Empirical Studies on the Metaverse-Based Education: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The Metaverse is a digital space achieved through a virtual environment that allows people to enjoy immersive experiences and interactions. The Metaverse is changing the world in different fields, from education to health. However, using the Metaverse for educational purposes has rarely been discussed. While there are only a few reviews summarizing the findings of studies on the Metaverse, no study has systematically analyzed empirical studies of the Metaverse in education. This study presents a systematic review of empirical studies on Metaverse-based education to fill this gap. The results revealed that empirical studies were conducted with university students, but no study focused on middle and primary school students. The results showed that virtual reality is the most common Metaverse type used in empirical studies. However, there is a need for empirical work using mixed-reality technology in the educational Metaverse. As a result of examining the student engagement findings in the studies included in the review, it was seen that few experimental studies focused on students’ behavioral engagement. It is expected that the findings of this study will guide empirical research on the Metaverse in education.