arXiv subjects

Nadia Damianova

Publications and source records attributed to Nadia Damianova.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

TUMSphere: Turning a University Curriculum into Playable VR Challenges

Traditional university orientation formats struggle to convey the intellectual substance of STEM curricula, particularly in disciplines where core competencies, such as algorithmic thinking and formal reasoning, are inherently abstract. This paper presents TUMSphere, a serious virtual reality (VR) application built as an interactive digital twin of the TUM Bildungscampus Heilbronn, in which six curriculum-mapped mini-games translate foundational Information Engineering topics into hands-on VR challenges. The mini-games, covering introductory programming, hardware debugging, code completion, graph traversal, shortest-path optimization, and relational database querying, follow a graduated difficulty progression that mirrors the real semesters' structure of the degree. We describe the pedagogical rationale, the VR interaction mechanics, and nine cross-cutting design considerations that guided development. A within-subjects pilot study (N = 18) using pre-/post-knowledge tests, the System Usability Scale, a User Engagement Scale adaptation, and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire yielded a statistically significant knowledge gain (p < 0.001, r = 0.86), good usability (SUS M = 76.4), high engagement (M = 4.21/5), and negligible simulator sickness (SSQ M = 7.1). Task performance logs confirmed the intended difficulty gradient across mini-games. These results suggest that embedding authentic academic challenges in an explorable VR campus is a viable and extensible approach to gamified STEM outreach.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2026

The Anatomy of a Successful Student Scrum Team: Motivation, Personalities, and Academic Adaptation

Agile methods, and Scrum in particular, are widely taught in software engineering education; however, there is limited empirical evidence on how these practices function in long-running, student-led projects under academic and hybrid work constraints. This paper presents a year-long case study of an eight-person student development team tasked with designing and implementing a virtual reality game that simulates a university campus and provides program-related educational content. We analyze how the team adapted Scrum practices (sprint structure, roles, backlog management) to fit semester rhythms, exams, travel, and part-time availability, and how communication and coordination were maintained in a hybrid on-site/remote environment. Using qualitative observations and artifacts from Discord, Notion, and GitHub, as well as contribution metrics and a custom communication effectiveness index (score: 0.76/1.00), we evaluate three dimensions: (1) the effectiveness of collaboration tools, (2) the impact of hybrid work on communication and productivity, and (3) the feasibility of aligning Scrum with academic timelines. Our findings show that (i) lightweight, tool-mediated coordination enabled stable progress even during remote periods; (ii) one-week sprints and flexible ceremonies helped reconcile Scrum with academic obligations; and (iii) shared motivation, role clarity, and compatible working styles were as critical as process mechanics. We propose practical recommendations for instructors and student teams adopting agile methods in hybrid, project-based learning settings.

cs.SE↗