XR Security, Privacy, Safety, and Ethics Considerations in Higher Education

This session provides an overview of critical XR security, privacy, safety, and ethical challenges that the higher education community will likely face in the short- to medium-term future. Drawing from the experiences with XR adoption at our respective institutions, as well as from collaborating with external advocacy groups—e.g., the XR Safety Initiative (xrsi.org) and the Immersive Learning Research Network’s (iLRN) Champions in Higher Education for XR (CHEX) consortium—the presenters will offer insights and recommendations for navigating these challenges in the context of XR adoption in the teaching and learning environment. We will discuss critical security and privacy considerations when initiating and supporting XR initiatives and projects on campus. We will share the existing regulatory frameworks that impact XR learning experiences, with an emphasis on data privacy and security requirements. Our main intent is to encourage participants to engage with the broader higher education community and other relevant organizations to advocate on behalf of students (whether with vendors or policymakers), and support the development of an ethical framework of best practices for XR learning experience design, and XR device and software procurement and management.