Barriers to adoption of hologram technology in higher education: a systematic review and strategic framework

Abstract Hologram technologies are being piloted in higher education, but adoption remains inconsistent. This systematic review identifies implementation barriers and organises the findings into an actionable planning framework to guide decision-makers. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we screened and critically appraised studies using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The review distils four barrier families: (1) technical and infrastructure barriers, including hardware readiness, bandwidth limitations, system reliability, and ongoing support; (2) financial and sustainability barriers, including acquisition costs, maintenance budgets, and return-on-investment uncertainty; (3) pedagogical and curriculum integration barriers, such as instructional design capacity, faculty training, and assessment alignment; and (4) user- and context-related barriers, including digital literacy, institutional readiness, policy alignment, and equitable access. These barriers are mapped to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). The resulting framework helps decision-makers interpret barriers, prioritise interventions, and sequence implementation of hologram-based teaching and learning.