"Coding Tomorrow" Will Introduce Children to Metaverse

AS PART OF THE "CODING TOMORROW" PROJECT, THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN WILL RECEIVE CODING TRAINING IN METAVERSE

The "Coding Tomorrow", a joint project of Vodafone Turkey Foundation and Habitat Association, has started to offer coding training in the metaverse environment. In this regard, 1,000 children over 13 will receive algorithm training in the metaverse between April-December. The training will be held using Virtual Reality (VR) glasses in technology classes established in rural schools within the scope of the "Coding Tomorrow" project.

With new and innovative educational content,Vodafone Turkey Foundation andHabitat Association continue to expand the "Coding Tomorrow" project, which they launched 6 years ago to prepare children for the digital future. As part of the project, which has reached over 242,000 children in 81 provinces, children have started to receive coding training in the metaverse environment. In this context, participating children over 13 will receive algorithm training, the first step of coding training with Scratch, in the metaverse. The training, where 20 Virtual Reality (VR) glasses will be utilized, will cover the topics of understanding the algorithm and coding logic, developing algorithmic thinking skills, and raising awareness of the algorithms behind the software. After 45-60 minutes of sessions that will take place in the metaverse, the training will continue on computers. The training, which will be held in technology classes established in certain rural schools within the scope of "Coding Tomorrow", is aimed to reach 1,000 children between April-December.

While evaluating the issue, Mr. Hasan Süel, the Chair of Vodafone Turkey Foundation, stated:

"As Vodafone Turkey Foundation and Habitat Association, we eagerly continue our 'Coding Tomorrow' project, which we launched six years ago to raise generations ready for the digital future. Until today, we have given coding training to over 242,000 children in 81 provinces. While spreading our project across Turkey, we also aim to increase the digital competencies of our children with various digital education topics. With this vision, we have included the metaverse in our project. Physical classrooms are moving to 3D metaverse environments on a global level. Accordingly, we are also starting to provide our coding training in the metaverse. We aim to help our children learn the most up-to-date technological concepts and practices. In this regard, we will provide 1,000 children over 13 with algorithm training, the first step of coding, using VR glasses in the metaverse environment. Our training in the metaverse environment will be a significant milestone in our goal of preparing our children for the digital future. We believe that this step we have taken will serve as a model in the education world. Thanks to advancing technologies, we hope our educational journey in the metaverse will expand its scope each day.

Mr. Sezai Hazır, the Board Chair of Habitat Association , also stated:

"We feel right happy and proud of constantly expanding the scope of our Coding Tomorrow project, which we implemented with the collaboration of the Vodafone Turkey Foundation and touches the lives of thousands of children. The previous years have shown us that learning how to code is as important as literacy. With our project, we develop processes that guide our country's digital transformation, thereby contributing to the prepare our children for the digital world of the future. Now, we are taking our project to the next level by starting to give the coding training we provide with our project via the metaverse. There, we continue to help our children over 13 meet technological innovation. We value the algorithm training experience our children will receive with virtual reality glasses in the metaverse environment. We believe that our children will contribute to future studies in this field by gaining this experience at an early age. We will continue our activities to provide every child across Turkey with 21st-century competencies, especially metaverse technology skills."

A million dollar market

Rather than a specific technology, the concept of the metaverse, commonly referred to as a "virtual universe" in Turkey, signals a large-scaled shift and transformation in people's interaction with technology. The metaverse users navigate a virtual world that imitates the characteristics of the physical world via technologies including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence, social media, and digital currency. In the fast-growing metaverse, the number of blockchain wallet users has increased 10 times compared to 2020 and reached 50,000, while the virtual land, NFT, and virtual goods market has surpassed 200 million USD.

Increased motivation in education

The metaverse also influences the field of Education by offering students and teachers a more far-reaching, detailed, realistic, interactive, fun, and multi-dimensional learning experience. The education system in the metaverse is based mainly on gamification, increasing the students' motivation by giving them a sense of socialization. Offering the opportunity to apply the knowledge in the field and implement the trial-and-error method, the metaverse also arouses interest in the education world with its time, place, and budget advantages.

The project has reached over 242,000 children

Within the "Coding Tomorrow" project, children between 7-14 across Turkey receive theoretical and practical training by volunteer trainers on various subjects, including the introduction to programming, algorithm logic, application development, storytelling, and game development. Our training helps our children understand programming, work to bring out their creativity, create their imaginary worlds, and produce their games. As part of the "Coding Tomorrow", which has reachedover 242,000 children in 81 provinces to date, 6,6 million TRY of social value was obtained in one year, and each investment of 1 TRY for the project yielded a social return of 4,4 TRY.