The progression and adoption of innovative learning methodologies signify that a respective part of society is open to new technologies and ideas and thus is advancing. The latest innovation in teaching is the use of Augmented Reality (AR). Applications using this technology have been deployed successfully in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education for delivering the practical and creative parts of teaching. Since AR technology already has a large volume of published studies about education that reports advantages, limitations, effectiveness, and challenges, classifying these projects will allow for a review of the success in the different educational settings and discover current challenges and future research areas. Due to COVID-19, the landscape of technology-enhanced learning has shifted more toward blended learning, personalized learning spaces and user-centered approach with safety measures. The main findings of this paper include a review of the current literature, investigating the challenges, identifying future research areas, and finally, reporting on the development of two case studies that can highlight the first steps needed to address these research areas. The result of this research ultimately details the research gap required to facilitate real-time touchless hand interaction, kinesthetic learning, and machine learning agents with a remote learning pedagogy.

Background: Immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) storytelling is a concept that merges ground-breaking virtual reality technology with the traditional art of storytelling. Virtual reality storytelling offers a rare opportunity to present abstract experiences that challenge boundaries, heighten emotions, and convey previously intangible concepts. Scientific research into immersive virtual reality storytelling is still in its infancy, particularly regarding the field of education in Nursing and Midwifery. Therefore, this study set out to investigate the subjective experience of using an immersive virtual reality storytelling experience as an active pedagogy. Methods: This was an evaluative study incorporating a multimodal approach encompassing a cross-sectional survey and observational study conducted in a large University in Ireland, offering major undergraduate and graduate degree programmes in the fields of Nursing and Midwifery. Students were invited to view the innovative virtual reality storytelling experience “Wonderful You” (BHD Immersive) that tells the story of the first 9 months of a baby’s life inside the woman’s womb. On completion, students were asked to complete an anonymous survey about their experience. Observational studies were also carried out, examining the student’s engagement and interaction with the iVR experience. A combination of statistical and thematic qualitative analysis was employed to interpret the respective summative rating scale and open-ended response questions in the evaluation survey. Data captured from the observations were grouped into categories and analysed capturing key themes. Results: A response rate of 71.2% (n = 94) identified iVR storytelling as a memorable learning experience that triggered students’ engagement and motivation to learn. IVR storytelling enabled students to visualise and better understand abstract concepts. Qualitative analysis of narrative responses revealed the positive evaluations of the iVR storytelling experience. Observational studies further revealed students were highly engaged and interacted positively with the iVR storytelling experience. Conclusions: The full potential of this new medium of iVR storytelling has yet to be seen. However, this study provides an encouraging insight into the positive attributes of iVR storytelling that engages students and creates authentic active learning experiences.

The adoption of innovative wearable technologies is potentially increasing as a new trend. Jumping into the augmented reality (AR) and Metaverse, Facebook (now known as Meta) launched smart glasses partnering with Ray-Ban sunglasses brand’s parent company EssilorLuxottica. Ray-Ban stories has several technical features for entertainment and socializing; more importantly, these features can be adopted in the future for more advanced wearable. However, these smart glasses also came with many ethical and privacy concerns along with their potential benefits. Furthermore, the unbridled deployment of these smart glasses brought several challenging questions for public social interaction when we will have more such devices in our lives. This short article has discussed the Ray-Ban stories’ ethical and privacy issues for social interaction and public places.

Metaverse is an upcoming transformative technology that will impact our future society with immersive experiences. The recent surge in the adoption of new technologies and innovations in connectivity, interaction technology, and artificial realities can fundamentally change the digital world. The Metaverse concept is the most recent trend to encapsulate and define the potential new digital landscape. However, with the introduction of 5G with high speed and low latency advancements in the hardware and software with the graphics power to display millions of polygons in 3D and blockchain technology, this concept is no longer fiction. This transition from today’s Internet to a spatially embodied Internet is, at its core, a transition from 2D to 3D interactions taking place in multiple virtual universes. In recent years, augmented virtual reality has created possibilities in the private and professional spheres. The new Virtual Reality (VR) headsets and Augmented Reality (AR) glasses can provide immersion in the physical sense. Technology must offer realistic experiences for users to turn this concept into reality. This paper focuses on the potential use cases and benefits of the Metaverse as a tech for good. The research paper outlines the potential areas where a positive impact could occur, highlights recent progress, and discusses the issues around trust, ethics, and cognitive load.