Brilliant but Bounded: The Limitations and Future Insights of

Virtual Reality Applications in Education, Healthcare, and

Workplace

Zhizhan Wang

Tisch School of the Arts, Interactive Media Arts, New York University, New York, U.S.A.

Keywords: Virtual Reality (VR), Education, Healthcare, Workplace.

Abstract: With recent technological innovations, Virtual Reality (VR) has transformed from a niche entertainment

technology into a pivotal tool, with applications spanning across a wide range of industries, establishing itself

as an effective and productive tool, particularly across healthcare, education, and the workplace. This review

first examines a series of studies conducted based on the use of VR in enhancing higher education classrooms,

promoting empathy learning among English language learners, enabling rare clinical training, treating

phantom pain, facilitating effective collaborations, and supporting professional development, with a focus on

exploring and recognizing VR’s strengths, limitations, and future potential in practical applications.

Subsequently, the discussion proceeds to critically analyze the methodological cases, and concludes with a

systematic review of the practical limitations and future insights of VR. Through this review, immersive

technologies have indicated clear advantages, including safe simulation, enhanced empathy, increased

engagement, facilitated independence, less stress, and cost-effectiveness. However, common challenges

persist, including accessibility issues, technological limitations, user-friendly designs, and social

fragmentation. By comparing these studies, this review suggests pathways for the sustainable and equitable

integration of VR, concluding with key questions for future research and implementation that emphasize

aligning technological innovation with industrial needs.

1 INTRODUCTION

Virtual Reality (VR), with the maturing technology

and public acknowledgement, has navigated itself

into the mainstream, being integrated and capitalized

on in various industries, particularly education,

healthcare, and the workplace. It immerses users in a

three-dimensional computer-generated simulation

with primarily visual, audio, and haptic tactile

elements designed for a particular context. VR has

been promised to revolutionize how humans explore

areas restricted by accessibility, emulability, and cost,

with the expectation of enabling learning, creation,

collaboration, and connection.

Education is one of the primary fields of

anticipation, with expectations that VR will enable

teaching to be more immersive, intuitive, and

enduring. It has overcome many issues faced by

traditional education, which fall short in promoting

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3299-3735

diversity, providing limited resources, and offering

personalized learning (Mallek et al., 2024).

Particularly, VR enables a shared virtual experience

that allows classrooms to interact more "tangibly" in

a virtual world, fostering empathy by placing users in

others' shoes. However, such integration has achieved

only limited success, with real-world adoption

hindered by cost, usability, and integration

challenges.

Healthcare plays a crucial role in the application

of VR, introducing its concept, strengths, and

prospects to a broader population, thereby enhancing

medical training, clinical treatment, and resource

allocation (Prajapati & Kumar, 2025). Traditionally,

healthcare faces limitations in the form of specialized

training, resource allocation, and personalized

treatment, which are especially pronounced in rural

or underserved areas, where access to specialized care

is limited. The integration of VR is pivotal in enabling

realistic, accessible, and risk-free environments for

540

Wang, Z.

Brilliant but Bounded: The Limitations and Future Insights of Virtual Reality Applications in Education, Healthcare, and Workplace.

DOI: 10.5220/0014362500004718

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Engineering Management, Information Technology and Intelligence (EMITI 2025), pages 540-544

ISBN: 978-989-758-792-4

treatment and training, with a focus on repeatability,

cost-effectiveness, precision, and controlled

simulation, thereby overcoming the ethical and

logistical constraints of real-world procedures. The

integration towards this goal offers a promising venue

for future development and adaptation.

VR plays a crucial role in the workplace,

particularly with its advantages in fostering shared

virtual spaces for collaboration, brainstorming, and

presentations (Orel, 2022). It streamlines ideation by

allowing participants to immerse themselves in the

environment, thereby experiencing rather than just

imagining or visualizing before concrete

development. Conventional training and design

methods often fall short in high-risk, experimental, or

rapidly changing industries. VR effectively bridges

the gap between both end users, in this case, offering

a transformative approach that brings the different

layers of production together into one, allowing for

tighter connections, improved feedback, and reduced

costly revisions. As computation and graphic

rendering capabilities continue to improve, pushing

VR into new domains of realism, the future of VR

holds potential for revolutionizing professional and

operational efficiency.

