Immersive technologies have generated significant interest across various academic disciplines. The necessity for more authentic, interactive, and immersive artificial environments led to the growing popularity of the metaverse. Unfortunately, not all metaverse types have been broadly covered in educational research. This inadequacy highlights a gap in understanding the potential benefits and drawbacks of metaverse technologies for education. To address this research gap, we created a metaverse called “MILES Virtual World” that embodies the concepts of lifelogging and mirror worlds. Following the principles of the Embodied Social Presence Theory, the application allows students to socialize through customizable avatars and engage in a variety of activities that closely resemble those in the physical world. We adopted a mixed-method approach using a convergent parallel design to evaluate the application. Our quantitative analysis reveals that students feel highly present and engaged in the virtual environment, with a sense of agency and immersion. It also underscores the importance of enhancing embodiment and copresence to create more effective virtual world experiences and opportunities for social interactions. Meanwhile, our qualitative analysis uncovers several underlying subthemes, including avatar customization, identity exploration, virtual items, communication, entertainment, autonomy, freedom of expression, realism, challenges, shared experiences, and a sense of belonging within the metaverse. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the potential of metaverse technology in the educational context, and how it can be harnessed to create more effective and engaging academic experiences for students.

The emergence of the metaverse has expanded the vital role of virtual worlds in education. It extends the traditional configuration of virtual spaces by offering a more immersive, interactive, and social experience. Unfortunately, there is insufficient literature on how to develop a metaverse application aligned with academic standards and best practices. In this study, we adopted a co-design approach in remodeling our mobile educational metaverse to draw a blueprint for existing and future metaverse technology adopters. We sent a follow-up survey to stakeholders inviting free-text comments. This survey focused on the challenges, issues, and expected features from the perspectives of developers, teachers, and students, respectively. Our results revealed several challenges that developers face when building a metaverse, such as technical infrastructure, student engagement, avatar customization, and performance optimization. Meanwhile, teachers emphasized potential issues that may arise from the use of metaverse technology in educational settings, such as learning outcomes, health and safety, digital citizenship, and ethics and morality. Finally, students expected several key features of an educational metaverse application, such as socialization and collaboration, virtual world interactions, metaverse optimization, realistic graphics, and minigames and activities. The implications of these findings are significant and can help other educational institutions seeking to integrate metaverse technology into their academic services. Overall, our study presents an initial foundation for further exploration and advancement within the rapidly evolving field of metaverse technology.

Despite originating in the tech industry, hackathons have now been adopted in a variety of domains. However, little is known about the status of hackathon literature within educational research. As the number of studies grows, it is essential to develop an understanding of the current state and identify prevalent topics and trends shaping the literature. Toward this goal, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis and scoping review on hackathon research in the field of education. A total of 249 documents written by 1,309 authors and published in 180 unique sources for the period 2014–2022 were identified. Collectively, the dataset amassed 1,312 citations with an average of 6.69 citations per document. The most prevalent subject areas were computer science, social sciences, engineering, medicine, and business. Word frequency analysis showed that “innovation” was the most occurring word, which represents the fundamental objective of hackathon events. The most influential work was the analysis of hackathons as an informal learning platform. Engineering education was the most trending topic while healthcare is an emerging research cluster. Overall, this study provides a better understanding of the hackathon literature and its research landscape in an educational setting.

Children often make unhealthy food choices because they lack nutrition knowledge. This chapter consequently assessed the potential employment of a nutrition intelligent tutoring system (NutritionITS) for teaching and learning basic nutrition concepts in primary education. Following the K-12 Health Curriculum Guide by the Department of Education, NutritionITS incorporated the first quarter content in the grade 1 level. Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, it was evaluated by teachers and parents. The qualitative phase served as the participatory design process that extracted the features needed by teachers. On the other hand, the quantitative phase served as the prototype evaluation using the technology acceptance model constructs. The results presented in this chapter may assist educational leaders, teachers, parents, and students in achieving a better learning outcome in nutrition education. In addition to its contribution to the literature of educational research, this is the first study to develop an intelligent tutoring system in the field of nutrition science.

Empirical evidence has demonstrated the benefits of physical activity in preventing chronic diseases and premature death. Unfortunately, there is a global trend of insufficient physical activity, which was aggravated by the recent global pandemic. Although physical education is often used to promote physical activity, the transition to online education made it difficult to teach fitness and exercise from a distance due to several limiting factors. This chapter aims to respond to these challenges by implementing a school-based public health intervention using a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) tool called VD-CAI. Through an experimental approach, it was found that VD-CAI as an instructional technology shows a performance advantage compared to other pedagogies. Specifically, students who used VD-CAI in their physical education courses received higher scores and exhibited a more positive attitude. This chapter contributes to the growing scientific evidence of the effectiveness of school-based health education programs as well as the expanding literature on CAI and physical education.

