Comparative Analysis of VR/AR Platforms in Secondary Education: Integration Challenges and Pedagogical Potential

Abstract

The present study aims to conduct a comparative evaluation of six educational VR/AR platforms (Virbela, ClassVR, zSpace, Merge EDU, Assemblr EDU, and Quiver) on a five-point scale with regard to interactivity, educational value, applicability in economics education, ease of use, and accessibility. Methodologically, a theoretical-comparative approach is applied, integrating a systematic literature review, qualitative content analysis, and multi-criteria evaluation with the calculation of average scores. The results show that among the VR platforms, ClassVR and zSpace demonstrate the highest values for interactivity and educational value (both 5), with zSpace also having the highest applicability in economics (5), but lower accessibility (2) and more complex use (3); Virbela stands out for its highest accessibility (5) but has moderate applicability in economics (3). Among the AR platforms, Assemblr EDU demonstrates the highest applicability in economics education (4) and maximum ease of use (5), Quiver is most accessible (5) and easy to use (5) but with low economic applicability (2), while Merge EDU combines high interactivity and educational value (4), with moderate accessibility (3). The composite indices rank ClassVR (4.2) as the strongest platform, followed by zSpace and Virbela (each 4.0), Assemblr EDU and Quiver (each 3.8), and Merge EDU (3.6). The conclusions support a differentiated implementation model: VR for highly immersive and simulation-intensive scenarios where robust infrastructure and teacher training are available, and AR for scalable, resource-efficient, and easily integrated solutions.