This article reviews theory and research relevant to the development of digital immersive virtual environment-based instructional computing systems. The review is organized within the context of a multidimensional model of social influence and interaction within virtual environments that models the interaction of four theoretical factors: theory of mind, communicative realism, behavioral systems level, and situational self-relevance. The ways in which social interactional processes in digital immersive virtual environments may be easily filtered and transformed in ways relevant to instructor-learner interactions are discussed. Relevant experimental investigations are reviewed that indicate their potential to increase the adaptivity of immersive virtual environment systems for learners and instructors. (Contains 5 figures.)