Creating Agile Development Practices in Virtual Workspaces: Exploring the Potential of VR Technologies
Hongjian Pu · 2024
This study explores the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) technology into Agile development practices, focusing on analyzing the effectiveness of core practices such as virtual user story walls, pair programming, and daily stand-up meetings within a virtual environment. By developing a Unity-based virtual office, this research aims to evaluate how VR technology can improve team immersion, enhance communication efficiency, and support more effective collaboration, particularly for geographically distributed teams. Participant feedback indicated that integrating Agile practices in VR environments not only accelerated development but also improved visualization of task management and strengthened team member interaction. Furthermore, the immersive environment of VR allowed teams to experience more intuitive and immediate forms of communication, which promoted a stronger sense of presence and cohesion among members. However, notable challenges include high equipment costs, technical complexity, and the learning curve associated with user adaptation to immersive technologies. This study summarizes both the opportunities and challenges presented by VR, offering valuable insights and recommendations for future research and practice, particularly regarding improving the scalability and accessibility of VR in Agile development contexts.