Learning and Motivational Impact of Using a Virtual Reality Serious Video Game to Learn Scrum

Today, there is a great variety of learning techniques and methodologies: traditional lectures, role-plays, group dynamics, project-based learning, simulations, educational games, and so on. Regarding technology-enhanced learning, the educational usage of virtual reality is innovative and the initiatives carried out suggest that this technology is an appealing medium for young people that facilitates an active and effective teaching. On the other hand, agile methodologies are widely spread across the IT industry and it is necessary to look for the best techniques to learn them in the most appropriate way. This contribution presents a virtual reality serious video game, named ScrumVR, which aims to teach the key aspects of the most widespread agile methodology for software development: Scrum. To do so, this video game tries to gets players closer to their first weeks of work within a Scrum team. The empirical results, gathered through a case study conducted with 78 software engineering students and supported by instruments, such as prepost tests and questionnaires, indicate that ScrumVR facilitates the learning of the roles, meetings, artifacts, and practices employed in Scrum, and contributes to enhance student's motivation and the whole learning experience.