SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Educational Psychology
This article is part of the Research TopicNew Directions of Research and Measurement in Cognitive Load TheoryView all 8 articles
Cognitive Load, Extended Reality, and Visuospatial Abilities in Physical Science Education: A Systematic Review
Provisionally accepted
- Adelaide University, Adelaide, Australia
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The application of extended reality (XR) technologies is transforming education of the physical sciences. These technologies translate elements of a user’s lived experience into digital experiences. This study undertook a systematic review using a PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method. The study investigated the relationship between XR spatial presence, user visuospatial processing, and the associated levels of cognitive load (CL). After the initial identification and screening of data, 44 papers were assessed and included in the study. The study found the application of XR can reduce CL and improve learning outcomes when applied to physical science learning contexts that require the use of visuospatial abilities, where effective implementation is influenced by the level of spatial presence the technology offers. By carefully ensuring congruency between the use of the technology and the goals of the learning task, the results of this review can assist in enhancing task design that utilises XR.
Keywords: Cognitive Load, Extended Reality, Physical science education, Visuospatial abilities, VR/AR education
Received: 14 Dec 2025; Accepted: 16 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Kenneally, Bentley and Willison. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Conor Desmond Kenneally
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