From Multimodal Texts to Generative AI: A Systematic Review of Immersive Educational Strategies and Their Reported Contributions to Sustainability and Inclusion in Higher Education

Higher education is undergoing a transition in which static multimodal resources are giving way to immersive learning environments powered by generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). This PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic review, prospectively registered in INPLASY (202610066), synthesizes evidence on immersive GenAI-based strategies in higher education, examining their reported contributions to sustainability, inclusion, and learning outcomes. Searches across Scopus, ScienceDirect, and ERIC (2022–2026) identified 1364 records; after quality appraisal using an adapted CASP instrument, 25 studies were included in a narrative and descriptive synthesis. Five strategy types emerged—VR-based simulations, virtual patient platforms, adaptive LLM tutoring systems, mixed/augmented reality environments, and 3D/metaverse configurations—with GPT-family models predominating (56%). The central finding is a structural reporting asymmetry: learning outcomes were explicitly documented in 23 studies (92%), whereas sustainability and inclusion were explicitly reported as outcome domains in only one study each (4%). Health sciences (36%) and educational technology (28%) dominated the evidence base, while Latin American, African, and most STEM contexts remained underrepresented. Immersive GenAI strategies are being evaluated for short-term instructional value, while their contribution to sustainable higher education remains underexamined. Advancing SDG 4 requires longitudinal designs, equity-oriented frameworks, and indicators capable of evaluating inclusion and durable learning gains across institutional contexts.