This review critically examines the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in medical training across Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), offering a novel perspective by combining quantitative analysis with qualitative insights from medical students in Egypt and Ghana. Through a systematic review process, 17 peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2023 were analysed. Altogether, these studies involved a total of 887 participants. The analysis reveals a growing interest in VR and AR applications for medical training in LMICs with a peak in published articles in 2023, indicating an expanding research landscape. A unique contribution of this review is the integration of feedback from 35 medical students assessed through questionnaires, which demonstrates the perceived effectiveness of immersive technologies over traditional 2D illustrations in understanding complex medical concepts. Key findings highlight that VR and AR technologies in medical training within LMICs predominantly focus on surgical skills. The majority of studies focus on enhancing surgical training, particularly general surgery. This emphasis reflects the technology’s strong alignment with the needs of LMICs, where surgical skills training is often a priority. Despite the promising applications and expanding interest in VR and AR, significant challenges such as accessibility and device limitations remain, demonstrating the need for ongoing research and integration with traditional methods to fully leverage these technologies for effective medical education. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of existing VR and AR applications, their evaluation methodologies, and student perspectives to address educational challenges and enhance healthcare outcomes in LMICs.

Climate change education is crucial for fostering informed and engaged future generations. However, traditional pedagogies often fail to engage learners fully and provide real-world, experiential learning. This paper presents a novel approach to climate change education through a three-day virtual reality (VR) hackathon. The hackathon focused on four United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—Quality Education, Affordable and Clean Energy, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Climate Action. Using VR technology and game design software, engineering students worked in teams. They competed against each other in designing immersive environments that demonstrated their understanding of these SDGs and climate change. Our goal was to encourage the development of empathy, education, and awareness around these critical global issues. The hackathon also integrated authentic assessments, mirroring real-world engineering tasks and providing a more practical and relevant learning experience. Our findings suggest that this VR hackathon has significantly enhanced students’ understanding of the SDGs and climate change issues, their competency with VR technologies, as well as their teamwork and problem-solving skills. This paper discusses the hackathon’s design, implementation, and outcomes, highlighting the potential of such innovative approaches in tackling climate change education and awareness.