Designing Immersive Learning Experiences: A Postmortem Analysis of a VR Game for Teaching Programming
Resumo
Introduction: Teaching programming concepts through immersive environments has demonstrated pedagogical potential, although most existing solutions rely on expensive technologies that remain unaffordable in many educational contexts. Objective: This paper presents a postmortem analysis of the design, development, and evaluation of SSPOT-VR, an affordable, collaborative VR mobile game developed to support the teaching and learning of programming for K-12 students. Methodology: We adopted a postmortem analysis approach grounded in the game development literature, supported by user evaluations and continuous reflection throughout iterative development phases. Results: The analysis highlights strengths, including multiplayer design, visual storytelling, and accessible deployment, while also identifying challenges related to infrastructure, usability, and scalability. Lessons learned informed design enhancements and future directions, such as cross-platform support and strategies for pedagogical integration.
Palavras-chave:
Postmortem Analysis, Educational Game Design, Programming Education, Mobile Devices, Virtual Reality
Referências
Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Suhonen, J., e Tukiainen, M. (2022). Design, development, and evaluation of a virtual reality game-based application to support computational thinking. Educational technology research and development.
Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Suhonen, J., e Tukiainen, M. (2023). Design, development, and evaluation of a virtual reality game-based application to support computational thinking. Educational technology research and development, 71(2):505–537.
Avellar, G. M. N., Fioravanti, M. L., Deus, W. S., Branco, K. R. J. C., e Barbosa, E. F. (2024). SSPOT-VR: An immersive and affordable mobile application for supporting K-12 students in learning programming concepts. Education and Information Technologies, 29(13):16411–16439.
Carreño-León, M., Sandoval-Bringas, A., Álvarez-Rodríguez, F., e Camacho-González, Y. (2018). Gamification technique for teaching programming. In 2018 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), pages 2009–2014.
Chandler, H. (2014). The Game Production Handbook. Foundations of game development. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Computer Science Teachers Association (2017). K-12 Computer Science Standards. CSTA.
CSTA e ISTE (2011). Computational Thinking Teacher Resources. Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
Denner, J., Campe, S., e Werner, L. (2019). Does computer game design and programming benefit children? a meta-synthesis of research. ACM Trans. Comput. Educ., 19(3).
Google (2025). Google VR & AR. URL: [link].
Hwang, G.-J. e Chien, S.-Y. (2022). Definition, roles, and potential research issues of the metaverse in education: An artificial intelligence perspective. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3:100082.
Jerald, J. (2016). The VR Book: Human-Centered Design for Virtual Reality. Association for Computing Machinery and Morgan &38; Claypool, New York, NY, USA.
Jin, Q., Liu, Y., Yuan, Y., Yarosh, L., e Rosenberg, E. S. (2020). VWorld: An immersive vr system for learning programming. Proceedings of the 2020 ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference: Extended Abstracts.
Luxton-Reilly, A., Simon, Albluwi, I., Becker, B. A., Giannakos, M., Kumar, A. N., Ott, L., Paterson, J., Scott, M. J., Sheard, J., e Szabo, C. (2018). Introductory programming: A systematic literature review. Proceedings Companion of the 23rd Annual ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education.
Murphy-Hill, E., Zimmermann, T., e Nagappan, N. (2014). Cowboys, ankle sprains, and keepers of quality: how is video game development different from software development? In Proceedings of the 36th International Conference on Software Engineering, ICSE 2014, page 1–11, New York, NY, USA. Association for Computing Machinery.
Mystakidis, S. (2022). Metaverse. Encyclopedia, 2(1):486–497.
Pears, A., Seidman, S., Malmi, L., Mannila, L., Adams, E., Bennedsen, J., Devlin, M., e Paterson, J. (2007). A survey of literature on the teaching of introductory programming. SIGCSE Bull., 39(4):204–223.
Pellas, N., Mystakidis, S., e Kazanidis, I. (2021). Immersive virtual reality in K-12 and higher education: A systematic review of the last decade scientific literature. Virtual Reality Journal.
