstrated through an exploratory study connecting students and teachers across two continents. We conducted semi-structured interviews with the six participating teachers to understand their experiences and perceptions related to the application of holographic telepresence for synchronous hybrid learning. Thematic analysis of the interview data highlights the pedagogical challenges that teachers faced, identifies technological environment design improvements, and outlines new opportunities for enhancing synchronous hybrid learning experiences. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on leveraging immersive technologies to enhance education in diverse and geographically separated settings.