iLRN Immersive Futures Guildbook

Part I. Introduction to the Immersive Futures Guild

1.1  What the Immersive Futures Guild Is

The Immersive Futures Guild is iLRN's dedicated foresight community — the organizational structure within which horizon scanning, expert deliberation, scenario development, and long-range knowledge synthesis take place. The Guild operates as a standing working group within iLRN, coordinated by the Circle of Scholars and open to wider community participation through structured contribution mechanisms.

The Guild's primary intellectual output is the Vision 2035 series: a rolling program of foresight cards, scenario narratives, and research strand analyses that collectively constitute a living picture of the societal, technological, and educational conditions that will shape immersive learning over a ten-to-twenty year horizon. These outputs are organized and maintained within the Immersive Futures Guild Codex.

The Guild operates on an annual cycle with two distinct phases. In H1 (January through June), the Circle of Scholars conducts facilitated workshops that produce time-stamped foresight syntheses — the foundational scholarly record for each card. In H2 (July through December), those syntheses are opened to the broader iLRN community for evidence contribution, methodological challenge, cultural perspective, and dialogue. This cycle repeats, with each January Circle of Scholars session reviewing and potentially versioning the outputs of the prior year's community evidence track.


1.2  What the Immersive Futures Guild Codex Is

The Immersive Futures Guild Codex is a purpose-specific deployment of iLRN's BookStack-based Codex infrastructure. While the broader iLRN Codex serves multiple organizational functions — including Knowledge Tree evidence synthesis, conference logistics documentation, and operational procedures — the Immersive Futures Guild Codex is dedicated exclusively to the Guild's foresight work.

The Immersive Futures Guild has, for now, chosen to structure every page in their Guild Codex so it follows a consistent two-section architecture: a fixed foresight documentation block anchored to Circle of Scholars expert workshop output (Part I of each page), followed by a living community evidence and dialogue page section that accumulates contributions from network members throughout H2 (Part II of each page). No page in the Guild Codex is a single-section document. The two-section structure is not optional — it is the defining design principle of every artifact the Guild produces.

The Living Architecture is thus: 

  1. Expert Circle Snapshot

  2. Community disagreement, discussion, and ongoing dialogue

1.3  Relationship to the Broader iLRN Codex

The Immersive Futures Guild Codex is one of several functional deployments of the iLRN Codex infrastructure at codex.immersivelrn.org  Other deployments serve the Knowledge Tree (evidence synthesis), Circle of Scholars governance (advisory records), and iLRN operations (conference documentation, community management). The Codex is deployed as a “Single Source Document” across the network. These deployments share the same BookStack platform and the same underlying naming and linking conventions described in Part VIII of this handbook.

Pages in the Guild Codex are cross-linked to pages in other Codex deployments — particularly Research Strand pages (which connect foresight work to the Knowledge Tree evidence base) and Scenario pages (which draw on Societal Challenge and Future Technology cards). These cross-links are intended to be maintained bidirectionally and essential to the function of the Codex as a network rather than a collection of isolated documents.

We should have the platform that allows us to carry out this Open Science collection of shared, public evidence that aims to serve people with immersive learning needs, everywhere. 

1.4  The Circle of Scholars Foresight Cycle

The Circle of Scholars is iLRN's top-tier advisory body composed of distinguished researchers, practitioners, and community leaders in immersive learning. Within the Immersive Futures Guild, the Circle's function is specifically foresight production: Participating Circle of Scholar members contribute to discussions and shared activities for the facilitated synthesis of expert perspective into publication of time-stamped cards and narratives. The environmental scanning + structured publication can stand on its own as imaginative & current syntheses of RIGHT NOW in AI+XR… and documenting these bounded activities constitutes the Guild Codex's primary scholarly record. We will practice forecasting out loud, creating & sharing scenarios that can be anchored in critical intelligence and imagination for better human learning. 

Circle workshops are conducted using Design-Based Research (DBR) participatory synthesis methods. Facilitation is provided by designated Circle members with foresight methodology and scenario or trend relevant expertise. Workshop outputs are documented as the fixed Part I of each Codex page — they represent the best available expert synthesis at a given moment in time, and they anchor the community evidence track that follows.


H1 Activity

Circle of Scholars facilitated workshops — produce time-stamped Part I foresight snapshots for new and reviewed cards

H2 Activity

Community evidence track — Part II of each card opens for broader iLRN contribution via Tally.so forms

Annual Handoff

January Circle of Scholars session reviews prior year's community evidence; decides on Part I versioning; opens new card cycle

Tally.so Role

Each card carries a unique Tally.so form URL; submissions are reviewed and incorporated into Part II on a rolling basis

Facilitation

Designated Circle of Scholars members; foresight methodology expertise required

Documentation

All workshop outputs are time-stamped and attributed; no revision without formal versioning decision



1.5  Two-Section Structure reflecting Expert Perspective & Community Calibration

The two-section architecture of every Guild Codex page embodies a specific epistemological commitment: that foresight knowledge can be best built in sequence: of two distinct but equally necessary dimensions. The first is scholarly anchoring — the rigorous, facilitated, time-stamped synthesis of expert perspective that gives a card its initial authority and stability. The second is community calibration — the ongoing testing, challenging, extending, and contextualizing of that synthesis by a broader and more diverse community of knowers.