Ribeiro, L., Cavalheiro, S., Foss, L., Cruz, M., e França, R. (2022). Proposta para implantação do ensino de computação na educação básica no brasil. In Anais do XXXIII Simpósio Brasileiro de Informática na Educação, pages 278–288, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. SBC.
Rozelma França, P. T. (2015). Desafios e oportunidades ao ensino do pensamento computacional na educação básica no brasil. Anais dos Workshops do Congresso Brasileiro de Informática na Educação, 4(1):1464.
Segura, R. J., del Pino, F. J., Ogáyar, C. J., e Rueda, A. J. (2020). Vr-ocks: A virtual reality game for learning the basic concepts of programming. Computer Applications in Engineering Education.
Stigall, J. e Sharma, S. (2017). Virtual reality instructional modules for introductory programming courses. Proceedings of the 7th IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference.
Sukirman, S., Ibharim, L. F. M., Said, C. S., e Murtiyasa, B. (2022). A strategy of learning computational thinking through game based in virtual reality: Systematic review and conceptual framework. Informatics in Education.
Sunday, K., Wong, S. Y., Samson, B. O., e Sanusi, I. T. (2022). Investigating the effect of imikode virtual reality game in enhancing object oriented programming concepts among university students in Nigeria. Education and Information Technologies.
Tanielu, T., ’Akau’ola, R., Varoy, E., e Giacaman, N. (2019). Combining analogies and virtual reality for active and visual object-oriented programming. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Global Computing Education.
Tori, R. e Hounsell, M. d. S. (2018). Introdução a realidade virtual e aumentada. Editora SBC, Porto Alegre (RS).
Unity Technologies (2025). Unity 3D. URL: [link].
Vincur, J., Konopka, M., Tvarozek, J., Hoang, M., e Navrat, P. (2017). Cubely: Virtual reality block-based programming environment. Proceedings of the 23rd ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology.
Weintrop, D. (2019). Block-based programming in computer science education. Communications of the ACM.
Zhan, Z., He, L., Tong, Y., Liang, X., Guo, S., e Lan, X. (2022). The effectiveness of gamification in programming education: Evidence from a meta-analysis. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3:100096.
Agbo, F. J., Oyelere, S. S., Suhonen, J., e Tukiainen, M. (2023). Design, development, and evaluation of a virtual reality game-based application to support computational thinking. Educational technology research and development, 71(2):505–537.
Avellar, G. M. N., Fioravanti, M. L., Deus, W. S., Branco, K. R. J. C., e Barbosa, E. F. (2024). SSPOT-VR: An immersive and affordable mobile application for supporting K-12 students in learning programming concepts. Education and Information Technologies, 29(13):16411–16439.
Carreño-León, M., Sandoval-Bringas, A., Álvarez-Rodríguez, F., e Camacho-González, Y. (2018). Gamification technique for teaching programming. In 2018 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), pages 2009–2014.
Chandler, H. (2014). The Game Production Handbook. Foundations of game development. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Computer Science Teachers Association (2017). K-12 Computer Science Standards. CSTA.
CSTA e ISTE (2011). Computational Thinking Teacher Resources. Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
Denner, J., Campe, S., e Werner, L. (2019). Does computer game design and programming benefit children? a meta-synthesis of research. ACM Trans. Comput. Educ., 19(3).
Google (2025). Google VR & AR. URL: [link].
Hwang, G.-J. e Chien, S.-Y. (2022). Definition, roles, and potential research issues of the metaverse in education: An artificial intelligence perspective. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3:100082.
Jerald, J. (2016). The VR Book: Human-Centered Design for Virtual Reality. Association for Computing Machinery and Morgan &38; Claypool, New York, NY, USA.
Jin, Q., Liu, Y., Yuan, Y., Yarosh, L., e Rosenberg, E. S. (2020). VWorld: An immersive vr system for learning programming. Proceedings of the 2020 ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference: Extended Abstracts.
