CXR Framework — Student-Driven Collaborative Platform for Immersive Career Exploration

This paper introduces Career XRcade (CXR), a design framework enabling college teams to create VR "Career Lands" for secondary students.

Central question: "How can student creators, educators, and industry professionals collaborate to make immersive career exploration scalable and affordable?"

Two proof-of-concept environments were developed: Cybersecurity Land and Esports Land, converting authentic job roles into interactive experiences with gamified exhibits, puzzles, and narrative-driven NPCs. The methodology uses Design Science Research Methodology, incorporating project road-mapping, curriculum integration, agile XR prototyping, iterative feedback, and templated assets across Unity, Miro, and Figma.

Qualitative findings show improvements in career identity development, self-efficacy, and cross-disciplinary teamwork. The paper proposes "a scalable model for immersive learning that bridges the imagination gap between classroom and workplace."