Are Virtual Reality Serious Video Games More Effective Than Web Video Games?

Area of Science:

• Educational Technology
• Software Engineering Education

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in education, but its comparative effectiveness against other technologies like video games is unclear.
• Scrum is a vital methodology in the software industry, necessitating effective learning tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a serious video game designed for learning the Scrum methodology.
• To compare the effectiveness of mobile VR and WebGL formats of the game for knowledge acquisition and motivation.

Main Methods:

• An empirical study involving 289 students.
• Utilized pre-post tests and questionnaires to assess knowledge gain and motivation.
• Compared mobile virtual reality and WebGL versions of the serious game.

Main Results:

• Both VR and Web formats of the Scrum serious game significantly improved knowledge acquisition.
• The game successfully enhanced student motivation, engagement, and enjoyment.
• No statistically significant difference was found in learning effectiveness between the VR and Web versions.

Conclusions:

• Serious video games, in both VR and Web formats, are effective tools for learning Scrum.
• The choice between VR and Web formats does not impact learning effectiveness for this Scrum game.
• The study highlights the potential of gamified learning for software engineering methodologies.