From Pages to Immersive Technologies: Learning Experiences Through Augmented and Virtual Realities

The evolution of reading has been continually shaped by shifts in medium, from oral storytelling to manuscripts, and from print culture to digital texts. With the emergence of virtual and augmented realities (VR/AR), reading enters a new phase where narratives unfold in immersive, interactive environments rather than on static pages. Unlike e-books, which replicate print in digital form, VR and AR reimagine reading as an embodied, multisensory practice. Immersive literature enables readers to step into narrative worlds, interact with characters, and navigate stories spatially, as seen in works like The Book of Distance (NFB). AR overlays text with holographic imagery and sound, making reading participatory and experiential. This paper examines how VR/AR redefines reading by combining sensory and intellectual engagement, while raising questions about empathy, pedagogy, accessibility, and commercialisation. It argues that immersive reading technologies signal a paradigm shift: from linear text consumption to participatory co-creation of meaning.