The use of virtual reality in human training: trends and a research agenda

Traditional classroom training sessions can negatively impact participants' engagement and knowledge retention. In response, several organisations are moving towards innovative and more engaging approaches, such as virtual reality (VR). By using VR, participants can immerse in a simulated environment, acquiring experiences in rare and hazardous situations that cannot be experienced in the natural environment without risk to the participants. VR has been applied in several areas, and this study aims to understand the applicability and impact of VR simulators on human training and perspectives of this emergent area. Drawn on a rigorous systematic literature review of 82 articles, the study presents findings from the thematic analysis. First, descriptive results outline the VR literature and its applications as an innovative training and learning tool. Second, a prescriptive thematic analysis has identified emerging themes related to behavioural, technological, and organisational benefits. The results also show the VR challenges related to technological limitations, restricted resources, and academic research. This study demonstrates the development of VR in human training, presenting contributions to theory and practice. The study presents some limitations related to the scope and focus of the study, and future pathways to address these limitations are suggested. For instance, the research protocol did not consider conference papers or articles that were not in English, and it was limited to a search period. Furthermore, emergent topics such as artificial intelligence and VR technology's physiological-emotional and sensory aspects in training should be addressed. Therefore, future studies should address these topics and use the research agenda suggested in this study.