How the AI-Powered Metaverse Education Enhances Innovation and Commercialisation Skills for Computer Engineering Students: A Survey from the MENA region

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of AI-Powered Metaverse Education Ecosystem (AIME) on the innovation and commercialisation skills of computer engineering students (CES) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This kind of environment gives CES a rich, hands-on experience that connects classroom learning with real-world innovation and commercial opportunities. Using a risk-free 3D virtual space, it recreates complex engineering challenges, enabling students to work together to design, prototype, and test ideas instantly, speeding up the path from concept to creation. Within this metaverse, AI-powered analytics tailor the learning journey to each student, helping them build advanced skills in software architecture, embedded systems, and AI integration, while also sparking an entrepreneurial mindset. Based on the Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy (ESE) theory, the authors developed a framework that examines the following four assumptions that guide the study. First, students describe performance mastery experiences in AIME. Second, Vicarious learning (observing peers/mentors in metaverse labs) contributes to clearer mental models of commercialisation pathways, were AI agents model decision trade-offs. Third, AI-driven formative feedback transforms ambiguous failure into concrete learning actions, thereby accelerating the translation of technical ideas into market-oriented prototypes. And fourth, affordances of embodiment and artifact manipulation in the metaverse surface tacit commercialisation knowledge (e.g., cost trade-offs, user pain points) that students rarely experience in conventional labs. To gauge educators’ perspectives on the use of the Metaverse in education, the study employs a qualitative research approach, including an extensive survey of 300 participants from Academics serving in 8 Middle Eastern countries. Our findings show that CES students can accelerate the innovation cycle by collaborating to design, prototype, and test solutions in real time while simulating challenging engineering problems in a 3D virtual environment. Additionally, AIME can simulate start-up ecosystems, enabling students to engage in virtual pitchcompetitions, market analysis, and product lifecycle simulations. AI tutors provide instant feedback on technical feasibility, user experience design, and cost optimisation, helping students connect engineering excellence with market viability. Moreover, the metaverse facilitates global collaboration, allowing students to co-create with peers, industry mentors, and potential investors from different regions, fostering cross-cultural innovation strategies.