Utilizing the Metaverse for Learner-Centered Constructivist Education in the Post-Pandemic Era: An Analysis of Elementary School Students

Due to COVID-19, numerous new technologies are being implemented in education, with a growing interest in the metaverse. The term metaverse refers to an immersive digital environment where one can interact with virtual avatars. This study aims to analyze the experiences and attitudes of the metaverse for learner-centered education from a constructivist perspective to determine how closely related this virtual environment is to the lives of elementary school students. This study also examined how students are becoming the focal point of new educational technologies. After reviewing the literature on this topic, a survey of 336 elementary school students in Korea was conducted using 18 items for measuring each factor in the metaverse, followed by statistical analyses that included a difference of means and an independent sample t-test. The results revealed that, on average, 97.9% of elementary school students had experiences with the metaverse, with 95.5% of them considering it closely related to their everyday life. In addition, various conclusions according to each metaverse factor and each participant's gender are provided.

Automated summary

Due to the impact of COVID-19, various new technologies are being introduced in education, and there is a growing interest in the metaverse. This study examines the experiences and attitudes of learner-centered education in the metaverse from a constructivist perspective to determine its relevance to elementary school students' lives. The results show that the majority of elementary school students have had experiences with the metaverse and consider it closely related to their everyday life.