This paper examines the development,

limitations, and future research implications of

various case studies, investigating current constraints

to foster more intuitive, context-aware systems that

are both flexible and inclusive. If addressed

thoughtfully, VR can evolve from a niche innovation

into a foundational tool for training, care, and

professional collaboration across sectors.

2 REVIEWS

2.1 VR Application in Education

As Virtual Reality becomes more affordable and

accessible, voices advocating for experimenting with

VR as a tool for immersive and interactive learning

have started to emerge. Yet, public awareness and

institutional adoption remain limited, revealing a gap

between technological promise and practical

application. The following sections review existing

research to assess the effectiveness, accessibility, and

barriers that continue to shape the future role of VR

in education.

Several studies have demonstrated the practical

impact of VR in education. For example, Hagge

(Hagge, 2021), in his 2021 research "Student

Perceptions of Semester-Long In-Class Virtual

Reality: Effectively Using "Google Earth VR" in a

Higher Education Classroom," integrated HTC Vive

VR headsets into four face-to-face geography classes

over a two-year period, visiting relevant locations for

the course. This allowed individuals to use Google

Maps VR while others observed mirrored content.

Survey results revealed unexpected perceptions from

both used and observed students, who reported

similar positivity towards classroom VR. The

findings raise speculation about how classroom VR,

as a social construct, promotes positive

reinforcement, prompting the question of whether

physical immersion is necessary for both educational

and engagement purposes. The mere presence of VR

might be enough to encourage active engagement,

which hinges on the often problematic cost of full VR

classrooms, offloading the resources and money

necessary to create a meaningful impact within

classrooms. However, many students, approximately

36%, reported anxiety, shyness, and awkwardness

with front-of-the-room and technology fears,

particularly the use of controls. While VR virtual

classes are often seen as the cure for shyness among

enthusiasts, the barriers that many overlook can be

devastating to students without a technical

background. Ultimately, the review encourages VR

not to replace traditional education but to

complement it by providing an enhanced learning

experience.

Focusing on the application of VR in the field of

education and empathy, Guan et al. investigate

whether an empathetic VR-based learning approach

can enhance the writing performance and empathy

development of junior high EFL students (Guan et al.,

2024). The researchers closely monitored a group of

63 junior high students assigned to either an

experimental group using the empathetic VR-based

learning (E-VRL) approach or a control group using

standard VR-based learning (VRL), followed by

assessments of empathy and writing performance.

Finally, the statistics demonstrated that E-VRL

surpassed VRL in aspects such as cognitive, dialogic

empathy, and content. This study highlights

promising directions for VR in education, particularly

its capability to foster empathy by immersing

students in rich, multisensory environments. The

author suggests VR is particularly effective for

occupations that value emotional intelligence, such as

language learning, arts, and social studies.

Additionally, VR's ability to engage learners through

interactive scenarios enhances creativity and

motivation, especially in writing and communication-

based tasks. Nevertheless, while the E-VRL

implementation shows positive growth among

participants, the study also highlights limitations in its

Brilliant but Bounded: The Limitations and Future Insights of Virtual Reality Applications in Education, Healthcare, and Workplace

541

ability to foster long-term empathy and engagement.

Emotional empathy may be underdeveloped if the VR

content is too neutral or scenic rather than

emotionally charged. For instance, the scenery of

Jinhua Shuanglong Cave may be more suitable for a

picturesque experience than evoking empathy with

refugees, disasters, or war experiences, which

typically elicit a stronger response. The short duration

of many VR interventions also raises questions about

the longevity of their educational impact, particularly

in areas such as empathy and writing, as they

typically require consistent reinforcement and

practice over time. Ultimately, the author suggests

that to fully realize the academic potential of VR,

future development should focus on designing

emotionally rich content, integrating long-term

curricula, developing personalized and adaptive

learning systems, and ensuring inclusive access for

diverse learners.

