Virtual Reality in Educational Science Higher Education: A Scoping Review of 360° Applications

The digital transformation and the growing importance of digital education have heightened interest in immersive technologies such as virtual reality (360° VR) based on 360° videos in higher education. Despite its increasing prevalence, there is still no systematic overview of the competencies that students can develop through the use of 360° VR, particularly in the field of early childhood education. The aim of this article is to systematically summarize the current state of research on the use of 360° VR in teacher education and to identify the described competency dimensions, opportunities, and challenges. Using a scoping review, 32 publications from 2019 to 2025 are analyzed in accordance with the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The competency model developed by Fröhlich Gildhoff et al. (2014) serves as the theoretical framework for interpreting the results. The results of the 32 evaluated studies indicate significant potential both for teaching and learning processes at universities and for students’ competency development. At the same time, it becomes clear that the sustainable and responsible use of 360° VR requires a well-thought-out pedagogical framework, technical and infrastructural prerequisites, and the professional development of instructors. By applying a competency-oriented perspective, this overview expands upon existing research on immersive learning and demonstrates how findings on 360° VR can be interpreted in terms of the development of professional competencies in higher education.