A literature review on 360-degree video as an educational tool: towards design guidelines

Due to its possibility to create immersive learning experiences through simulated realism, virtual reality (VR) is a promising tool for educational purposes. A more user-friendly, realistic and affordable version of VR is 360 degrees video, recording real-world footage with omnidirectional or multi-camera systems. 360 degrees videos are slowly finding their way into educational research and practice, but a strong research basis is lacking. The current review describes the designs of educational 360 degrees videos in existing empirical studies, and specifically searches for design guidelines for 360 degrees videos. Browsing four databases, we compiled a dataset of 26 empirical educational studies on 360 degrees video. The articles were carefully analysed focussing on two research questions: (1) How are 360 degrees videos and 360 degrees video lessons designed in empirical educational research on 360 degrees video? and (2) What conclusions about the effectivity of the design of 360 degrees video lessons can be drawn from empirical educational research on 360 degrees video? Regarding RQ1, the studies in the dataset fit within three kinds of video content categories: environments, situations and demonstrations. We distinguished between videos with and without (interactive or non-interactive) add-ons. We found that 360 degrees videos are most often used in higher education (healthcare and teacher education), have a duration of five to 15 min and are watched by means of head-mounted displays. Concerning RQ2, 360 degrees videos are beneficial for the development of several dependent variables, such as mastery of learning content, attitudes, immersion and presence. Based on the reviewed papers we put up a list of design guidelines for educational 360 degrees videos.