The Connotations, Technologies, Applications, and Risks of the Metaverse in Chinese Vocational Education

The metaverse, as an emerging concept integrating artificial intelligence, block-chain, XR, digital twins, big data, and other advanced technologies, has gradually evolved from a virtual imagination into real-world applications, attracting increasing attention in the field of education. The education metaverse, as the application form of the metaverse in education, aims to construct an intelligent learning environment characterized by virtual–real integration and ubiquitous collaboration. Against this backdrop, the vocational education metaverse, as an important branch of the education metaverse, not only inherits the immersive, interactive, and persistent features of the metaverse but also embodies the unique functional value of vocational education oriented toward competency-based learning and industry talent development. Based on literature retrieved from CNKI, Web of Science, and Scopus, this scoping review systematically examines 59 studies outputs by Chinese scholars in the field of the vocational education metaverse, focusing on four aspects. First, regarding its connotation and theoretical foundations, scholars generally define the vocational education metaverse as an intelligent educational environment integrating the virtual and the real. Its theoretical underpinnings – embodied cognition, distributed cognition, situated learning, experiential learning, and theories with Chinese characteristics – offer critical guidance for advancing human–machine collaboration, immersive experiences, and contextualized learning in vocational education, all oriented by policies, institutional frameworks, and developmental trajectories aligned with China’s national context. Second, in terms of functions and practical pathways, the vocational education metaverse facilitates immersive learning environments, expands virtual training scenarios, and promotes human–machine collaborative teaching, thereby overcoming the limitations of traditional vocational education in resource allocation, teaching models, and assessment approaches while cultivating high-quality technical and skilled talents with digital literacy, innovation, and practical competence. Third, with respect to technological architecture and platform construction, China has introduced a reference architecture for the metaverse, drawing on the systematic concepts of the industrial metaverse framework. This architecture typically consists of the foundational layer, the core layer, and the interaction layer, supplemented by cross-layer functions to achieve system coordination and resource integration. The vocational education metaverse similarly adopts the metaverse’s technological architecture, with its core framework comprising the infrastructure layer, the technology platform layer, the intelligent perception layer, and the application scenario layer. Fourth, with respect to challenges and future prospects, scholars emphasize risks and bottlenecks in areas such as technological architecture, educational resource coordination, ethical and institutional framework, and governance mechanisms, calling for policy, cultural, and institutional support to foster the sound development of a vocational education metaverse with Chinese characteristics. In sum, this study reveals the multidimensional values and practical challenges of the vocational education metaverse, aiming to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the digital transformation and innovative development of vocational education in China. This chapter offers valuable insights for educators, researchers, learning designers, product designers, investors, and policymakers seeking to leverage these immersive vocational learning environments for high-skilled talent development purposes.