Methodology for Learning Programming Languages Through the

Use of Virtual Reality Resources

Christian Ovalle

, Sandra Meza

, Wilver Auccahuasi

, Oscar Linares

, Kitty Urbano

Emilio Rosario-Pacahuala

, Yoni Nicolas-Rojas

, Aly Auccahuasi

Tamara Pando-Ezcurra

and Raúl Castro-Vidal

10 j

Universidad Tecnológica del Perú, Lima, Peru

Universidad ESAN, Lima, Peru

Universidad Privada del Norte, Lima, Peru

Universidad Continental, Huancayo, Peru

Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru

Universidad de San Martin de Porres, Lima, Peru

Escuela superior la Pontificia, Ayacucho, Peru

Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Lima, Peru

Universidad Privada Peruano Alemana, Lima, Peru

Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru

kurbano@cientifica.edu.pe, epacahuala@usmp.edu.pe, yoninicolas@elp.edu.pe, aly.auccahuasi@utec.edu.pe,

tamara.pando@upal.edu.pe, rcastrov@unmsm.edu.pe

Keywords: Programming, VR, Languages, Multi-Monitor, Development.

Abstract: New technologies are allowing us to have access to new tools, as is the case of Virtual Reality, education is

one of the areas where it is being used more frequently; in this sense we present a methodology to make use

of Virtual Reality in the teaching process of programming using the LabView programming language, which

has a fundamental characteristic, that of proposing two development environments, the first one related to the

design of the user interface through the use of virtual instruments and the second one related to the source

code through connections of the virtual instruments. As results, the necessary components to implement the

methodology are presented, as well as the exploitation and scaling of the methodology.

1 INTRODUCTION

The implementation of Virtual Reality technologies

requires the necessary technological infrastructure to

be able to be exploited without inconvenience.

Among the main necessary components are those

related to the connectivity of the devices, including

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5559-5684

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4650-1340

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8820-4013

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7952-9518

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2009-000X

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2421-548X

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6493-6084

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5069-0415

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0301-3440

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2901-0101

high-speed wireless networks with a stable signal. For

this purpose, it is a common consensus to work with

the communication protocols provided by the WIFI-

6 network (Auccahuasi, et al. 2021a), (Auccahuasi, et

al. 2021b). In using and exploiting Virtual Reality

technologies, some works used immersive virtual

reality (IVR) in student learning, for which concept

592

Ovalle, C., Meza, S., Auccahuasi, W., Linares, O., Urbano, K., Rosario-Pacahuala, E., Nicolas-Rojas, Y., Auccahuasi, A., Pando-Ezcurra, T. and Castro-Vidal, R.

Methodology for Learning Programming Languages Through the Use of Virtual Reality Resources.

DOI: 10.5220/0011962500003612

In Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Automation, Information and Computing (ISAIC 2022), pages 592-596

ISBN: 978-989-758-622-4; ISSN: 2975-9463

 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

maps will be used, related to the study of different

plants (Lee, Hsu, & Cheng, 2022).

Teaching processes are undergoing great changes,

originated by the use of new technologies, as is the

case of teaching courses related to different

programming languages (Srimadhaven, et al. 2020).

The power to bring these techniques to virtual

environments where students can experience new

ways, such as immersive media through virtual reality

(Saab, et al. 2021).

Industry 4.0, has originated new changes in

manufacturing and industrial processes, which is

complemented in proposing methods to perform

simulation processes, using the available technology,

in this task virtual reality helps to meet these

objectives (Kumar, et al. 2021). One of the areas is

related to learning processes to simulate birth

processes in order to train health personnel (Yu &

Mann, 2021).

We also found works for the teaching of the

English language with the intention of improving the

level of experimentation in order to improve the

teaching and learning processes (Barrett, Pack, &

Quaid, 2021). The use of virtual reality leads to

propose new ways to improve training processes, as

in the case of first aid training (Araiza-Alba, et al.

2021). Complementing the different medical

procedures that can be simulated using the techniques

described (Fealy, et al. 2019).

