December 5th, 2025 iLRN illuminators forum - Episode #2
Guest: Tassos Mikropoulos, General Chair, iLRN2026 Athens & State of XR European Regional Hub co-Lead
iLRN ILLUMINATORS' FORUM
... the weekly scanning report of
iLRN IMMERSIVE FUTURES' State of XR & Immersive Learning 2026 effort
episode #2: "Spotlight on 2025 contributions to The Learning Sciences as foundation of Immersive Learning with Special Guest Tassos Mikropolous" <- click link (YouTube video of the show)
Forum Host: Jonathon Richter
Special Guest: Anastasia "Tassos" Mikropolous,a leading scholar in learning sciences and educational technology, specializing in cognitive processes, sensor-based interfaces, and mixed-reality learning. General Chair of iLRN2026 and long-time innovator in the Greek and European research communities.
This session is the second episode of our weekly global scanning series for the 2026 iLRN State of XR & Immersive Learning report. Each week for the rest of the year and into the start of 2026, we convene researchers, designers, and practitioners who are actively observing developments across regions, sectors, and technologies. The goal is to build a shared and recent evidence base for taking a Collective Expert Focused Snapshot for understanding how immersive learning is evolving worldwide.
Focus Areas: Learning Sciences · Teacher Education · Augmented Cognitive Tools
This Friday, we continue building the foundation for the 2026 State of XR & Immersive Learning Scan by turning our attention to the Learning Sciences, with a particular emphasis on the research and design traditions that shape how immersive technologies support human learning.
Our guest, Tassos Mikropoulos, brings a distinct vantage point as both a computer scientist and a long-standing contributor to educational technology research. While last week’s episode leaned heavily into Computer Science, Game Design, and themed entertainment, this session shifts toward the pedagogical and cognitive dimensions of immersive learning—areas where Tassos’ work is especially resonant.
We will explore:
• Teacher Education in XR:
How immersive technologies are being integrated into teacher preparation programs, what design patterns support novice teacher development, and how simulation-based practice environments are reshaping professional learning.
• Augmented Cognitive Tools & Intelligent Tutoring Systems:
Emerging research on agentic AI, multimodal interfaces, and adaptive XR systems that scaffold inquiry, reflection, and feedback. We’ll look at how these tools extend human cognition and expand the repertoire of instructional strategies available to educators.
Together, these threads reflect the evolving core of the Learning Sciences—linking cognition, interaction, and design—while helping set the direction for this year’s global scanning effort.
All are welcome to join as we continue mapping the trends, signals, and scholarly conversations that will inform iLRN’s 2026 report and the Athens conference.
Jump to this episode on the iLRN YouTube Channel with the following link: