Extended Reality Games as a Site of Belonging & Becoming
Movement III
How immersive digital worlds nurture identity, cultural memory, and Black futurities
How do identity and belonging impact student success?
Feeling seen, accepted and supported significantly impacts students' sense of self and impacts academic achievement. In a longitudinal study by Song, Martin & Wang ( 2024), Black and Latinx students frequently report lower school belonging than their White peers, especially in contexts where they are underrepresented or routinely misrecognized. Evidence in the study demonstrates that Black and Latinx students achieved faster academic growth, while higher belonging predicts fewer emotional symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Moreover, Black and Latinx youth who feel they belong show greater resilience despite structural barriers.
Cultural Identity-affirming curricula and school programs can not only improve emotional well-being but also offer counter-narratives to the dominant ones where black student identities are erased.
Extended Reality Game environments can intentionally scaffold this identity development by embedding Afro-diasporic symbols, ancestral ways of knowing, stories of resistance and brilliance, and community-based narratives. These immersive worlds reflect the cultural wealth Black learners carry, making XR both a pedagogical tool and an identity-affirming practice.
In my Power of 7 game prototype, I explore how cultural values can be conveyed through narrative games. Further demonstrating the potential games can have in affirming identity.