Neither dimension is sufficient alone. A card with only Part I is a snapshot that will age without stewardship. A card with only Part II is an unanchored discussion without scholarly grounding. The two-section structure ensures that Guild Codex pages maintain both epistemic authority and epistemic responsiveness over time.

The Tally.so community contribution form attached to every card's Part II is not an optional feedback mechanism — it is structural infrastructure. It ensures that the pathway from community knowledge to Codex record is always specific, traceable, and open. Each form is unique to its card, allowing contributions to be organized and synthesized by card rather than accumulated in a single undifferentiated inbox.


1.6  Living Knowledge Infrastructure for Foresight Work

Foresight is particularly vulnerable to synthesis decay — the process by which authoritative-seeming documents become outdated without mechanisms for update and maintenance. A scenario written in one year may be significantly miscalibrated by the next, as technologies develop faster or slower than anticipated, as social conditions shift, and as weak signals mature into prominent trends.

The Guild Codex addresses this through several design features: the H1/H2 annual cycle that ensures every card is revisited at least once per year; the community evidence track that creates continuous incoming signal; the versioning protocol that documents when and why the Part I synthesis is updated; and the Ways of Knowing framework (Tree, Garden, Lantern) that makes explicit which dimension of knowledge each contribution addresses.


1.7  Ways of Knowing in the Guild Codex

Every Guild Codex page is situated within iLRN's Ways of Knowing framework. This framework distinguishes three dimensions of knowledge production that are all present in immersive learning, all necessary for rigorous foresight, and all welcome as contribution modes in the community evidence track.


Symbol

Way of Knowing

What It Addresses

Contribution Type in Part II

🌳 Tree

Knowledge / Evidence

What research shows; what systematic evidence supports; what the literature documents

Literature citations, empirical findings, systematic review summaries

🌼 Garden

Practice / Design

What works in practice; what practitioners observe; what design produces

Case examples, practitioner accounts, design pattern documentation

🏮 Lantern

Futures / Anticipation

What signals suggest; what scenarios illuminate; what long-range thinking reveals

Horizon signals, scenario challenges, future-oriented evidence claims


1.8  Codex Governance Philosophy

The Guild Codex operates under a governance philosophy that prioritizes epistemic honesty over apparent consensus, documentation over resolution, and community breadth over institutional convenience. The following principles are operational requirements, not aspirational values — they are embedded in the design of every template, every workflow, and every review protocol in this handbook.


Guild Codex Governance Principles

Provenance First — Every claim carries attribution: who produced it, when, through what process, on what basis.

Disagreement is Expected — The Part II evidence track is not for endorsement; it is for substantive engagement including dissent.

Documentation over Resolution — Unresolved tensions are documented, not resolved artificially. Open questions are named and maintained.

Fidelity to Workshop Output — Part I content is fixed at the point of workshop synthesis. It is not edited in response to criticism; it is versioned.

Community Breadth — Part II actively seeks contributions from under-represented contexts: Global South, Indigenous, practitioner, non-English-language.

Transparency of Revision — Every change to Part I requires a formal versioning decision documented in the page's revision log.

Tally.so as Infrastructure — Community contribution forms are permanent features of every card, not temporary consultation mechanisms.

Ways of Knowing Pluralism — Evidence from Tree, Garden, and Lantern modes is equally valid and welcomed in Part II.


 

 

Part II. About the iLRN Futures Guild Codex

2.1  The Fundamental Two-Section Page Structure

Every page in the Immersive Futures Guild Codex — with only rare exception — is organized into two sections. This is the defining architectural principle of this Guild’s Codex, distinguishing it from general-purpose Codex or the other two Guilds’ deployments and from static knowledge repositories.


Section

Name

Content

Status

Part I

Foresight Snapshot

Time-stamped Circle of Scholars workshop synthesis; core claims; dimensions; tensions; Ways of Knowing links; architecture connections

FIXED — Time-stamped; revised only by formal versioning

Part II

Community Evidence & Dialogue Track

Community contributions organized by category; tension response spaces; evidence registers; Tally.so form integration; synthesis notes

LIVING — H2 cycle; rolling contributions; synthesis reviews at 3 points


2.2  Four-Layer Content Architecture

Within the two-section structure, Guild Codex pages are organized into four possible content layers. All four layers follow the same Part I / Part II architecture; they differ in the type of foresight content they carry. Layer 1 – Atomic Foresight Objects shall all be applied at a base level evenly across all category pages; Layer 2 – Narrative Assemblages (Scenarios) are dependent on author assignments within the Guild; Layer 3 is moderated by the Scientific Quality Assurance & Publications team guidelines and volunteers able to administer the respective volume of community response to respected Immersive Futures content areas; and Layer 4 is interconnected with the operational and community stewardship of iLRN, thus is dependent on and controlled by the Executive and iLRN Leadership Teams. 


