METAVERSE EXPERIENCE: MEASURING PRESENCE IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF GASTRONOMY

The aim of this study is to measure the sense of presence in virtual environments that can provide a different gastronomic experience in the metaverse by using new technologies. In the scope of the study, a virtual restaurant was created via digital platforms as a virtual environment design for the metaverse experience and it was experienced by the participants with the help of virtual reality glasses. The universe of the study consists of instructors involved in the educational and training activities of the General Directorate of Special Education and Guidance Services. It was applied face-to- face with thirteen of the trainers who were invited to Ankara within the scope of the "Material and Content Development for the Digital Game Project in Special Education " study carried out on May 23-27, 2022. After the practice, the “Sense of Presence Scale” was applied to the participants. In addition, an interview consisting of three items was conducted in order to obtain detailed information about the experiences and opinions of the participants. The results of the study indicated that the participants were inclined to prefer virtual restaurants in their daily lives and they believed that the communication established in the metaverse environment was healthy. It is recommended that the study be carried out under conditions that can provide a more realistic experience with the support of technical infrastructure. It is believed that the study will contribute to businesses and the field that aim to offer different services in the gastronomy sector.