A conceptual framework to implement extended reality in undergraduate agricultural sciences

Abstract

In recent years, extended reality (XR) has gained popularity in education, particularly due to rapid advancements in technology. In the field of agricultural sciences, the use of XR is on the rise because it can replicate real-world scenarios, thereby enhancing students’ practical skills. This immersive teaching approach is important as many agriculture students do not have agricultural backgrounds that were common in the past. Despite growing interest in XR technology, its implementation remains under exploration. Educators lacking XR experience may find it challenging to integrate this technology into teaching. Furthermore, research on effectively implementing XR based on sound educational principles in agricultural sciences is limited. This gap can result in unnecessary costs and unsuccessful implementations. We aim to expand the initial XR-AgriEdu framework developed by Naudé et al., which serves as a guide for agricultural science educators to incorporate XR into curricula at higher education institutions. This framework is grounded in existing literature and sound educational principles. The initial XR-AgriEdu framework comprises various established frameworks, theories, and models. In this article, themes from primary research articles are coded against the themes of the initial framework. Including primary research studies ensures that the final framework encompasses available literature. The best fit synthesis approach, guided by the SPIDER (Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research) technique, was employed to source literature. Results indicated that the initial XR-AgriEdu framework developed lacked critical themes necessary to implement XR technology successfully in agricultural sciences. Our findings were integrated into the initial XR-AgriEdu framework to develop a more comprehensive, final framework.