The last decade has witnessed the rapid development of immersive virtual reality (IVR) and its application in various contexts. However, its application in supporting real-time virtual collaboration has been quite rare due to technical barriers and the lack of validated design principles. To address this research gap, this study designed and developed an IVR space to enable multiuser synchronous co-located collaboration to complete a fantasy game. An evaluation study (N = 95) was conducted to explore its useful design considerations and the influencing factors for collaboration experience in the game. The IVR space was enabled by the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)-based inside-out tracking technique and was informed by four essential design considerations for promoting effective collaboration in IVR, namely, the role script, learning task, collaboration mechanism, and communication design. The study results revealed that students in general were satisfied with their collaboration experience in IVR, with social presence and collaboration competency as significant predictors of collective efficacy and social experience. Based on both quantitative and qualitative results, this study proposes four validated principles for designing effective IVR spaces to support synchronous co-located collaboration.

Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) serves as a promising tool to provide adolescents with enriched social experience due to its high-fidelity simulations and multimodal interaction. This study aims to design and develop a multi-user IVR collaborative game utilizing simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)-based inside-out tracking technique to foster social experience among students. Also, this study explored the mechanism by which technology acceptance affected social experience in the IVR collaboration game, focusing on the mediating effects of presence, collective efficacy, and group effectiveness, as well as the moderating effect of social–emotional competence (SEC). Methods: A total of 104 seventh graders from a middle school in Central China participated in this study and completed the questionnaire. Finally, 87 valid questionnaire responses were retrieved. Results: The results revealed that technology acceptance both directly and indirectly influenced social experience. The mediation analysis revealed a key pathway influencing social experience: technology acceptance → presence → collective efficacy → group effectiveness → social experience. However, no moderating effect of SEC was found in the relationship between technology acceptance and social experience, group effectiveness, and social experience. Conclusions: Based on these results, more appropriate IVR interventions could be developed for social–emotional learning among children and adolescents.

AI code generators are increasingly used in creative contexts, offering operational efficiencies on the one hand and prompting concerns about psychological and neurophysiological strain on the other. This study employed a multimodal approach to examine the affective, autonomic, and creative consequences of AI-assisted coding in early-stage learners. Fifty-eight undergraduate design students with no formal programming experience were randomly assigned to either an AI-assisted group or a control group and engaged in a two-day generative programming task. Emotional states (PANAS), creative self-efficacy (CSES), and subjective workload (NASA-TLX) were assessed, alongside continuous monitoring of heart rate variability (HRV; RMSSD and LF/HF). Compared to the controls, the AI-assisted group exhibited greater increases in negative affect (p = 0.006), reduced parasympathetic activity during the task (p = 0.001), and significant post-task declines in creative self-efficacy (p < 0.05). Expert evaluation of creative outputs revealed a significantly lower performance in the AI group (p = 0.040), corroborated by behavioral observations showing higher tool dependency, emotional volatility, and rigid problem-solving strategies. These findings indicate that, in novice users, the opacity and unpredictability of AI feedback may disrupt emotional regulation and autonomic balance, thereby undermining creative engagement. The results highlight the need to consider neurocognitive vulnerability and the learner’s developmental stage when integrating AI tools into cognitively demanding creative workflows.

Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in public speaking training, yet the distinct roles of environmental context and virtual audience design remain unclear. This study examines how avatar visual style (realistic vs. stylized) and scene type (natural vs. indoor) influence subjective experience and physiological stress. A total of 132 participants were assigned to a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment. Subjective experience was assessed using standardized questionnaires, while physiological responses were measured via electrodermal activity and heart rate variability, complemented by post-experiment interviews. Results revealed a dissociation between subjective and physiological responses. Natural environments significantly enhanced user satisfaction and overall experience, whereas avatar style primarily influenced physiological stress. Specifically, stylized avatars elicited lower electrodermal activity than realistic avatars, indicating reduced sympathetic arousal. No significant interaction effects were observed. Mediation analyses showed no significant roles of perceived support or threat, suggesting that physiological responses may not rely on explicit cognitive appraisal. Qualitative findings further indicated that ambiguous audience feedback limited evaluative interpretation. These findings support a dual-pathway framework in which environmental context shapes cognitive–affective experience, whereas avatar realism modulates implicit physiological stress. This study provides theoretical insights and practical implications for designing VR systems that enhance user comfort and reduce stress.