The concept of embodiment has been central to the design of XR (extended reality) technologies and is key to the deployment of and research on immersive learning, especially through virtual reality. Despite the important place that the notion holds in the immersive learning field, there have been few conceptual frameworks developed to assist developers, practitioners and educators understand how they might consider various aspects of embodiment and their implications for learning. The purpose of this paper is to present a set of sociological theoretical and empirical ways through which to reflect on how the body and human virtuality intertwine and how this occurs in educational endeavours. Specifically, the paper reviews how embodiment has been treated in the immersive learning literature, with a focus on virtual reality, and presents a conceptual framework, derived from the sociology of the body, intended to facilitate nuanced exploration of the topic in immersive learning. The paper concludes by demonstrating the utility of the conceptual framework by applying it to findings from the VR School Study, research that embedded immersive virtual reality into school classrooms.

This paper uses qualitative data, from a study which embedded virtual reality (VR) in high school science classes, to produce an exemplar designed to illustrate how the technology can promote engagement and Deeper Learning for students. Application of the Deeper Learning conceptual framework to the exemplar provides unique insights into how VR can be deployed in curriculum-aligned ways to develop and combine content mastery, self-directed, collaboration and, perhaps most importantly, creative endeavour in high school science, especially in low income school communities.

The increasing availability of intensely immersive virtual, augmented and mixed reality experiences using head-mounted displays (HMD) has prompted deliberations about the ethical implications of using such technology to resolve technical issues and explore the complex cognitive, behavioral and social dynamics of human `virtuality'. However, little is known about the impact such immersive experiences will have on children (aged 0-18 years). This paper outlines perspectives on child development to present conceptual and practical frameworks for conducting ethical research with children using immersive HMD technologies. The paper addresses not only procedural ethics (gaining institutional approval) but also ethics-in-practice (on-going ethical decision-making).