Luxton-Reilly, A., Simon, Albluwi, I., Becker, B. A., Giannakos, M., Kumar, A. N., Ott, L., Paterson, J., Scott, M. J., Sheard, J., e Szabo, C. (2018). Introductory programming: A systematic literature review. Proceedings Companion of the 23rd Annual ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education.
Murphy-Hill, E., Zimmermann, T., e Nagappan, N. (2014). Cowboys, ankle sprains, and keepers of quality: how is video game development different from software development? In Proceedings of the 36th International Conference on Software Engineering, ICSE 2014, page 1–11, New York, NY, USA. Association for Computing Machinery.
Mystakidis, S. (2022). Metaverse. Encyclopedia, 2(1):486–497.
Pears, A., Seidman, S., Malmi, L., Mannila, L., Adams, E., Bennedsen, J., Devlin, M., e Paterson, J. (2007). A survey of literature on the teaching of introductory programming. SIGCSE Bull., 39(4):204–223.
Pellas, N., Mystakidis, S., e Kazanidis, I. (2021). Immersive virtual reality in K-12 and higher education: A systematic review of the last decade scientific literature. Virtual Reality Journal.
Ribeiro, L., Cavalheiro, S., Foss, L., Cruz, M., e França, R. (2022). Proposta para implantação do ensino de computação na educação básica no brasil. In Anais do XXXIII Simpósio Brasileiro de Informática na Educação, pages 278–288, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. SBC.
Rozelma França, P. T. (2015). Desafios e oportunidades ao ensino do pensamento computacional na educação básica no brasil. Anais dos Workshops do Congresso Brasileiro de Informática na Educação, 4(1):1464.
Segura, R. J., del Pino, F. J., Ogáyar, C. J., e Rueda, A. J. (2020). Vr-ocks: A virtual reality game for learning the basic concepts of programming. Computer Applications in Engineering Education.
Stigall, J. e Sharma, S. (2017). Virtual reality instructional modules for introductory programming courses. Proceedings of the 7th IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference.
Sukirman, S., Ibharim, L. F. M., Said, C. S., e Murtiyasa, B. (2022). A strategy of learning computational thinking through game based in virtual reality: Systematic review and conceptual framework. Informatics in Education.
Sunday, K., Wong, S. Y., Samson, B. O., e Sanusi, I. T. (2022). Investigating the effect of imikode virtual reality game in enhancing object oriented programming concepts among university students in Nigeria. Education and Information Technologies.
Tanielu, T., ’Akau’ola, R., Varoy, E., e Giacaman, N. (2019). Combining analogies and virtual reality for active and visual object-oriented programming. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Global Computing Education.
Tori, R. e Hounsell, M. d. S. (2018). Introdução a realidade virtual e aumentada. Editora SBC, Porto Alegre (RS).
Unity Technologies (2025). Unity 3D. URL: [link].
Vincur, J., Konopka, M., Tvarozek, J., Hoang, M., e Navrat, P. (2017). Cubely: Virtual reality block-based programming environment. Proceedings of the 23rd ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology.
Weintrop, D. (2019). Block-based programming in computer science education. Communications of the ACM.
Zhan, Z., He, L., Tong, Y., Liang, X., Guo, S., e Lan, X. (2022). The effectiveness of gamification in programming education: Evidence from a meta-analysis. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3:100096.
Publicado
30/09/2025
Como Citar
AVELLAR, Gustavo Martins Nunes; ARAGÃO, Paulo André Pimenta; GENERICH, Fernando Henrique Paes; VILLELA, Pedro Lunkes; CASTRO, Lucas Oliveira; BARBOSA, Ellen Francine.
Designing Immersive Learning Experiences: A Postmortem Analysis of a VR Game for Teaching Programming. In: SIMPÓSIO BRASILEIRO DE JOGOS E ENTRETENIMENTO DIGITAL (SBGAMES), 24. , 2025, Salvador/BA.
Anais [...].
Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação,
2025
.
p. 419-430.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/sbgames.2025.10301.
