Analysis shows rapid growth of virtual reality in computer science education, suggesting new teaching methods and research directions.
This study examined the development of virtual reality (VR) technology in computer science education over the past 25 years. As educational institutions increasingly adopt VR tools to teach programming concepts, understanding practical approaches and establishing future research directions are essential for educators and policymakers. This study analysed 341 peer-reviewed publications from the Scopus database (2000-2025) using specialised software to examine publication trends, citation patterns, and research themes. This approach maps the evolution of VR educational research and identifies the most influential studies. The results show dramatic growth in VR research beginning in 2018, with annual publications increasing from 09 to 96 studies by 2024. Five primary research areas have emerged: immersive educational technologies, teaching methods, digital learning frameworks, technology integration strategies, and subject-specific applications. The most cited works were review studies rather than individual experiments, suggesting that researchers build foundational knowledge. This study has limitations, including its focus on English-language publications and reliance on one database, potentially missing international perspectives. Future research should investigate long-term learning outcomes and include diverse geographical perspectives. This comprehensive analysis provides evidence-based guidance for educators and data-driven insights into technology investment decisions in computer science education.
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Abulcassim et al. (2025) studied this question.
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