The two studies demonstrate how VR can align

with various educational goals, either enhancing

general engagement or promoting deep learning,

indicating that the emotional reinforcements of VR

can have a positive influence on learning attitudes.

However, a key limitation lies in the unclear long-

term learning outcomes for both. In Hagge's study,

many students without direct access to VR still

reported positive perceptions, raising questions about

whether perceived value translates into measurable,

lasting learning gains (Hagge, 2021). Similarly, while

Guan's case improved narrative quality and emotional

engagement, the longevity and consistency of these

correlations are uncertain among students with

diverse backgrounds (Guan et al., 2024). These

findings highlight a broader limitation in current VR

education research: the lack of empirical evidence

confirming sustained skill acquisition across general

students. Future studies may address this by

incorporating standardized pre- and post-

assessments, longitudinal follow-ups, and control

comparisons to validate whether VR's perceived

impact leads to durable and transferable educational

outcomes.

2.2 VR Integration in Healthcare

Beyond education, VR also gained momentum in

healthcare, with applications ranging from pain

management and rehabilitation to surgical training

and mental health support. However, widespread

implementation remains inconsistent, constrained by

questions of usability, equity, and long-term efficacy.

The following reviews examine how current research

identifies gaps that remain in realizing the future

potential of VR in clinical practice.

Centering on VR integration within healthcare

training, Junga et al. evaluate the effectiveness of

integrating VR-based brain death diagnostic training

modules into medical curricula at the University of

Münster (Junga et al., 2025). It monitors a random

pilot study comparing traditional manikin-based

brain death examinations with a realistic VR ICU

scenario aligned with German guidelines, including

systematic tutorials and context-setting video

podcasts. The study, involving over 800 participants,

suggests a positive perception of VR integration, as

indicated by an increase in perceived competence in

diagnosis. VR stands out, particularly in the trials and

adaptation of expensive, non-ethical, and rare

operations for training, making the previously

conditional and rare experiences more accessible.

Furthermore, in comparison to either a book or a real-

life scenario, VR establishes a sense of middle ground

for students to gain individualized "hands-on"

experience without bearing the psychological burden

of a real patient. However, while VR practices

significantly outperform the traditional education

system within the given simulation, we also need to

recognize the honeymoon effect of new technology.

14% of participants had no preference for VR or

traditional methods, and no significant difference was

found between the manikin and no preference groups

(χ²(1, N = 86) = 1.2, p = .273), suggesting that not all

students saw clear benefits in VR.

Centering on VR integration within clinical

settings, El-Gabalawy et al. investigated the

feasibility of using VR-based graded motor imagery

(GMI) to treat phantom limb pain (PLP) in

individuals with lower limb amputations (LLAs) (El-

Gabalawy et al., 2025). The author piloted a patient-

centered feasibility protocol, including prototype

development, feedback collection, pilot testing, and

acceptability testing. The outcomes indicate that

patients responded positively to the VR-GMI

program, and early versions have already improved

through feedback. This paper proposes a similar

response as previously mentioned in applications in

education, particularly the removal of dependence on

in-person, specialist physiotherapy, making it

scalable, comparatively affordable, and accessible for

patients during recovery. While promising in early

trials, the authors note that VR interventions often

lack evidence of effectiveness across diverse

healthcare contexts, geographic regions, and

demographics, which limits their broader clinical

adoption.

EMITI 2025 - International Conference on Engineering Management, Information Technology and Intelligence

542

The studies above demonstrate the expanding

potential of VR in the field of healthcare, particularly

in clinical training and direct treatment. While VR

made rare or limited resources accessible, the very

implementation of VR brings a persistent barrier, not

just in terms of cost, but also in the cognitive and

technical burden required to use it effectively for the

broader public. Students and patients, particularly

those unfamiliar with technology, often encounter

prototype-level experiences designed not for them but

to them, which can exclude them from meaningful

participation despite the therapeutic potential.

2.3 VR Application in Workplace

Likewise, VR is gradually becoming integrated into

the workplace, providing safe, scalable, and realistic

environments for skill development and collaborative

work across various industries. Despite its

advantages, adoption varies widely, often limited by

organizational readiness, cost concerns, and the need

for evidence-based outcomes. The following section

reviews current research on VR in workplace

contexts, examining its significance, implementation

challenges, and potential for future integration.