Instructional technologies used to be optional and supplemental pedagogical tools until the global health crisis of 2020 compelled education systems to rely on digital devices and services to guarantee academic continuity. Suddenly, the contemporary principles and practices utilized in delivering health education curricula were insufficient and ineffective. Acknowledging the vital role of technology in shaping the future of education, there is now a greater demand to foster innovative interventions and continuous improvement in strategies, methodologies, and systems to empower learners, educators, and leaders in the digital age. This paradigm shift requires a fundamental transformation in the way we approach teaching and learning, and a willingness to embrace new approaches and tools that can enhance the quality of education and support student success. The Handbook of Research on Instructional Technologies in Health Education and Allied Disciplines provides comprehensive coverage of innovative methods and strategies to produce the next generation of health professionals. The book lays the groundwork for implementable teaching and learning models that facilitate knowledge acquisition, enhance perceptual variation, improve skill coordination, and develop a scientific and technological mindset. Each chapter provides an in-depth examination of instructional technologies contextualized in various medical and health domains, including nursing, physiotherapy, radiology, neurophysiology, physical health, dentistry, clinical medicine, and more. This reference work is a must-read for all stakeholders in health education and related fields, including educators, students, researchers, administrators, and healthcare professionals.

The book Handbook of Research on Instructional Technologies in Health Education and Allied Disciplines provides comprehensive coverage of innovative methods and strategies to produce the next generation of health professionals. It lays the groundwork for implementable teaching and learning models that facilitate knowledge acquisition, enhance perceptual variation, improve skill coordination, and develop a scientific and technological mindset. It is designed to provide an in-depth look at the latest advancements and best practices in the field, with a specific emphasis on improving student learning outcomes and professional development. Each chapter provides an in-depth examination of instructional technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, gamification, telemedicine, chatbots, virtual and augmented realities, bioprinting, computer-assisted instruction (CAI), mobile health, smart learning environments, intelligent tutoring systems (ITS), and more. In addition, these chapters illustrate how these educational technologies can be effectively developed and implemented in real-world settings that are contextualized in various medical and health domains, including nursing, physiotherapy, radiology, neurophysiology, physical health, dentistry, clinical medicine, and more.

Advances in technology have revolutionized student recruitment strategies employed by educational institutions. These innovations led to the adoption of virtual campus tours to provide prospective students with an immersive expedition into the school facilities replicated in a digital environment. However, the existing virtual tour technologies pose challenges, including cybersickness in virtual reality and limited interactivity in 360-degree videos. In this study, we fill these research gaps by developing a playable and interactive campus virtual tour where potential enrollees can visit and tour the campuses remotely. In addition to a series of beta tests with enrolled students, we recruited students specializing in game development and their associates to evaluate the application using an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework. In this evaluation, we found that the application was well-received by prospective students and was regarded as useful in delivering an immersive campus visit experience. From the TAM perspective, it was evident that there was a significant difference in how enrolled and potential students assess the application in terms of perceived usefulness and behavioral intention. The positive acceptance of the application led to the recommendation of playable campus virtual tours as a tool for improving student recruitment strategies.

Sprout It is a data-driven web based system approach designed for E and B Farm to manage mushroom farming production, aiding farmers in recording, organizing, and analyzing production batch details. It utilizes visual elements and follows the Kanban Agile Model, with React JS for the front end, Express JS and Node JS for the back end, and MongoDB as the database. With scores of 98.88% in functionality and 97.48% in compatibility testing, it highlights its reliability and cross-browser compatibility as a valuable tool for E and B Farm. The testing results proved that Sprout It delivers a seamless user experience for tasks such as recording, gathering, and analyzing information about mushroom production, thus demonstrating its usefulness to users of E and B Farm. The web management system is compatible with Windows, Android, and iOS devices, requiring an internet browser and connectivity. The system was evaluated using ISO 25010 by a diverse group of users, resulting in an average mean score of 3.61 and a standard deviation of 0.10. The evaluation confirmed the system's usefulness as a valuable tool for E and B Farm mushroom farmers, aiding them in their farm-related tasks.

A case study of DITO telecoms is used to examine the effectiveness of door-to-door sampling caravans for telecoms firms to develop their subscriber base. The telecoms sector is changing; thus client acquisition strategies are being reconsidered. In this study, in- person engagement and personalized encounters are evaluated in the digital age. The mixed-methods research analyses quantitative and qualitative data. Customer comments and sales team observations during the door-to-door sample caravan provide qualitative data, while subscriber growth metrics, conversion rates, and demographic profiling provide quantitative data. Research shows that door-to-door sampling caravans may boost subscription growth. Personalized interactions build trust and rapport, which may overcome consumer skepticism about digital marketing. The technique also permits direct targeting of demographics and places to meet local requirements. However, scalability, resource allocation, and long-term effect must be considered. The research emphasizes strategic planning, training, and communication for caravan sales teams. The study found that although digital initiatives are important, offline approaches like door- to-door sampling caravans may provide a competitive edge. Telecommunications firms looking to vary their client acquisition techniques might learn from the research that in-person contact can maintain subscriber growth.