In this paper, we will address a methodology to

apply the techniques provided by Virtual Reality,

through the use of virtual reality glasses models

Oculus Quest II, for teaching programming

languages, applying to the development environment

that provides the LabView programming tool and the

INMERSED application, where the benefits are

exploited in order to improve the experience of

students to understand and understand programming

techniques.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

The methodology we present is related to the use of

virtual reality glasses of the Oculus Quest II model,

as well as the use of the INMERSED application and

complementing it with the interaction of different

mobile devices such as computers and workstations,

then, we present the procedures to implement the

proposed methodology. According to figure 1.

Figure 1: Block diagram of the methodology.

2.1 Analysis of the Problematic Reality

on Programming Techniques

Some of the problems that are constantly presented in

programming classes, are related to explain and that

students can understand the programming logic,

which requires a lot of practice by students, and new

techniques that allow teachers and instructors can

explain the concepts of programming, one of the

modern programming tools related to programming

and industrial automation, is provided by the

development environment LabView, which presents

a new concept of programming thanks to the G

language, which presents a variation in the way of

programming, going from a classic form of

programming through lines of code, to a

programming based on objects and connections, this

form of programming is exploited by two

environments, one related to the development of the

graphical user interface and is the graphical

representation that the user will interact with the

system, and the environment related to programming

with objects and how they connect with each other, in

Figure 2, the development environment of the

programming language in LabView is presented.

Figure 2: Example of programming with Labview

language.

Figure 2 shows the LabView programming

language development environment, with the user

interface as well as the coding environment. In order

Methodology for Learning Programming Languages Through the Use of Virtual Reality Resources

593

to have a better learning experience, it is

recommended that each of the environments is

represented on an individual monitor, to be able to

understand and exploit the potential of the tool, in a

conventional situation the same monitor is shared

with the two development environments, which

hinders visibility and thus the analysis and

understanding of the exercises that are developed in

the teaching process.

2.2 Description of the Methodological

Proposal

The proposed methodology is based on the use of

virtual reality glasses of the Oculus Quest II model,

this first component exploits the potential offered by

virtual reality, because it allows us to visualize an

environment free of any distraction, the experience of

using these glasses is the abstraction and thus a

greater concentration when viewing your screen,

another advantage of the glasses is connectivity

through a wireless connection thanks to its WIFI

communication protocol, with which the glasses work

with a computer connected to a network, where you

can share resources. Figure 3 shows a graph of the

Oculus Quest II lenses where the connectivity with a

computer, the programming language and the user

and coding programming interfaces can be seen, the

power of the lenses provides all these features at the

time of being able to use it as an aid in the learning

process of programming languages.

Figure 3: Example of programming.

Another of the necessary components to be able

to exploit the VR glasses, is the INMERSED

application, with this tool we can interconnect the

glasses with the computer or workstation where the

application is installed; in order to exploit the

connectivity to the maximum, it is necessary that the

computer and the glasses are connected to the same

wireless network, so that what can be displayed on the

computer can be replicated on the glasses, as well as

to exploit all the benefits and profiles provided by the

application. One of the advantages is the option to

create virtual peripherals inside the glasses, as is the

case of monitors, keyboards and other peripherals, the

use of multiple monitors help in the learning process

because you can customize the different applications

and to visualize them inside the glasses, in Figure 4,

you can see the connectivity and interaction of the

INMERSED application and the different devices;

the application also provides an interconnection with

mobile devices to be able to share the content,

through which you can see on the glasses what is

displayed on the computer and on the mobile devices

you can see what is displayed on the glasses, so you

can experience the virtual environment on mobile

devices: to be able to exploit this advantage, it is

necessary that the mobile devices are also connected

to the same wireless network, as well as being able to

run the client of the INMERSED application to share

resources.

Figure 4: Methodology configuration diagram.

