Dr. Younbo Jung is Associate Professor and Associate Chair - Academic at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Dr. Jung earned his Ph.D. at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. In teaching, Dr. Jung received four teaching-related awards at NTU, including Nanyang Education Award (University) – Bronze in 2014. He is the inaugural Fellow of Teaching Excellence Academy since 2014. In research, his interests include socio-psychological effects of interactive media such as video games, virtual reality systems, human-robot interaction, and their applications in education and medical aids. Dr. Jung supports interdisciplinary research and has successfully collaborated on many research projects with scholars in computer science, electrical engineering, physical therapy, and social work.

Mixed Reality (MR) technologies are increasingly used to simulate high-risk, real-world situations that are difficult or unsafe to reproduce in traditional training settings. Drawing on evidence from MR-based fire safety training, this keynote explores how different instructional approaches and the design of virtual agents shape learning experiences in immersive environments. I compare trial-and-error learning with direct instruction and examine how the presence of a virtual child agent alters learners’ cognitive and emotional responses during crisis simulations. The findings demonstrate that trial-and-error learning can foster deeper reflection and more robust learning outcomes, even as it heightens stress, whereas direct instruction becomes more effective and preferred when virtual agents are embedded in the simulation. Taken together, these results underscore the need to align pedagogical strategies with the affordances of immersive technologies and the social cues introduced by virtual agents. The keynote concludes by discussing broader design principles for MR-based training and education, with implications for safety training, professional development, and future human–AI interaction in immersive learning environments