Creating Tangible VR Spaces for Exploring Algorithm Complexity and Data Structures

Recommended citation: N. Green, "Creating Tangible VR Spaces for Exploring Algorithm Complexity and Data Structures," 2023 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), College Station, TX, USA, 2023, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10343001.
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The metaverse offers different promises depending on who is speaking about it . All sides seem to agree that the Metaverse requires some aspect of the Virtual but its final applications are up in the air. Some define it as a new medium for the exchange of digital goods, and others see it used as a job training and a new digital town square. Virtual Reality (VR) has been applied to many domains such as entertainment, education, and healthcare. Its use in education has primarily been in simulating real life scenarios in a safe virtual world. The use of VR to make Computer Science theory more concrete and tangible by enhancing the visualization and understanding of complex algorithms and data structures has not been fully explored. This research presents a novel system for using VR to transform algorithm analysis and data structures into a more tangible and visual experience. This research aims to help undergraduate Com- puter Science students gain a deeper understanding of these abstract concepts by visualizing them in an interactive way. We implemented and deployed a VR experience that allows users to interact with algorithms and data structures in a virtual environment. This includes the use of commercial- grade VR headsets and through prerecorded lectures in the VR space. In the pilot program, the application contains worlds that include learning about algorithm analysis, queues, stacks, tree structures, and tree rotations. The user can select a data structure and interact with its behavior in real-time. The VR application utilizes several immersive techniques to enhance the user experience. The user can grab blocks of data, edit the contents, and use them in their selected data structure. Depending on their contents and interaction, they can observe the relationships between the data blocks and other elements. Each data structure includes basic insertion, deletion, and search functionality. Students can observe and draw algorithmic complexity conclusions visually in real time. An additional world for algorithm complexity is included, where students can select a Big O complexity and select various values for N. Up to 3 complexities can be selected at the same time. Once selected, all 3 will run by generating 3D objects according to the complexity. This enables students to have a concrete sense between the differences and scale of Big O complexities. The ability to interact with these abstract concepts in a more tangible way can help learners gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles of Computer Science and improve their problem solving skills. VR has the potential to augment the way Computer Science is taught and experienced by students. Immersive education has the ability to help retain the focus of students in the class and also provide instructors with additional material for students that cannot be replicated through typical forms of online cheating. Currently both the VR application and VR recorded videos are being used as supplemental materials in the course as additional mediums of obtaining learning outcomes. Future studies will test students’ comprehension of these topics with and without VR material. Additionally, the VR application will be available to researchers and instructors. II. RELATED WORK Data Structures is a core course in most Computer Science programs and as such instructors have tried a variety of ways of teaching and engaging students from competitive game projects to using 3D modeling to create and interact with structures . Much of the work in education and VR is related to social presence . This research was of heightened importance during the COVID-19 pandemic as in-person resources and interactions became scarce.