The Effectiveness of Using Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies for Teaching Computer Science in Schools

Abstract

Currently, using new technologies in education provides great opportunities for schools. This research aims to determine the effectiveness of using Virtual reality and Augmented reality technologies for teaching Computer science in schools. Furthermore, using Virtual and Augmented Reality in teaching computer science has been proposed as a pedagogical approach. The article theoretically analyzes the use of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, and determines the effectiveness of practical applications of Virtual reality created in the Unity environment, as well as Augmented reality created in the Vuforia environment for teaching Computer science at school with the non-parametric method of Pearson’s chi-squared. Workbooks and digital educational materials for teaching computer science have been produced in the pedagogical model’s methodological section. The participants of the research were students from schools in the Republic of Kazakhstan, whose total number was 151. They were divided into two groups: a control one and an experimental one. For teaching students in the control group, only traditional educational materials were used, while students in the experimental groups took part in the experiment involving the use of Virtual and Augmented reality applications. At the end of the research, both groups were assigned a test according to three motivational, content, and technical categories, which enabled them to compare the results. As a result, the effectiveness of using virtual reality and augmented reality to teach Computer Science to students at school was determined with the non-parametric method of Pearson’s chi-squared. Compared to traditional teaching methods, research has demonstrated that virtual and augmented reality helps students learn computer skills better. This has led to improvements in motivation, content comprehension, and technical proficiency in computer science education in schools.