Layer 1 — Atomic Foresight Objects (Cards)

Societal Challenge Cards (SC)    — broad social conditions shaping immersive learning futures

Future Technology Possibility Cards (FT)    — technologies plausible within a 10–20 year horizon

Historical Technology Shift Cards (HT)    — transitions that have occurred and shaped the present

Educational Transformation Cards (ET)    — structural shifts in educational organization and delivery


Layer 2 — Narrative Assemblages (Scenarios)

Scenario Pages assemble multiple cards into coherent future world-pictures.

They are analytical tools for structured futures thinking — not predictions.

Scenarios carry their own Part I (Circle of Scholars narrative synthesis) and Part II (community scenario testing).


Layer 3 — Research Coordination Infrastructure (Strands)

Research Strand Pages are long-term coordination nodes organizing open questions, methodologies, and ethical considerations.

They connect Guild foresight work to the iLRN Knowledge Tree evidence base.

Strand Part I documents Circle of Scholars research agenda synthesis; Strand Part II collects field-wide community input.


Layer 4 — Operational & Community Knowledge

Papers, Projects, Exemplars, Design Patterns, Communities of Practice, Toolkits, Methods, Events

These pages document specific outputs and communities connected to the Guild's foresight work.

Layer 4 pages follow a simplified version of the two-section structure.


2.3  The Annual Foresight Calendar

The Guild Codex operates on a structured annual calendar that governs when cards are produced, when evidence tracks open, and when syntheses are reviewed. All Guild Codex activities are anchored to this calendar.


Period

Phase

Activities

January

Circle of Scholars Workshop

Annual workshop(s): produce new cards; version existing Part I content based on prior year evidence track; assign new Tally.so forms

Feb–May

Part I Completion & Review

Workshop outputs refined and published; cross-links established; Tally.so forms built and linked; Part II scaffolding prepared

June 30

Part I Deadline

All Part I content for the cycle finalized and published; Tally.so forms activated; Part II sections opened to public view

July 1

Part II Opens

Community evidence tracks open; contribution forms activated; editorial review of submissions begins

September

Midpoint Synthesis

First synthesis of received contributions; synthesis notes added to Part II; iLRN Conference integration if applicable

November

Late Synthesis

Second synthesis pass; emerging tensions identified; versioning recommendations drafted if warranted

December 31

Part II Closes

Contribution forms deactivated (forms archived); final synthesis notes completed; handoff memo prepared for January Circle

January (next)

Annual Handoff

Circle of Scholars reviews prior year evidence; decides on Part I versioning; opens new cycle; new Tally.so forms assigned


2.4  The Tally.so Form Architecture

Every Guild Codex page is paired with a unique Tally.so form that serves as the primary submission mechanism for Part II contributions. These forms are structural infrastructure — they are not optional feedback channels, and they persist for the full H2 cycle before being archived and replaced for the next cycle.


2.4.1  Form URL Convention

All Guild Codex contribution forms follow a standardized URL pattern:


Tally.so URL Convention

Base:   https://tally.so/r/ilrn-if-[card-code]-[year]

Card code components:

  [type-prefix]-[shortname]-[year]

  Type prefixes:  sc  (Societal Challenge)  |  ft  (Future Technology)  |  ht  (Historical Shift)  |  et  (Educational Transformation)

  Scenario prefix:  scn  |  Research Strand prefix:  str

Examples:

  SC: Care, Culture & Community  →  https://tally.so/r/ilrn-if-sc-ccc-2026

  FT: Agentic AI  →  https://tally.so/r/ilrn-if-ft-agentai-2026

  SCENARIO: Extractive Surveillance  →  https://tally.so/r/ilrn-if-scn-extractive-2026

  STRAND: Embodied Cognition & Learning  →  https://tally.so/r/ilrn-if-str-embodied-2026


2.4.2  Standard Form Fields

All Guild Codex Tally.so forms share a standard field structure. Card-specific forms may add supplementary fields but must not remove standard fields.


Field

Type

Required?

Notes

Contributor Name

Short text

Required

Full name; displayed in Part II register unless anonymity requested

Affiliation / Institution

Short text

Required

Used for provenance; displayed in register

Country / Region

Dropdown

Required

For geographic diversity tracking

Contribution Category

Single select

Required

Case Example | Methodological Challenge | Cultural/Community Perspective | Proposed Evidence Criterion | General Response

Tension Addressed (if applicable)

Single select

Optional

From the named tensions in Part I; 'None / General' option included

Ways of Knowing Mode

Single select

Required

Tree (evidence) | Garden (practice) | Lantern (futures)

Contribution Text

Long text

Required

Main body of the submission; 50–600 words recommended

Supporting Reference(s)

Long text

Optional

APA citation with DOI if available

Permission to Publish

Yes/No

Required

Consent to include in Part II register; 'Yes anonymously' option included

Anonymity Requested?

Yes/No

Required

If yes, affiliation is displayed but name is replaced with [Contributor]


2.4.3  Form Management Protocol