Evaluation of Persuasive Architectures in Immersive Learning Platforms: Proposed Framework for Secondary and VET Education.

The March 25, 2026 ruling against Meta and YouTube for addictive design sets a historic precedent by holding companies accountable for the very architecture of addiction. Meanwhile, the educational XR market is projected to reach $72.9 billion by 2030, raising questions about the transfer of these persuasive patterns to immersive learning platforms.
Despite the Digital Services Act (2024) and AEPD’s FoSIP Framework (2025) on addictive patterns, there is no specific framework for evaluating persuasive architectures in educational immersive platforms. Existing frameworks (XRSI Privacy) focus on privacy; EdTech certifications (EduEvidence) do not specifically address immersive or addiction.
This paper proposes an addictive risk assessment framework for existing immersive educational products in secondary education and vocational training. It proposes to identify critical variables of the XR environment (infinite scroll, autoplay, gamification) considering evolutionary characteristics of adolescents (12-20 years old), based on FoSIP adapted to prolonged immersion.
The framework responds to Spanish institutional demand (Committee of Experts, 2023) and benefits developers, schools and policy makers committed to digital well-being of students.