Navigating Gen AI and virtual reality in schools

The information below summarizes updates shared by faculty representing Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation.
Published research
Secondary teachers’ use and beliefs about generative artificial intelligence and writing in school
Reading and Writing
Regents Professor Steve Graham and colleagues surveyed Norwegian secondary school teachers to examine their use of generative AI in writing instruction, and their beliefs about its benefits, ethical risks, and readiness for integration. Teachers’ beliefs in benefits, ethics and preparedness uniquely predicted their reported use of GenAI for writing tasks.
Listed as: Graham, S., Skar, G. B., Kvistad, A. H., & Jeffery, J. V. (2025). Secondary teachers’ use and beliefs about generative artificial intelligence and writing in school. Reading and Writing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-025-10699-9
Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions of Individual and Collective Virtual Reality Experiences for Teaching History
History Teacher
Professor Lauren Harris and colleagues examined how future history teachers perceived both individual and group virtual reality experiences, exploring how VR can foster historical empathy and its feasibility for classroom use.
Listed as: Harris, L. M., Kidd, T. V., Rodriguez-Fransen, B., & Thompson, V. E. (2025). Teacher candidates’ perceptions of individual and collective virtual reality experiences for teaching history. History Teacher, 58(4), 473.
Beyond Classroom Walls: The New Psycho-Social Ecology of GenAI
AI Enhanced Learning
Professor Punya Mishra and colleagues argue that educational transformations driven by generative AI (GenAI) are occurring not just inside classrooms but in broader socio-cultural contexts. They introduce the concept of “artificial intimacy,” showing how students form emotional connections with AI systems, and call for a new pedagogy of digital emotional literacy, teaching learners to critically navigate AI’s affective influences.
Listed as: Mishra, P., McCaleb, L., & Oster, N. (2025). Beyond classroom walls: The new psycho-social ecology of GenAI. AI Enhanced Learning, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.70725/903864xliqqy
Grants
- Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, Track 3 project at Arizona State University. This $1.7 million project aims to serve the national need of preparing highly-qualified STEM teachers and developing effective K-12 STEM teacher leaders through a three-year professional development program that emphasizes artificial intelligence (AI) curriculum. It is led by Terri Kurz, associate professor and principal investigator, with co-PIs Josephine Marsh, associate professor, and Tirupalavanam Ganesh, associate dean of engineering education with the Fulton Schools of Engineering. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation.
MLFC faculty are invited to submit their scholarship through the faculty survey form.