Breaking through Barriers: A Systematic Review of Extended Reality in Education for the Visually Impaired

Abstract

Education for those who are visually impaired usually relies on modified materials and unique teaching methods. Nonetheless, the advent of Extended Reality marks a considerable change by providing immersive and interactive experiences that can surpass the challenges encountered in conventional learning due to visual impairments. This study aims to systematically review and analyse the existing literature on the use of extended realities in the education of individuals with visual impairment. This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) statement as a formal systematic review guideline for data collection to ensure the quality and replicability of the revision process. Data were obtained from research studies over the period 2013–2023. The analysis included a total of 71 papers from Science Direct, ERIC, JSTOR, Taylor & Francis Online, and Scopus databases. The results show that Europe had the most publications on these topics during the past decade and that most papers were focused on higher education. Additionally, virtual reality was the most investigated topic. The findings indicate that extended reality has the potential to promote inclusion for the visually impaired in educational settings and provide them with enhanced educational experiences in many educational disciplines.