Applications of Virtual Reality in Education and Medicine: A Review of the Past, Present, and Future Outlook

Abstract

Allowing us to visit places we have never set foot before and to experience them as if we were there, virtual reality is a new medium with unique characteristics compared to its predecessors with its main features such as its ability to manipulate perceptions of time and space, the interaction options it provides, enabling to host many participants at the same time, and empowering the user to direct the narrative flow of the experience. It is clear that interest in virtual reality is high and will continue to increase. Innovative uses of technology can provide significant benefits in today's populations, especially for the Generation Z, who closely follow technological developments and can adopt them quickly. Education and medicine are among the major fields where virtual reality has led to significant transformations in recent years. In this review article, the applications of virtual reality in the fields of education and medicine are examined within the framework of scientific research. In the light of this review, the experiences gained in practice, the challenges encountered, and recommendations to overcome these challenges were given and predictions regarding the future place of virtual reality were discussed together with the effects of the new normal that took shape with the COVID-19 pandemic.