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Abstract A 360‐degree video offers a novel visual experience for education. This immersive experience not only amplifies students' engagement and curiosity but also assists them in delving into and comprehending intricate concepts from a multitude of viewpoints. Given its novelty, there is a relative shortage of studies on 360‐degree video's overall effectiveness in education. This study conducted a meta‐analysis of 49 peer‐reviewed articles. Utilizing a random‐effects model to compute effect sizes (ES), the results showed that 360‐degree videos have a moderate impact on both learning (Hedges' g = 0.525) and non‐cognitive outcomes (Hedges' g = 0.527), with notable heterogeneity observed across the studies. Furthermore, the studies were coded to examine the moderating effects of their characteristics, such as the level of education, the field of education, the display types, experimental design, the sample size and the control treatment. The findings suggest a medium effect of 360‐degree videos on knowledge acquisition and a smaller effect on task performance. In terms of non‐cognitive outcomes, the least impact was noted in the domain of social and emotional qualities, while the most significant impact was in attitudes and beliefs. Based on these findings, the study proposed future research directions focusing on enhancing teaching strategies and improving research designs concerning the use of 360‐degree videos in educational contexts. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic 360‐degree videos in education are notable for their authenticity, flexibility and accessibility. They enhance learners' sense of presence, deepen understanding of subject matter and improve non‐cognitive skills. 360‐degree videos have produced mixed results on learning and non‐cognitive outcomes. What this paper adds 360‐degree videos have a medium effect on students' learning outcomes ( g = 0.0.525) and non‐cognitive outcomes ( g = 0.0.527). Significant heterogeneity is observed in the effects of 360‐degree videos on both learning outcomes and non‐cognitive outcomes. In terms of non‐cognitive outcomes, 360‐degree videos have the smallest effect size in the social and emotional qualities domain. Identifying key moderators that influence the effectiveness of 360‐degree videos, including participants' education levels, field of application, sample sizes, display types, experimental designs and control treatment. Implications for practice and/or policy Enhance social and emotional learning with 360‐degree video, and aid in understanding and managing emotional experiences. Develop learning strategies that align with the unique characteristics of different subjects. Teacher‐assisted approaches are encouraged to support learning and teaching in formal educational settings with structured courses. Multimodal data can be collected for analysis in future research to explore the learning process.
Jiang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.