This study investigates the comparative effectiveness of traditional digital media and Extended Reality (XR) environments in eLearning for students. Participants engaged with academic content presented through both conventional digital formats—such as text-based documents, slide presentations, and pre-recorded video lectures—and an immersive XR environment using the Apple Vision Pro headset. The aim was to assess differences in user engagement, knowledge retention, and overall learning experiences across these two modalities. Data were gathered through pre- and post-experiment questionnaires, which evaluated subjective experiences, usability, and retention. The findings revealed a clear preference for traditional media for reading and writing tasks, while XR proved to enhance engagement, particularly with visually rich content like video and slide presentations. However, retention was lower for text-heavy materials in XR, suggesting that immersive environments may be less effective for deep reading. Despite this, the majority of participants expressed interest in using XR for educational purposes again, highlighting its potential as a complementary tool in learning. The study concludes with suggestions for refining XR interfaces and the integration of immersive technologies in higher education to support multimodal learning experiences.