To explore the presence of VR in the workplace,

Arkoulia et al. investigate how collaborative AI and

immersive VR simulation can optimize workplace

layouts in manufacturing (Arkouli et al., 2024). The

researchers utilized VR as a cost-effective method to

test and evaluate the design before its concrete

implementation, conducting tests in inspired by both

on-site restoration of composite materials and post-

processing of additive manufacturing parts. The

experiment was well received among the engineers as

it enabled end-user testing and robust design

processes, promoting the sentiment of participatory

human-centered design. It demonstrates a

democratization in design, giving access to people,

particularly operators, the voice to shape their

workspace, particularly in qualitative factors such as

real-world applicability, ergonomics, and worker

comfort. However, the results also reveal that the

usefulness of VR depends significantly on the user's

expertise in virtual space, particularly understanding

and cooperating with the limited integration of

sensory and spatial output. Which, with varying

levels of familiarity among stakeholders from other

fields, may affect the accuracy and consistency of

their evaluations.

Katrin et al. examine how VR environments foster

"spaces of learning" for the workplace, specifically

for training in electrical installation (Kraus et al.,

2025). Conducted in Switzerland, the authors employ

a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative

interviews with 16 apprentices and 11 trainers, along

with quantitative survey data (N = 16), and analyze

these data through a socio-spatial lens. The data

indicate that apprentices reflected positively on the

ease of navigation (M = 3.00) and enjoyment (M =

3.13) but not immersion (M = 2.50). The author hence

suggests that apprentices find VR to be more

independent, with no consequences, and to eliminate

stress; however, they also call for attention to realistic

haptic feedback, given complaints about the

significant disparities between operating in VR and

reality. Meanwhile, trainers appreciated the reduced

workload but highlighted a trade-off between

autonomous learning and trainer involvement. VR

frees them from constant supervision; however, it

distances them from the apprentice's learning

process.

The applications of VR, demonstrated in both

cases, leverage its immersive qualities but serve

distinct purposes within the workplace lifecycle.

However, lack of realism remains a limitation

consistent across these studies, as VR often lacks the

complexity of real-world settings, particularly in

terms of sensory feedback and physical constraints.

Such disconnection can lead to input gathered in VR

being detached from real-world use conditions,

particularly for testers without VR experience,

resulting in design decisions that fall short in practice.

Overcoming this limitation may involve integrating

mixed reality elements, capturing sensor-based

environmental data, or conducting VR evaluations in

parallel with real-world simulations to enrich context

and validate findings.

3 ANALYSIS

VR as a medium has numerous practical applications

in various fields, most of which revolve around

virtual embodiment and immersion, rooted in the

concept of presence; its limitations also stem from the

edge of this notion (Wiepke & Heinemann, 2024).

The presence is evident in various ways, as

demonstrated by the papers, including emotion,

collaboration, accessibility, independence, and

realism, with accessibility, in the form of not just cost

but actively and properly engaging with the content,

being a cross-cutting theme. The usability burden is

amplified by patients' varying levels of physical or

cognitive ability, exemplified by the front-of-class

approach, use of controls, and many more (Wiepke &

Heinemann, 2024), making intuitive design a

necessity rather than a bonus. The future of VR in

Brilliant but Bounded: The Limitations and Future Insights of Virtual Reality Applications in Education, Healthcare, and Workplace

543

practical fields lies in the ability for institutions to

establish a larger ecosystem of support, providing the

necessary resources and fostering an environment in

which VR usage, even with the burden of adaptation,

is convenient. Deriving from this, research should

systematically measure the time it takes students from

different backgrounds to become proficient in using

VR, such as the time it takes to complete tasks

confidently, the number of sessions required before

independent use, and drop-off rates due to frustration

or confusion. Additionally, research should examine

how the initial learning burden affects long-term

retention, ensuring that early usability barriers do not

limit the immersive promise of VR.

