XR and AI as Spaces for Educational Experience A Theoretical Model for Integrating Play, Aesthetics and Cultural Development

Abstract

This article presents a theoretical model for integrating Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in educational contexts. The central thesis posits that these technologies can create novel spaces for transformative educational processes. The proposed model is structured around six core dimensions: resonance, well-being, imaginative capacity, futures literacy, playfulness, and flow experience. These dimensions are conceived as expandable and are situated within an XR-AI experiential space, conceptualized as a modern heterotopia. Play assumes particular significance as a form of human learning and cultural development. The authors argue that the focus should shift from technical implementation toward a pedagogical approach that positions humans as creative agents at the centre of the learning process. The model has been practically tested with university students and serves as a bridge between technological possibilities and pedagogical principles. While promising in its theoretical framework and initial applications, comprehensive empirical validation of the model remains a research desideratum.