Agency and engagement in digital learning contexts and high-immersion virtual reality

This conceptual paper explores the role of learner agency and engagement in language education within digital learning contexts and high-immersion virtual reality (VR). The paper examines the multidimensional nature of agency and engagement, discussing how they manifest across various contexts and highlighting the challenges of creating digital and VR environments that have the potential to support agency and engagement. The paper highlights the need to balance agency with appropriate guidance and to account for different modalities that influence engagement dimensions in digital and high-immersion VR environments, thereby maximising their effectiveness as learning tools.