← Back to BMR — Volume 1 | Issue 1 | August 2026
Abstract
Immersive virtual reality (VR) is increasingly proposed as a supplement to full-mission bridge simulators and conventional shipboard instruction for developing navigational competencies among maritime cadets and seafarers, yet the strength, consistency, and boundary conditions of this evidence base remain unsettled. This systematic review synthesizes peer-reviewed literature published between 2019 and 2026 on the use of head-mounted-display and other immersive VR systems for building bridge watchkeeping, collision-avoidance, and related navigational skills required under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). Sources were identified through structured searches of Scopus-indexed and Web of Science-indexed maritime, education, and human-factors journals, including the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, the WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs, TransNav, the Australian Journal of Maritime and Ocean Affairs, Human Factors, and the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, supplemented by IOP and Philippine-indexed regional outlets; eighteen studies met inclusion criteria emphasizing peer review, topical relevance, and methodological transparency. Thematic synthesis reveals convergence around three findings: immersive VR reliably increases learner enjoyment, motivation, and self-reported confidence; it produces measurable but more modest and less consistent gains in objective procedural and psychomotor performance relative to affective outcomes; and its comparative value against full-mission and desktop simulators depends heavily on instructional design, assessment fidelity, and institutional regulatory acceptance rather than on the technology alone. Contradictions emerge specifically around skill transfer, with at least one controlled Southeast Asian study finding VR simulation less effective than e-learning or classroom instruction for regulatory-knowledge acquisition. Philippine and ASEAN-region evidence remains sparse, dominated by engine-room rather than navigational-bridge applications, and by perception studies rather than controlled skill-outcome trials. The review concludes that immersive VR functions best as a pedagogically scaffolded complement to, not a replacement for, full-mission simulation and seagoing service, and it proposes a regionally grounded research and adoption agenda for Philippine maritime higher education institutions.