On the Impact of 3D Visualization of Repository Metrics in Software Engineering Education

TL;DR

This paper investigates how virtual reality visualization of repository metrics can enhance software engineering education by improving students' understanding of complex development processes.

Contribution

It introduces a controlled experiment comparing VR and non-VR visualizations to evaluate their impact on learning and process comprehension.

Findings

VR visualization potentially improves understanding of repository metrics

VR fosters better engagement and analytical skills in students

Preliminary results suggest increased motivation with VR tools

Abstract

Context: Software development is a complex socio-technical process requiring a deep understanding of various aspects. In order to support practitioners in understanding such a complex activity, repository process metrics, like number of pull requests and issues, emerged as crucial for evaluating CI/CD workflows and guiding informed decision-making. The research community proposed different ways to visualize these metrics to increase their impact on developers' process comprehension: VR is a promising one. Nevertheless, despite such promising results, the role of VR, especially in educational settings, has received limited research attention. Objective: This study aims to address this gap by exploring how VR-based repository metrics visualization can support the teaching of process comprehension. Method: The registered report proposes the execution of a controlled experiment where VR and non-VR approaches will be compared, with the final aim to assess whether repository metrics in VR's impact on learning experience and software process comprehension. By immersing students in an intuitive environment, this research hypothesizes that VR can foster essential analytical skills, thus preparing software engineering students more effectively for industry requirements and equipping them to navigate complex software development tasks with enhanced comprehension and critical thinking abilities.