Fostering innovation at the intersection of maker education and extended reality (XR)

Fostering innovation at the intersection of maker education and extended reality (XR) Introduction: The emerging landscape of immersive makingOver the past two decades, the convergence of maker education (Blikstein, 2013) and immersive technologies has opened new doors for innovative learning experiences.Rooted in constructionism (Papert, 1980), the maker movement emphasizes creativity, iteration, and problem-solving through the design and fabrication of personally meaningful artifacts.Makerspaces, in particular, have emerged as vibrant constructionist environments where learners construct knowledge by making things (Halverson & Sheridan, 2014).In parallel, immersive technologies (including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR)) have rapidly evolved, offering learners opportunities to experience content in embodied, interactive, and context-rich ways (e.g., Yannier et al., 2020).These technologies range from low-immersion desktop-based virtual worlds to high-fidelity VR simulations, enabling users to build, manipulate, and inhabit digital environments.Taken together, this special issue highlights the synergy of making and immersive technologies, which can create a rich design space for new forms of learning that are at once hands-on, embodied, collaborative, and distributed. New possibilitiesThe integration of making and immersive media extends the possibilities of constructionist learning in several ways.Immersive maker environments can act as new microworlds, supporting Papert's vision of "low floors, high ceilings, and wide walls" (Resnick & Silverman, 2005).They reduce barriers to entry by allowing rapid prototyping without expensive equipment or materials, while also enabling more ambitious projects and diverse pathways of engagement.For example, XR-enhanced environments let learners iterate quickly without the time, cost, or physical limitations of traditional fabrication (Aldemir et al., 2025).These environments also expand possibilities for embodied and body-syntonic learning (Papert, 1980).Learners engage with digital artifacts through movement, gesture, and spatial reasoning, creating powerful new entry points for computational thinking (CT) and design (Khorasani et al., 2025).Finally, immersive makerspaces can foster distributed collaboration: learners interact not only with physical and virtual artifacts, but also with remote peers and even AI agents.Technologies such as REACH (Remote Embodiment for Augmented Collaborative Help) illustrate how XR can support tangible collaboration across distance, preserving the embodied, artifact-centered character of making while expanding access and community (Smith & Tissenbaum, 2025). 1.2.