According to the US-based National Science Foundation, 80 percent of the global jobs created in the next decade will require some form of math and science skills. This STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) trend is also reflected in the job industry in India. STEM-related job postings in the country have increased by 44 percent from 2016-19.
Despite the rising demand from the job industry, the Indian education system is far from implementing STEM-based teaching-learning methods.?
Studies have cited human resources quality, infrastructure, and curriculum, as the main barrier to the implementation of STEM. The teaching certification course for teachers is based on the instructional teaching-learning method and needs upgrades. Besides, setting up infrastructures by individual schools for STEM-related education is an expensive task.
Though the task of fixing human resources quality and infrastructures seems humungous, it can be solved through Metaverse.
The Metaverse can also address the issue of physical infrastructures in offering STEM education. Instead of buying expensive learning objects, they can be made available in the digital world for 1% of the cost.
The new technology will also blur the line between urban and rural students and can provide the same level of education to everyone.
It¡¯s imperative to instil creativity, innovation, and a passion for STEM in students from an early age. To do this, the curriculum needs to be addressed from the perspective of developing the user experience.?
An immersive study experience for students that takes them to a Metaverse world, where they can learn about science and technology by having unique user experiences can accelerate and empower existing STEM initiatives in India.
The move will bring more students, especially girls and village kids, into the fold that will create critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and next-generation innovators. It will be a big step towards the universalization of STEM education.?
DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) is a national platform for school education. The platform can be a big source to enhance high quality user experience and accelerate STEM education in India.?
The architecture is already in place and the platform which is connected to offline books via QR code. A mere scanning of QR codes, available on NCERT books, connects the student to the online world of DIKSHA, where they can learn and understand subjects via videos and graphics.? If the platform is connected to the world of Metaverse, it can truly achieve the goal of STEM universalization a reality. Besides, the platform encompasses all the features ¡ª open architecture, open access, open licensing diversity ¡ª required for the universalization of education. It is important that the STEM modules on Metaverse are made taking into account a student¡¯s learning journey and experiences.
In the past few months, there has been some development to connect the students¡¯ curriculum with Metaverse. Last month, Meta ( previously Facebook) announced that they will collaborate to curate and develop a curriculum integrating immersive technologies like AR and virtual reality (VR). The aim is to provide a curriculum on digital safety, online well-being, and augmented reality (AR) to over 10 million students and 1 million teachers in India.
Metaverse in education is also a big opportunity to steer the conversation towards girls¡¯ students, specifically, and how their participation can be increased in STEM fields.?
The?representation of women?in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics has been far lower than men. Several women scientists across the world have been urging the government to take steps towards the inclusion of more women in STEM-related fields.
However, in the past few years, some progress has also been observed in this. According to the government, the number of women who enrolled for studies in the field of STEM has increased by 53,388 in the last three years ¡ª from 10,02,707 in 2017-18 to 10,56,095 in 2019-20.
Despite the rise in number, there is a huge gap between the number of women who graduated in STEM and who got jobs in STEM fields.?
According to Swedish Science Counsellor Fanny von Heland,?though about 43 percent of STEM graduates in India are women, their share in STEM jobs is only 14 percent.?
The wide gap between STEM education and jobs among women can also be addressed through upskilling; and again, Metaverse can play a huge role into it. Based on the most advanced version of AR and VR technology, it can solve the problem of employability for women very efficiently.
The Metaverse technology can compensate for the lack of infrastructure, which was so far not available to upskill the women workforce.?
STEM-based education is not only about teaching science and mathematics to students but to developing a variety of skill sets in children.?
Each subject of study in STEM brings valuable contribution in the education system. Science allows learners to develop an in-depth understanding of the world and makes them researchers and critical thinkers. Technology makes students future-ready that will be full of high-tech innovations. Engineering turns students into problem-solvers. Mathematics enables young minds more analytical in its approach to eliminate errors and make conscious decisions when designing solutions.?
Whether or not these students become doctors or scientists or engineers, universalisation of STEM on the Metaverse will give many more students access, opportunity, and tools to participate in the innovation economy.
Manav Subodh is the Co-Founder at 1M1B Foundation (1 Million for 1 Billion) ¨C UN-accredited Not for profit organization that is a social innovation and future skills initiative aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The views/ opinions expressed by the author are personal.
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