Agile in a Virtual World: Teaching Complex Concepts to Distanced Learners

Educators play an important role in preparing both present and future professionals to evolve and strive in agile environments. With this in mind, this paper discusses an ongoing research aiming at uncovering key enablers of teaching agile methods to distanced learners using a virtual world. To this end, we built a simulation-based training platform using Minecraft Education (R) and implemented it in a classroom setting in order to 1) teach Scrum, an agile framework for developing, delivering and sustaining complex products; and 2) develop agile collaboration skills and mindsets to students operating in virtual teams. A conceptual model that explains students' learning experience is developed and discussed. This research contributes to both theory and practice, as it sheds light on the mechanisms through which IT can facilitate the learning of complex topics (i.e., agile), and it provides useful guidelines to educators who wish to develop and incorporate simulation-based tools in their teaching.