Panel held at CIU to discuss Metaverse from a scientific perspective

The effects of the Metaverse concept which provides innovation and transformation opportunities in many fields like engineering, psychology and education were discussed at  the panel organized by the Creativity and Innovation Club which is affiliated to the Coordination Center of Social Activities and Clubs that function under the umbrella of the Student Development and Counseling Center of Cyprus International University (CIU).

The current concept of Metaverse is not only limited to the gaming world but goes beyond that allowing innovation and transformation possibilities in a variety of areas. CIU Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences faculty member Prof. Dr. Tarık Atan was the moderator and the discussants were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özge Razı, Assist. Prof. Dr. Devrim Seral and Assist. Prof. Dr. Linda Fraim.

At the event, Dr. Seral, the Chairperson of the Department of Information Systems Engineering, talked about the development process of Metaverse. He said Metaverse and similar studies have progressed a lot which makes their entry into our lives inevitable. Seral also stated that today we are witnessing the gradual construction of virtual universes which we could not have even imagined 10 years ago. Such applications like virtual reality and augmented reality supported by virtual intelligence have become a part of daily life, he said and  added people cannot remain indifferent to these developments.

Department of Psychology lecturer Assist. Prof. Dr. Linda Fraim treated the matter from a different perspective by discussing its psychological effects. She focused  on the possibility of harmony and discord in human nature and virtual reality applications. She further reinstated that it would be a very beneficial approach to study and evaluate the positive aspects of this technology to avoid any detrimental evaluations.

The panel ended with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özge Razı from the Department of English Language Teaching, talking about how developments like Metaverse affect education. To conclude, Dr. Razı said using virtual reality in education would definitely change the face of the education sector.
Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Psikoloji Bölümü öğretim üyesi Yrd. Doç. Dr. Linda Fraim, konuyu psikolojik etkileri açısından ele alarak, insan doğası ve sanal gerçeklik uygulamalarının uyum ve uyumsuzluk ihtimallerine dikkat çekti ve bu konularda değerlendirme yapmanın teknolojinin olumlu yönlerini gölgede bırakabilecek olumsuzluklara karşı çok önemli bir yaklaşım oluşturacağını kaydetti.

UKÜ Eğitim Fakültesi, İngilizce Öğretmenliği Bölümü öğretim üyesi Doç. Dr. Özge Razı ise etkinlikte yaptığı konuşmada, Metaverse gibi gelişmelerin eğitim sektörüne getirdiği olanaklar hakkında bilgi paylaşımında bulundu. Sanal gerçekliğin eğitim sektöründe kullanılmasına dikkat çekerek, “Bu yöndeki çalışmalar eğitim sektörünün çehresini değiştirecek” şeklinde konuştu.