Presence, Cognitive Load, and Learning in Extended Reality: A Thematic Analytical Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65166/ss92y378Keywords:
extended reality, presence, cognitive load theory; , immersive learning, instructional design, learning outcomesAbstract
Extended reality (XR) is increasingly used in education and training, yet claims that greater immersion necessarily improves learning remain theoretically and empirically unsettled. This thematic analytical review examines how presence, cognitive load, and learning outcomes are conceptualized, measured, and related across virtual, augmented, and mixed reality research. English-language literature published from 1990 to 2026 was identified through Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, PsycINFO, and the ACM Digital Library, supplemented by backward and forward citation tracking. The literature was synthesized across five themes: presence conceptualization and measurement; cognitive load in XR; empirical relationships among presence, load, and learning; the immersion assumption; and moderating effects of task, learner, and instructional design characteristics. The evidence does not support a uniform relationship between technological immersion, presence, and learning. Presence appears most educationally useful when it is task-congruent, particularly in spatial, procedural, and experiential learning, and when usability, guidance, cueing, and segmentation limit extraneous processing. Conversely, complex interfaces, irrelevant realism, unguided exploration, and poor alignment between XR affordances and learning objectives may increase cognitive burden and weaken learning outcomes. Measurement inconsistency and the frequent conflation of immersion with presence continue to limit cumulative inference. The review proposes a contingent framework in which XR effectiveness depends on task–affordance alignment, learner characteristics, and instructional design rather than immersion alone. These findings support more selective, evidence-based XR adoption and more rigorous, multidimensional evaluation of presence, cognitive load, retention, and transfer.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Ramon George Atento, Dr. Leah F. Quinto, Andrea Gwyneth Atento, Victor Jolo Maranan, Charmaine O. Castaneda, MS Biology (Author)
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