Proxemic Behavior in a Multi-User Virtual Reality Experience for Multilingual Cultural Heritage Education

As Virtual Reality technologies become increasingly accessible, their application within the educational and cultural heritage sectors is rapidly advancing. This study presents a multiuser Social Extended Reality application designed for guided virtual tours of a historically reconstructed site: the presbytery of the Church of Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome. The experience integrates spatial audio, avatars, and multilingual narration to promote immersive and social learning. Fifty-two participants took part in the tour in groups of two or three, accompanied by a guide. Using a mixed methods approach, we evaluated simulator sickness, usability, social presence, learning outcomes, and spatial behavior based on proxemics theory. The results show that the users maintained interpersonal distances consistent with the social zone, aligning with real-world patterns. The comprehension scores did not vary significantly with language familiarity, suggesting that visual and spatial cues effectively supported understanding. Overall, the application was well received, with favorable usability and presence ratings, highlighting the potential of multilingual Social Extended Reality as a tool for accessible and engaging cultural education.