An overview of applications and trends in the use of extended reality for teaching effectiveness: an umbrella review based on 20 meta-analysis studies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the application ways of extended reality (XR) in teaching, the specific teaching effects and how to implement teaching integration. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts an umbrella review approach, locates and screens 20 pertinent meta-analysis studies published in international journals and conducts a systematic review of the effects of teaching applications of XR technologies in terms of subject categories, education levels and teaching cycles. Findings The study finds that the effects of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies on teaching effectiveness can reach up to 0.723 and 0.951, indicating that XR technologies can improve teaching. Practical implications Through the systematic analysis of 20 related element analysis studies published in international journals, the specific methods and effects of XR technology applied to teaching are finally obtained and put forward the new application trend of XR promoting teaching effect. Originality/value In the past decade, more and more research has also focused on the specific methods and effects of XR technology applied to teaching. However, there are still problems such as unclear technology application path and unclear effect. Based on this, it is necessary to further conduct an overall overview and analysis of the impact of XR technology on teaching effect when it is integrated into teaching, systematically study the teaching effect of XR technology in different education levels and subject types and provide a theoretical basis for more detailed research on XR technology integration into teaching.