SpatiaLearn: Exploring XR Learning Environments for Reflective Writing

Reflective writing promotes deeper learning by enhancing metacognitive awareness and critical thinking, but learners often struggle with structuring their reflections and maintaining focus. Generative AI and advances in spatial computing offer promising solutions. Extended reality (XR) environments create immersive, distraction-free settings, while conversational agents use dialog-based scaffolding guides to structure learners’ thoughts. However, research on combining dialog-based scaffolding with XR for reflective writing remains limited. To address this, we introduce SpatiaLearn, an adaptive XR tool that enhances reflective writing through conversational guidance in both traditional and immersive environments. A within-subjects study (N = 19) compared participants’ performance in traditional laptop and XR environments. Qualitative analysis shows the spatial interface enhances engagement but raises challenges like unfamiliar interactions and health concerns, requiring task adaptation for XR. This study advances the design of immersive tools for reflective writing, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of spatial interfaces.