Resumen

ZEPEDA LLAMAS, Jesús Antonio; LEON BALDERRAMA, Jorge Inés  y  ARELLANO GRAJALES, Beatriz. Reported benefits of virtual reality and augmented reality in higher education: a systematic review. RIDE. Rev. Iberoam. Investig. Desarro. Educ [online]. 2025, vol.16, n.31, e985.  Epub 19-Feb-2026. ISSN 2007-7467.  https://doi.org/10.23913/ride.v16i31.2663.

Immersive technologies (ITs) such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have gained increasing importance as tools that can enhance teaching-learning processes in higher education. Their ability to recreate complex scenarios through simulations supports practical training and fosters student motivation, especially in areas such as medicine, engineering, and natural sciences. The objective of this article is to analyze how VR and AR applications influence different dimensions of learning in higher education, identifying their benefits, limitations, and application prospects. Given the heterogeneous nature of the empirical evidence on the subject, a systematic review (PRISMA 2020) of 21 experimental and quasi-experimental studies published between 2017 and 2024 was conducted, consulting the Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost databases. The results show that students report substantial improvements in conceptual learning, information retention, skill transfer, student engagement, as well as benefits in collaborative work and empathy, particularly in medical and social science contexts. Although limitations persist due to the short duration of studies and their concentration in developed countries, it is concluded that VR and AR have significant transformative potential for higher education, as long as their implementation is based on longitudinal research, common metrics, and adequate teacher training.

Palabras llave : VR and AR technologies; higher education; learning; literature review.

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