Creating a Virtual Community in the Course 'Implementations of STEM in Business for SDGs': A Case Study on Sharing Engineering and Technology Concepts

Abstract

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to foster global sustainability, with engineering and digital technologies playing a crucial role in achieving these objectives. The course "Implementations of STEM in Business for SDGs" integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) knowledge, focusing on how engineering principles can be applied to develop business concepts that support the SDGs. This study evaluates the use of a Metaverse-based virtual environment, where 139 undergraduate students across five semesters, from 2022 to 2024, presented and discussed their projects in a virtual exhibition. Analysis of the students' projects showed that SDG9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) was the most selected goal at 16.23%, followed by SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG13 (Climate Action), and SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) at 13.91%, 13.62%, and 13.33%, respectively. Many students selected multiple SDGs for their projects, offering valuable insights into their business development trends. From the evaluation of the 35 current students who tested the Metaverse platform, the average satisfaction rate was 81.5%. These findings suggest that the Metaverse can be an effective tool for enhancing online learning environments and promoting interaction and knowledge exchange between students and instructors.