3 RESULTS

The results of the application of the methodology is

related to the exploitation of the method and the

configuration of the devices, in Figure 5, the final

configuration of the INMERSED application with the

glasses and the computer can be seen, in it you can

see what is observed in the virtual reality glasses, the

same thing that is projected on the glasses is projected

on mobile devices so the control can be decentralized.

ISAIC 2022 - International Symposium on Automation, Information and Computing

594

An example of exploitation of the methodology

can be seen in a programming class, where there is

only 1 lens that the teacher can use to teach their

classes, the LabView program is installed on the

computer, so the manipulation of the computer is

through the glasses, also students can connect to the

network and thus can visualize what the teacher is

visualizing on the glasses, students can also

experience the experience if the cell phones are

connected to virtual reality glasses that use with

display element to mobile devices.

Figure 5: Methodology Set-Up.

The results we present are related to demonstrate

the experience of programming using the

programming language G, through the LabView

development environment, it is important to note that

in order to fully exploit the benefits provided by the

Oculus Quest II glasses and the INMERSED

application, it is necessary that they are configured on

the same network and on all devices connected to the

application installed on the computer.

Having configured the components, the

experience and the way to exploit the resources

provided by the methodology are described, being

complicated the capture of what is being visualized in

the glasses, the capture of the evidence was done

through one of the installed mobile devices.

Figure 6: Presentation of the user environment.

Figure 6, shows the environment for the creation

of the user interface, it is important to indicate that it

can be viewed on a single virtual monitor, also you

can see that you are immersed in a beach background

where it can give us a sense of tranquility, what you

see is what is displayed in the virtual reality glasses.

Figure 7: Presentation of user environment and code.

Figure 7 shows the user environment as well as

the code environment, each on a virtual monitor,

where you can see what is added in the user interface

and how it is coded in the coding environment, also

both monitors are configured in a sea background.

Figure 8: Configuration of virtual peripherals.

In Figure 8, we present how to add virtual

peripherals, where we add a virtual keyboard, with

which we can interact in this way, we have a physical

keyboard on the computer as a virtual keyboard inside

the glasses, with this configuration we increase the

interactivity in the management of the technologies

that virtual reality provides us, not only to be able to

visualize, but also to interact, with which we are

reaching a new milestone in the use and exploitation

of virtual reality technologies, where we not only use

it to visualize, but also to interact and to be able to

program in a virtual environment.

4 CONCLUSIONS

The conclusions we reached at the end of the

presentation and the description of the methodology,

is to increase the interactivity that Virtual Reality

allows us, thanks to it we can program in a virtual

environment, in the example we present, we use the

LabView development environment, being able to

Methodology for Learning Programming Languages Through the Use of Virtual Reality Resources

595

scale to the use of other programming languages such

as Python, R and others, always with the same logic,

the use of multiple monitors and the use of virtual

peripherals.

Thanks to the INMERSED application, we can

have access to the computer, we only need that the

glasses are connected to the same network as the

computer, so we can navigate through the computer

applications and be able to observe them on the

glasses, with this application we can perform multiple

tasks on the glasses, without the need to install the

programs on the glasses, so you can also expand the

range of visualization to various mobile devices, for

this these devices must be connected to the same

network.

Finally we can indicate that the methodology is

applicable and scalable to other educational

processes, in the particular case of engineering

careers, programming courses are the most difficult

to learn, so it is necessary to resort to new techniques

and methods to ensure the understanding and analysis

of programming techniques, One of them is the use of

Virtual Reality, the method can be improved using

other digital media that can be presented when using

the LabView language, as is the case of presentation

of manuals, video tutorials, among other mechanisms,

all of them can be displayed on a virtual monitor,

which improves interactivity and the level of

abstraction of students.

We can indicate as a way to discuss the results

obtained, with the works considered in the

introduction, that although most of the works describe

uses and applications of simulation models for

medical practice and industrial processes mainly,

which help to improve skills and improve practice;

our results are similar in the processes of learning the

LabView programming language, to improve the

level of abstraction and perception of the

programming logic and help to understand and

differentiate the use of the various virtual

instruments, which is one of the main features.

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