Virtual Tours to Facilities for Educational Purposes: A Review

Abstract

A virtual tour is a guided tour facilitated through Virtual Reality (VR) technology. The primary focus of this paper is on Virtual Tours of Facilities (VTF) within academic contexts. These VTFs employ VR as a medium to provide immersive educational experiences within facilities, such as laboratories, industrial sites, and universities. Our study advances three hypotheses: firstly, that continuous variables distinguish VTFs; secondly, that VTFs offer distinct inherent advantages and disadvantages in comparison to conventional in-person visits; and thirdly, that various software types and developmental approaches for virtual tours can be systematically categorized based on their technical attributes and usability factors. Through a snowball rolling literature review method, we analyze 32 studies to identify current research trends, pinpoint gaps, and highlight areas of interest related to VTF. The ensuing analysis explores VTF applications, associated challenges, and potential technologies, culminating in a comprehensive and insightful overview of the field.