Culturally Sustainable Learning Environments: AR/VR-Driven Communication Design for Post-Pandemic Education

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-535-5_21How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Culturally Sustainable Education; AR/VR Pedagogy; Post-Pandemic Communication Design; Immersive Learning Ecosystems; Digital Cultural Preservation; Participatory Action Research; Indian Education Technology

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unparalleled and global disruption, as the educational and learning environment (asymmetrical spaces) of communities transitioned into the digital realm, to gain an insight into and a deeper understanding of systemic learning and teaching pedagogical practices that were methodologically inequitable, culturally dissonant, and gaps in pedagogical models that are largely accepted as traditional didactic practices. This study aims to explore and examine how the principles of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in communication design can embed experiences that promote culturally sustainable or culturally preserving educational experiences within a post-COVID context. Utilising a blended mixed-methodology, which is based on and drawn from principles of Participatory Action Research (PAR), the research engaged with 25 participants who were school-based or otherwise within the larger field of education in India. Quantitative observations and findings suggest a 68% increase in participant retention and memorisation of content with the culture-immersed parts of VR, when compared to other traditional platforms, whilst qualitative study participants suggest a 57% increase in efficiency regarding their ability to communicate across cultures in utilising the culturally relevant AR interfaces/apps that included culture. The research contends a new Culturally Responsive Communication Design (CRCD) Framework that is four-density and interrelated, which alludes to Identity (Affirmation) of being, Contextual Immersion (to culture), Narrative (Decolonization), and Access. A comprehensive literature review of global research evidence, along with associated case studies from India, reveals important findings that provide insight into the successful implementation of cultural sustainability. The successful outcomes of cultural sustainability processes stem from: (1) collaboration with the community to ensure that cultural sustainability is based on cultural relevance, (2) multisensory design while using appropriate cultural communication process, and (3) letting go of control of digital stories with respect to cultural insight, and (4) equitable access strategies to bridge the digital divide. The project provides several tips/tricks for educators and researchers to take cultural sustainability seriously and give educators a “hand” with their immersive technology. The paper also suggests that the adoption of VR/AR, coupled with sensitive culturally responsive action, has the potential to “revolutionise” education from passive content to experience and engage in active cultural co-creation and preservation.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Leeza Leeza
AU  - Rohita Sharma
AU  - Andrew Divers
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/16
TI  - Culturally Sustainable Learning Environments: AR/VR-Driven Communication Design for Post-Pandemic Education
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Creativity, Innovation & Design (ICCID 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 274
EP  - 303
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-535-5_21
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-535-5_21
ID  - Leeza2026
ER  -