Abstract
This study investigated the role of virtual reality (VR) in computer science (CS) education over the last 10 years by conducting a bibliometric and content analysis of articles related to the use of VR in CS education. A total of 971 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and conferences were collected from Web of Science and Scopus databases to conduct the bibliometric analysis. Furthermore, content analysis was conducted on 39 articles that met the inclusion criteria. This study demonstrates that VR research for CS education was faring well around 2011 but witnessed low production output between the years 2013 and 2016. However, scholars have increased their contribution in this field recently, starting from the year 2017. This study also revealed prolific scholars contributing to the field. It provides insightful information regarding research hotspots in VR that have emerged recently, which can be further explored to enhance CS education. In addition, the quantitative method remains the most preferred research method, while the questionnaire was the most used data collection technique. Moreover, descriptive analysis was primarily used in studies on VR in CS education. The study concludes that even though scholars are leveraging VR to advance CS education, more effort needs to be made by stakeholders across countries and institutions. In addition, a more rigorous methodological approach needs to be employed in future studies to provide more evidence-based research output. Our future study would investigate the pedagogy, content, and context of studies on VR in CS education.
Highlights
Background of the StudyVirtual reality (VR) has recently become a popular technology in different contexts such as entertainment, military, and education [1]
The study contributes to knowledge by presenting valuable findings that can boost the morale of prolific scholars who have been contributing to this field and researchers and practicing managers who may be starting to research into VR for computer science (CS) education
Regarding the institutions and countries contributing to VR in CS education, the results further showed that the University of Southern California, USA; Aalborg University, Denmark; and the University of Rennes, France, remain the top universities in terms of publishing VR in CS education articles
Summary
Background of the StudyVirtual reality (VR) has recently become a popular technology in different contexts such as entertainment, military, and education [1]. The use of VR in education to support training, teaching, and learning through 3D simulation and visualization of learning content in a virtual presence has grown recently [2]. VR technology provides an opportunity to develop a state-of-the-art smart learning environment with a high level of interaction, engagement, and motivation for an enhanced learning experience [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. This study refers to computer science (CS) education as the art and science involved in learning and teaching computer science, including computing, algorithmic and computational thinking [9]. The science behind curriculum design, pedagogical approach, and instructional tools and techniques educators adopt to support computer science teaching and learning
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
