Cross-Classification of Digital Tools and Learning Contexts for Safety Education and Training in Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the most hazardous occupational sectors, with conventional safety training often suffering from limited realism, low engagement, and reduced opportunities to reproduce hazardous scenarios safely. This article provides a structured analysis of digital and technology-enhanced approaches for safety education and training in agriculture. A literature-based framework was developed by combining five groups of digital tools—immersive technologies, simulators and digital twins, serious games and gamification, e-learning systems, and AI-based educational tools—with five learning contexts: formal education, vocational education and training, apprenticeships and traineeships, lifelong and on-the-job learning, and peer or community-based learning. In addition, a heuristic Application Priority Score (APS) was proposed to assess each technology–context combination according to evidence availability, cost–benefit feasibility, technology–learner fit, and inclusivity/accessibility. The results show that evidence is unevenly distributed, with stronger attention to immersive technologies, simulation-based approaches, and game-based learning in formal education, whereas lifelong, on-the-job, and peer/community learning remain less explored. The scoring framework also indicates that no single digital tool is universally suitable: the most promising solutions depend on the training context, learner experience, implementation costs, and accessibility barriers. The study provides a context-sensitive framework to support future research and the design of more inclusive and effective digital safety training solutions in agriculture.