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Visible Learning™
Visible Learning MetaX™
Version 1.4 – Updated February 2026

Virtual Reality

Overview

  • Influence: Virtual Reality
  • Domain: Technology, School, and Out-of-School Strategies
  • Sub-Domain: Virtual/augmented reality
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to accelerate
  • Influence Definition: Provides simulations and augment reality to help students experience activities.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 13
  • Number of studies: 482
  • Number of students: 15,128
  • Number of effects: 608
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.56
  • Robustness index: 4

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Computers and Education Merchant, Goetz, Cifuentes, Keeney-Kennicutt, & Davis Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-Based Instruction on Students' Learning Outcomes in K-12 and Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis 2014 Virtual reality based gaming 69 8,432 69 0.47
Open Education Research Li, Wang, & Ren Effects of virtual reality on students' academic achievements: Meta-analysis of 40 experiments and quasi-experiments. 2019 Augmented reality 40 NA 40 0.56
Chinese Data base Zhou & Li Can virtual reality technology improve learning achievement? 2016 Virtual Learning 46 NA 46 0.63
Education and Science Avci, Coklar, & istanbullu The effect of three dimensional virtual-environments and augmented reality applications on the learning environment: A meta-analysis study 2019 3-D Virtual environments 20 NA 20 0.39
Interactive Learning Environments Li, Wang, He, Cheng, & Wang How augmented reality affected academic achievement in K-12 education–a meta-analysis and thematic-analysis.  2021 Augmented reality 35 3,859 40 0.44
Educational Research Review Villena-Taranilla, Tirado-Olivares, Cózar-Gutiérrez, & González-Calero Effects of virtual reality on learning outcomes in K-6 education: A meta-analysis.  2022 Virtual reality 21 NA 21 0.64
Interactive Learning Environments Yu A meta-analysis of the effect of virtual reality technology use in education.  2021 Virtual reality 43 NA 60 0.65
Open Education Research Baomi, Yubiao & Youqun Research on the Impact of Virtual Reality Teaching on Students' Academic Performance: Based on a Meta-analysis of 40 Experiments and Quasi-Experiments. 2019 Virtual reality 40 NA 40 0.56
Interactive Learning Environments Cao & Hsu Systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of virtual experiments on students' learning effectiveness.  2022 Virtual reality 62 NA 62 0.48
Participatory Educational Research Akgün The Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality Environments on Students' Academic Achievement: A Meta-analytical and Meta-thematic Study 2021 Virtual reality based technology 31 NA 31 0.53
Interactive Learning Environments Yu, Li, & Wang The effectiveness of 3D holographic technology on students' learning performance: A meta-analysis. 2022 3D holographic 15 NA 18 0.84
Computer Applications in Engineering Education Yu & Xu A meta-analysis and systematic review of the effect of virtual reality technology on users' learning outcomes 2022 Virtual reality 43 NA 144 0.61
International Journal on Social and Education Sciences Alnajjar & Ibrahim A Comparative Meta-Analysis on the Effectiveness of Three Types of Instructional Methods on Language Success.  2024 Virtual reality 17 2,837 17 0.86
TOTAL/AVERAGE 482 15,128 608 0.59
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