Virtual Reality and Innovation in Education Conference

The "Virtual Reality and Innovation in Education Conference" was organized in collaboration with the Directorate General for Innovation and Educational Technologies (YEĞİTEK) and ODTÜ TEKNOKENT. The event, held at the Educational Technologies Incubation and Innovation Center (ETKİM), brought together academics, teachers, field experts, and entrepreneurs working in the field of virtual reality (VR) and educational technologies.

The conference focused on discussing how VR technologies can be used more effectively and widely in education, how academic developments can be directed, and how these technologies can be efficiently integrated into digital education.

The Role of VR Technologies in Education

YEĞİTEK Director General Mustafa Canlı emphasized in his speech:

"In line with the Türkiye Century Maarif Model, we aim to enhance skill-based transformation in education and strengthen teaching processes. We continue our efforts to explore how advanced technologies such as VR, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence can be utilized in education and how they can be integrated into classroom scenarios."

Highlighting that VR applications offer a significant opportunity for students to interact with technology while learning, especially in STEM fields, Canlı underlined the need for teachers and educators to take an active role in this process. He also pointed out that the EBA VR platform established by the Ministry of National Education represents a significant step in helping teachers introduce students to technology.

Digital Transformation in Education and the Role of Entrepreneurs

Serdar Alemdar, General Manager of ODTÜ Teknokent, emphasized the vast potential offered by Türkiye’s large student and teacher population for the adoption of VR technologies in education:

"The pedagogical integration of advanced technologies like virtual reality into education is of critical importance. At ODTÜ Teknokent, we support entrepreneurs in this field and invest in projects that will accelerate digital transformation in education."

The conference emphasized the importance of developing VR-based educational content, supporting initiatives in this field, and fostering stronger collaborations between educational technology companies and educators.

Key Takeaways and Roadmap

The two-day conference covered several crucial aspects of the future of VR technology in education. Key topics included:

• Combining academic and practical knowledge in VR applications,

• Aligning VR usage in education with classroom scenarios,

• The impact of VR on student motivation and pedagogical benefits,

• Technical and practical challenges in VR implementation,

• Identifying the necessary technological infrastructure for effective VR integration in education.

The conference provided a significant roadmap for expanding the use of VR technologies in education, while also strengthening cooperation between the education sector and technology developers.

As Edtech Türkiye, we will continue to monitor and report on the effective use of virtual reality technologies in education.