Another shared trait shown throughout the papers

is independence. VR, in the cases of learning

simulations, physical testing, and self-therapy,

empowers individuals to take ownership of their

learning or recovery by reducing their dependence on

institutions, tangible assets, and professionals.

However, this autonomy may conceal a deeper

dependency on the technology, prompting individuals

and researchers to seek a balanced integration.

Moving forward, VR will require a gradual, system-

level integration into existing workflows,

accompanied by simplified user experiences and

mainstream-compatible solutions, thereby inviting a

larger population into the ecosystem to promote

independence and autonomy. The field must proceed

with VR not as a standalone solution, but rather as

one tool in a broader, human-centered system of

design and understanding, promoting researchers to

explore when and how VR fosters genuine autonomy

versus when it simply shifts dependencies from

human providers to technological gatekeepers.

4 CONCLUSIONS

The past few years have seen the rapid development

of VR, accompanied by efforts in applications,

accessibility, and feasibility, which has led many

researchers to conduct experimental case studies to

explore the effectiveness and limitations of this

technology. The integration of education, healthcare,

and the workplace within VR necessitates an

examination of its limitations and future insights

based on the studies above, with a focus on

developing more user-friendly, accessible systems

that are both flexible and adaptable. The future of VR

applications will not be solely driven by

technological advancements, but also by providing

thoughtful integration and facilitation of community

resources, equitable access, and systematic

guidelines. This review highlights the complex and

nuanced challenges that VR faces in the current

integration in real world applications, summarizing

these limitations and outlining future research

directions, offering suggestions on the future

trajectory of VR, highlight the importance of driving

past technological feasibility toward sustainable

models of adoption, where VR is not just an

innovation but an ingrained part of everyday

education, healthcare, and workplace practice.

REFERENCES

Arkouli, Z., Mikropoulos, T. A., Ntinas, C., Vavouras, T.,

& Vaxevanidis, N. M. (2024). Collaborative AI &

immersive VR simulation for workplace layout

optimization in manufacturing applications. Procedia

CIRP, 130, 336–341.

El-Gabalawy, R., Vogel, L., Graham, J., Rigato, C.,

Wozney, L., & Finley, G. A. (2025). Treating lower

phantom limb pain in the postoperative acute care

setting using virtual reality: Protocol for a 4-phase

development and feasibility trial. JMIR Research

Protocols, 14, e68008.

Guan, J.-Q., Xu, B., Yang, Y., & Ye, Y. (2024). From

experience to empathy: An empathetic VR-based

learning approach to improving EFL learners’ empathy

and writing performance. Computers and Education,

220, 105120.

Hagge, P. (2021). Student perceptions of semester-long in-

class virtual reality: Effectively using ‘Google Earth

VR’ in a higher education classroom. Journal of

Geography in Higher Education, 45(3), 342–360.

Junga, A., Schmid, K., Klinker, G., & Schulz, C. (2025).

Teach the unteachable with a virtual reality (VR) brain

death scenario - 800 students and 3 years of experience.

Perspectives on Medical Education, 14(1), 44.

Kraus, K., Harteis, C., & Seifried, J. (2025). VR-based

workplace training and spaces of learning: A social

space study of VR training for apprentice electricians.

International Journal for Research in Vocational

Education and Training, 12(2).

Mallek, F., Mazhar, T., Shah, S. F. A., Ghadi, Y. Y., &

Hamam, H. (2024). A review on cultivating effective

learning: Synthesizing educational theories and virtual

reality for enhanced educational experiences. PeerJ

Computer Science, 10, e2000.

Orel, M. (2022). Collaboration potential in virtual reality

(VR) office space: Transforming the workplace of

tomorrow. Springer.

Prajapati, M., & Kumar, S. (2025). Virtual reality

revolution in healthcare: A systematic review. Health

and Technology, 15(2), 231–242.

Wiepke, A., & Heinemann, B. (2024). A systematic

literature review on user factors to support the sense of

presence in virtual reality learning environments.

Computers & Education: X Reality, 4, 100064.

EMITI 2025 - International Conference on Engineering Management, Information Technology and Intelligence

544