STEM Education in Metaverse Environment: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

As the 21st century progresses, expectations and demands for STEM and STEAM education are increasing (Dönmez et al, 2022). Developed and developing countries are trying to increase the practice of students and teachers in STEM education by revising their education programs. STEM education, which emerged as a result of the increasing global economic and scientific competition, is seen as an educational approach that helps develop individual life skills and increase social welfare. One of the ultimate goals of the STEM education approach is to equip the individual with skills that enable the individual to solve real-life problems with a transdisciplinary education approach (Dönmez & Gülen, 2021). STEM education is aimed to implement multiple disciplines integrated with each other and within the framework of a common theme. It is known that these disciplines include sciences such as engineering, art, and technology along with many branches of science (Dönmez et al., 2021). It is important that updates and new studies in these sciences are integrated into STEM education and used in coordination. In particular, the rapid acceleration in technology should be reflected in educational environments and integrated with STEM education. As a matter of fact, the most popular of the innovative structures in the technological field is the metaverse.