Virtual Environments for Learning: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15447967Keywords:
virtual environments, strategies, learningAbstract
The objective of this study was to analyze the implications of virtual environments for learning. A systematic review methodology was used, compiling articles related to virtual environments in the educational field. The PRISMA method was used, following criteria suitable for this type of study. The search included keywords such as: "virtual environments" AND "learning". The inclusion criteria considered articles published between 2020 and 2025, in open access, in English or Spanish, available in databases such as Scopus and Scielo, using Boolean AND operators. As exclusion criteria, articles published before 2020 were discarded. In the results, 414 articles were initially identified in Scopus and 192 in Scielo. After applying the selection criteria, 10 articles from Scopus and 11 from Scielo were chosen, obtaining a total of 21 articles analyzed. The study concludes that virtual environments have established themselves as key tools in educational transformation, favoring the development of creative thinking by offering interactive digital spaces. These environments promote hybrid educational models that combine face-to-face and virtual classes, allowing greater flexibility. Emerging technologies such as the metaverse, virtual reality and augmented reality are emerging as resources with great potential to revolutionise educational environments. In addition, virtual environments have proven to be useful in promoting school coexistence, by allowing the evaluation of situations of violence and training for non-violence in digital contexts. Finally, gamification and virtual platforms emerge as effective strategies to increase students' motivation and academic performance.
Downloads
References
Añazco, L. (2024). Aprendizaje basado en proyectos en el abordaje de los Juegos Olímpicos Tokio 2020: Una experiencia interdisciplinar. Revista Innovaciones Educativas, 26(41), 197-214. https://dx.doi.org/10.22458/ie.v26i41.5164
Aties, L., Burgal, C. y Vergara, I. (2024). Orientación del aprendizaje cooperativo en entornos virtuales para docentes de Tecnología de la Salud. EDUMECENTRO, 16, http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2077-28742024000100073&lng=es&tlng=es
Best, P., Marshall, G., Cushnan, J., McCafferty, P., & Booth, N. (2024). Immersive virtual environments as a tool to improve confidence and role expectancy in prospective social work students: a proof-of-concept study. Social Work Education, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2024.2334801
Benítez, J. (2023). Desarrollo de un proceso de capacitación por aplicación mediante el aprendizaje mixto para mipymes en México. RIDE. Revista Iberoamericana para la Investigación y el Desarrollo Educativo, 14(27), e547.https://doi.org/10.23913/ride.v14i27.1654
Bryant, L., Stubbs, P., Bailey, B., Nguyen, V., Bluff, A., & Hemsley, B. (2024). Interacting with virtual characters, objects and environments: investigating immersive virtual reality in rehabilitation. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 20(1), 107–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2024.2353284
De Back, T. T., Tinga, A. M., & Louwerse, M. M. (2021). Learning in immersed collaborative virtual environments: design and implementation. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(8), 5364–5382. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2021.2006238
Francksen, K. (2024). Performer perspectives: managing the creative process in virtual environments. In conversation with the performers in Dream. International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media, 20(1), 29–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/14794713.2024.2336636
Granda, A., Roldán, A., & López, S. (2024). Acompañamiento del docente virtual en las prácticas profesionales de los estudiantes en educación superior desde los ambientes virtuales de aprendizaje. Formación universitaria, 17(6), 45-56. https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0718-50062024000600045
Granillo-Macías, R. (2023). Adapting to Remote Learning during COVID-19: An Engineering Education Approach. Ingeniería e Investigación, 43(3).https://doi.org/10.15446/ing.investig.101349
Gort-Hernández, M., Tamayo-Rubiera, A., Cisneros-Suárez, Y., Verona-Izquierdo, A., García-Parodi, M. y Pérez-Moreno, M. (2024). Telefonía móvil y plataforma Whatsapp como complemento de la enseñanza presencial para un aprendizaje colaborativo. Revista de Ciencias Médicas de Pinar del Río, 28(1), http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1561-31942024000100004&lng=es&tlng=es
