A Systematic Review of Immersive Virtual Reality in STEM Education: Advantages and Disadvantages on Learning and User Experience

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is widely recognized as an innovative technology that enhances learning experiences. IVR affordances could serve as a learning medium, and instructors and designers should consider using available tools to teach practical STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects, incorporating the latest practices and recommendations. Due to innovations in virtual reality hardware and affordability in recent years, there is a higher chance that IVR will be adopted in educational settings. Thus, designers and developers must stay informed about current IVR trends and the aspects addressed and recommended for instructing STEM concepts. To target this issue, we systematically reviewed the design and development of customized IVR experiences and their multiple effects on STEM learning settings. In this systematic review, we identified several advantages and disadvantages reported in 30 papers based on user studies in higher education scenarios. We proposed a conceptual framework to categorize the design and features of the IVR tools discussed in the papers, based on their levels of embodiment, immersion, and the type of learning they facilitate. IVR can provide an intuitive and practical immersive learning experience, reporting multiple results on motivation, engagement, usability, and learning performance. However, we should consider the features that could directly affect the user experience and learning outcomes. We recommend that designers and developers explore developing customized IVR experiences tailored for STEM learning, especially for invisible and complex subjects where 3D visualization could benefit students.