The Impact of Non-Immersive Virtual Reality on Student Engagement in Higher Education: A Structured Narrative Review (2020-2026)

Abstract

This structured narrative review examines the role of non-immersive virtual reality (VR) in student engagement in secondary and higher education in the period of 2020-2026. Based on the PRISMA 2020 template, 25 articles were chosen out of 326 records, although the majority of the included studies (21 of 25) were conducted in higher education settings, with secondary education remaining underrepresented. The synthesis of data was conducted in themes and narratively in order to determine trends in terms of emotional, behavioural, and cognitive engagement. The research results have shown that non-immersive VR boosts motivation, enjoyment, and confidence and decreases anxiety, which reinforces emotional involvement. It also enhances engagement with behaviour, encouraging greater participation, collaboration, perseverance and cognitive stimulation by encouraging problem-solving, critical thinking and conceptual knowledge, especially in STEM and engineering education. Although these are the advantages, a number of methodological shortcomings were found, such as inconsistent measures of engagement, limited sample sizes, and limited longitudinal studies, which limit the comparability and the possibility of generalising the results of a long-term impact. These shortcomings underscore the necessity of having more rigorous and standardised research to have a strong evidence base. However, the review finds that non-immersive VR is an affordable, non-sophisticated, and sustainable technology for improving the engagement experience, without the complexity and cost of immersive systems. The following research ought to employ standard engagement systems, integrate qualitative and quantitative methods, and focus on inclusiveness in order to offer equal opportunities. These advantages suggest that non-immersive VR is a promising and scalable technology for digital learning, though stronger empirical evidence is needed to confirm its long-term impact.