The Computer Science VR Revolution (2000-2025): Virtual Reality Is Rewriting The Rules of Computer Science Education

This study examined the development of virtual reality (VR) technology in computer science ‎education over the past 25 years. As educational institutions increasingly adopt VR tools to teach ‎programming concepts, understanding practical approaches and establishing future research ‎directions are essential for educators and policymakers. This study analysed 341 peer-reviewed ‎publications from the Scopus database (2000-2025) using specialised software to examine ‎publication trends, citation patterns, and research themes. This approach maps the evolution of ‎VR educational research and identifies the most influential studies. The results show dramatic ‎growth in VR research beginning in 2018, with annual publications increasing from 09 to 96 ‎studies by 2024. Five primary research areas have emerged: immersive educational technologies, ‎teaching methods, digital learning frameworks, technology integration strategies, and subject-specific applications. The most cited works were review studies rather than individual ‎experiments, suggesting that researchers build foundational knowledge. This study has ‎limitations, including its focus on English-language publications and reliance on one database, ‎potentially missing international perspectives. Future research should investigate long-term ‎learning outcomes and include diverse geographical perspectives. This comprehensive analysis ‎provides evidence-based guidance for educators and data-driven insights into technology ‎investment decisions in computer science education‎.