Guillén-Yparrea, N., Hernández-Rodríguez, F. & Ramírez-Montoya, M. (2023). Framework of virtual platforms for learning and developing competencies. Cogent Engineering, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Hegazy, M., Yasufuku, K. & Abe, H. (2020). Evaluating and visualizing perceptual impressions of daylighting in immersive virtual environments. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 20(6), 768–784. https://doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2020.1800477
Lago, S., Gala, R. & Samaniego, F. (2024). Educación virtual: narrativas de docentes y estudiantes de la Universidad de Buenos Aires post pandemia. Cuadernos de Investigación Educativa, 15(2), e206. https://doi.org/10.18861/cied.2024.15.2.3756
Lorenzo, M., Sánchez, G. & Quintero, T. (2025). Capacitación Docente sobre Ciencia y Género en Entornos Virtuales. Sisyphus - Journal of Education, 12(3), 146-163. https://doi.org/10.25749/sis.36584
Mäkinen, H., Haavisto, E., Havola, S., & Koivisto, J. M. (2020). User experiences of virtual reality technologies for healthcare in learning: an integrative review. Behaviour & Information Technology, 41(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2020.1788162
Mamani, M. (2024). Aprendizaje autorregulado en entornos virtuales y logro de competencias del inglés en estudiantes de secundaria. Comuni@cción, 15(4), 360-370. https://doi.org/10.33595/2226-1478.15.4.1195
Medel-San Elías, Y., Moreno, R. & Aguirre, E. (2023). Implementación de gamificación en ambientes virtuales de enseñanza-aprendizaje para la educación superior. RIDE. Revista Iberoamericana para la Investigación y el Desarrollo Educativo, 14(27), e528. https://doi.org/10.23913/ride.v14i27.1596
Meléndez, N., Jorquera, J. & Meléndez, N. (2024). Metaversos en educación: Una mirada desde la Literatura. Ingeniare. Revista chilena de ingeniería, 32, 10. https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0718-33052024000100210
Palma-Troncoso, M., Vallejos-Gómez, R. y Urra-Barra, G. (2024). Ser profesor en entornos virtuales: desafíos y demandas post pandemia a la formación inicial docente. Una aproximación desde la evaluación de futuros profesores y mentores.. Revista de estudios y experiencias en educación, 23(51), 197-212. https://dx.doi.org/10.21703/rexe.v23i51.2156
Paredes, M. y Vega, E. (2023). Elaboración y validación de un instrumento que mide la convivencia escolar en entornos virtuales. Revista latinoamericana de estudios educativos, 53(3), 715-737. https://doi.org/10.48102/rlee.2023.53.3.573
Sánchez, R. (2024). Entornos virtuales, conocimiento y utilidad en estudiantes de educación superior. Horizontes Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación, 8(32), 34-44. https://doi.org/10.33996/revistahorizontes.v8i32.702
Sánchez, S. & Calderón, R. (2025). Los entornos virtuales como agentes de fortalecimiento del pensamiento creativo una revisión sistemática. Revista Científica UISRAEL, 12(1), 15-31. https://doi.org/10.35290/rcui.v12n1.2025.1110
Teoh, S. H., Boon, J., Md Shamsudin, N., Singh, P. & Hartono, R. (2025). Students’ engagement in a hybrid classroom: a comparison between face-to-face and virtual environments. Cogent Education, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2451497
Vásquez, G., Vásquez, E., Salvador, I., Vásquez Sánchez, E., Guevara-Vásquez, J. & Salvador-Vásquez, G. (2023). Uso y efectividad de los entornos virtuales de aprendizaje en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes de veterinaria. Revista de Investigaciones Veterinarias del Perú, 34(1), e24613. https://doi.org/10.15381/rivep.v34i1.24613
Wang, J. (2025). Architecture students’ peer learning in informal situations by lens of the community of practice – one case study. Interactive Learning Environments, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2025.2462152
Westmattelmann, D., Stoffers, B., Märtins, J., & Xiao, X. (2025). Exploring the New Playing Field: The Input-Output Principle of Meta-Sports. Journal of Management Information Systems, 42(1), 70–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2025.2455774
Zisch, F. E., Coutrot, A., Newton, C., Murcia-López, M., Motala, A., Greaves, J. & Spiers, H. J. (2024). Real and virtual environments have comparable spatial memory distortions after scale and geometric transformations. Spatial Cognition & Computation, 24(2), 115–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/13875868.2024.2303016
Published
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The journal is licensed under the Attribution License (CC BY), allowing the possibility of copying, distributing, displaying, and producing derivative works, as long as the author is acknowledged and cited.







