Swimming with sharks and walking on Mars - Synthesis of a cross-sector forum on immersive technology in secondary education

Oct 15, 2026

Swimming with sharks and walking on Mars synthesizes insights from a one-day 2022 forum co-hosted by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and the XR Association on immersive technology in high school education. The report explains why extended reality (XR) matters, summarizes key takeaways from forum participants, and frames the current limitations to broader XR adoption. It outlines themes and examples, highlights needs for improved XR design and interoperability with school hardware and software, and concludes with recommendations for equitable design and adoption to support learning and well-being.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

About this report

Purpose and audience

XR potential and ongoing questions

Forum synthesis and organization

Co-host: XR Association

Swimming with sharks and walking on Mars: Synthesis of a cross-sector forum on immersive technology in secondary education Medha Tare, PhD Spring 2023 Elizabeth Rood, EdD The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop About the AuthorS Medha Tare, PhD Medha Tare is the senior director of research at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. She was previously the director of research for the Learner Variability Project at Digital Promise, where she developed public resources on the cognitive, socio-emotional, and background factors that impact learning. This work involved research translation, science communication, and studies of educational efficacy with school districts and ed tech product developers. She has also served as a Learning Sciences Exchange fellow through New America, working across sectors to promote early learning and help young children and their families thrive. Tare earned her PhD in developmental psychology at the University of Michigan and her BA in cognitive science and English at Rutgers University. Elizabeth Rood, EdD Elizabeth Rood is an education adviser, researcher, and writer with expertise in youth development, learning, and participatory program design. She is the founder and principal of Learning Designs Consulting, which provides advisory services in educational media and experiential learning. Rood has a background informal urban education, gained as a teacher, principal, and leadership coach in San Francisco public schools. She was previously vicepresident of education at the Bay Area Discovery Museum and director of the Center for Childhood Creativity, the research arm of the museum. She also served as president of the Bay Area Chapter of the Children’s Media Association. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center is an independent research and innovation lab within Sesame Workshop that advances positive futures for kids in the digital world. We conduct research on emerging technologies and collaborate with technologists, digital media producers, and educators to put this research into action to support children’s learning and well-being. We facilitate an international network of researchers and partner with young people themselves, elevating their voices in our research and engaging them in co-designing digital media experiences. We also work directly with policymakers and investors to drive national conversations and decisions that help children thrive. SuggeSted citAtion Tare, M., & Rood, E. (2023). Swimming with sharks and walking on Mars: Synthesis of a cross-sector forum onimmersive technology in secondary education. Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. Swimming with sharks and walking on Mars: Synthesis of across-sector forum on immersive technology in secondary education is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. A full-text PDF of this publication is available as a free [download from www.joanganzcooneycenter.org](download from www.joanganzcooneycenter.org). contentS 4 — 5 — 6 — 8 — 10 — 12 — 12 — 13 — 14 — 15 — 16 — 18 — About thiS rePort Virtual, mixed, and augmented reality, termed “extended reality,” or XR, have great potential for classroom-based learning. Yet many questions about the use and widespread adoption of these emerging technologies remain. To share insights, opportunities, and challenges, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and the XR Association (XRA) hosted Immersive Media and Learning, a one-day forum in 2022, to explore the use of XR technologies in high school settings. This report documents and synthesizes key takeaways from the forum. The report is meant for educators considering how to incorporate XR-enhanced learning at their schools; industry professionals seeking to understand possible uses in high school classrooms and develop products that enhance teaching and learning; and researchers investigating what XR best enables and how it may improve

FAQs

What is the purpose of the report?

The report documents and synthesizes key takeaways from a 2022 forum exploring immersive technology in high school settings, offering guidance to educators, industry professionals, and researchers.

Who co-hosted the 2022 forum discussed in the report?

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and the XR Association (XRA) co-hosted the one-day forum in 2022.

What challenges does the report emphasize regarding XR adoption in education?

It raises current limitations to XR adoption in education and suggests improving XR technology design and interoperability with the hardware and software used in schools.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sophia Brooks