How XR shapes the future of higher education

Abstract Immersive technologies are gaining relevance in higher education. While their use has often been limited to isolated pilot projects, the question is becoming more urgent as to how XR can be integrated in a way that is educationally meaningful, technically reliable, and institutionally scalable. This paper aims to develop desirable visions for the future use of XR in university teaching and to derive key design requirements from them. Thus, a two-phase methodological design was employed, consisting of a cross-status group analysis and an interdisciplinary expert workshop. The results include exploratory future scenarios for the years 2035, 2050, and 2075. They outline possible developments ranging from infrastructural anchoring and global educational networks to individualized learning environments with novel interfaces. Accordingly, intersectional themes such as educational practice, ethics, and infrastructure are systematically addressed, and strategic options for action are identified for higher education institutions and policy makers.