IMMERSIVE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF VIRTUAL REALITY APPLICATIONS, LEARNING OUTCOMES, AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) has become one of the most revolutionary technologies in the education sector to help create immersive and interactive learning experiences, thereby increasing student engagement and retention of knowledge. This paper will discuss the effectiveness, accessibility issues and implementation problems of VR in learning. In this study, a systematic literature review of existing literature conducts the systematic literature review with the help of Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). The Scopus database was selected in order to gather high quality data and coverage. We selected seventy-two studies that met the eligibility criteria and they were related to a broad spectrum of topics and possessed various goals. The results show that VR has been applied across a range of different learning modalities, thus improving the formal and informal education setting and it facilitates affective engagement, skill acquisition, and learner motivation. VR provides engagements that encourage active engagement and practice of complicated actions. Although it has potential, VR implementation is usually affected by increased implementation costs, technological limitations, cybersickness, cognitive load and insufficient pedagogical readiness among the teaching community that suggests that most of the studies rely on short term measurement and self-reported measures, which necessitate longitudinal evidence and standardized assessment systems. In this study, VR is highlighted as gaining high educational effect when it becomes part of blended learning models and user-centered design principles. Future research should emphasize accessibility-oriented development, collaborative virtual environments and rigorous evaluation of real world learning transfer to enhance universally accessible immersive education.