Mixed Reality Learning Systems with Head-Mounted Displays in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

Abstract The advent of mixed reality (MR) technology has sparked emerging adoption of MR learning systems in higher education. In this systematic literature review, we examine the state of the art of MR systems in this field. We highlight the diverse applications and benefits of MR technology, including design features and specific fields of higher education addressed in existing studies. Despite its potential, our review also identifies research gaps, particularly regarding effective evaluation methods for learning outcomes. We identify the needs to provide advanced learning support and to better integrate established learning theories to guide more effective system design. Furthermore, we discover that leveraging biosignals to design biosignal-adaptive MR learning systems providing personalized learning support is currently underutilized. Through this systematic review, we aim to offer design implications for the application of MR in higher education, identify potential research gaps, and provide insights for future work in this rapidly evolving field.