METAVERSE ROLE AS AN EDUCATION TOOL

In 1992, Neal Stephenson, a sci-fi writer, introduced the metaverse concept in his novel, Snow Crash. The characters in the novel become avatars and work in a 3D virtual reality called the metaverse. After this concept appeared, efforts and research were carried out to turn the metaverse into reality. 

The applications of metaverse are already seen in several fields: the gaming sector, entertainment, socializing, work, commerce, the healthcare system, and many more. There is also a lot metaverse can do in the education sector– some of which are mentioned in this article. With time, the metaverse is expected to become omnipresent as more and more sectors adopt it.

What is The Metaverse? 

Attempts have been made by several institutes and individuals to define metaverse. The definitions were according to the deductions and understanding of the persons making them about metaverse. According to XR Reports, the metaverse is a simulated digital environment that uses augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and blockchain, along with concepts from social media, to create spaces for rich user interaction mimicking the real world. Cointelegraph however defined it as a digital landscape that participants can use to build their own virtual environment. 

A more comprehensive description considers metaverse as the next-generation mobile computing platform which will take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and ever-increasing connectivity to create online environments that are more immersive, experiential, and interactive than what currently exists.

The Metaverse as an Education Tool 

When it comes to education, learning, and training, there's more need for innovation.  Schools and education centres do more than training; they actively shape and prepare young people for the future, which goes beyond the workplace, lecture theatres, classrooms, and colleges. The Metaverse has many established uses in the digital age, but when it comes to education, there are speculations as to how the metaverse will significantly improve the sector.

How Can The Metaverse Change Education 

Among the 4 existing types of metaverse— augmented reality, lifelogging, mirror world, and virtual reality— virtual reality is the most diverse and actively used technology in education. 

Regardless of their real-life location, teachers and students can meet up in a virtual space through the virtual reality headset. For those willing to seek education, this functionality presents endless possibilities and a remarkable potential impact on education. 

For instance,  a group of students scattered around the world, with a common interest in learning history, and a teacher based in Nigeria who loves travelling the world and is frequently visiting new areas. This is an impossible classroom; however, with metaverse, the teacher can meet with the students irrespective of the difference in location. A more interesting feature of the metaverse is its ability to, alongside audio, show an immersive 3D environment. This exciting feature doesn't only help in teaching, it improves assimilation as it provides a serene virtual academic environment.

Although teaching and learning via metaverse seem like an impracticable concept, it is already in use in some ways. 

Roblox is a popular example that readily comes to mind. It allows people to build and share their virtual worlds akin to Minecraft and Fortnite. This concept was originally for user creation purposes, however, the feature has been expanded upon to include Roblox classrooms. The classrooms may be virtual or not. 

The Roblox virtual classrooms take place over millions of user-generated worlds, allowing students and teachers to log in from wherever they are.  The worlds may be based on different things: physics simulation to teach the student about the subject in a safe virtual environment or role-playing simulation of historical events. Asides from eliminating the geographic barriers to learning, more than Roblox, metaverse creates a therapeutic, immersive form of learning environment which improves both concentration and assimilation. 

The Benefits of Using Metaverse as an Educational Tool 

Some of the benefits of a metaverse learning environment have already been mentioned in this article.

Unlike Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite which have cartoonish visual aspects and can distract students from learning, a metaverse environment can be designed to look realistic, and stunning, and captivate students. The metaverse environment also can replicate real-life locations. 

In the real world, the teachers sadly, mostly cannot oversee everything happening in a classroom, however, a metaverse educator has complete control over students' interactions and can limit bullying or, by changing some permissions in the virtual space, separate students for disciplinary purposes. 

On April 14, 2014, 276 schoolgirls were abducted in Chibok, Borno State, Nigeria. As of the 15th of April 2022, a total of over 1500 pupils have been kidnapped in Nigeria. Keeping children in their homes rather than grouped in one area and learning via a digital environment could have prevented disastrous incidents like this and school shootings. 

Disadvantages of Using Metaverse as an Education Tool 

While we have seen how the metaverse can present us with an entirely different learning experience from the traditional schooling, it's important that we also look at the downsides of it:

A disabled Korean kid with speech, hearing or visual impairment with an interest in a course offered by an American school would need special accommodation which may not be offered by the school. It is unlikely that the school, through the virtual reality class, would be willing to cater for such a disabled student, especially if it's just a single student. Complementing for such disabilities would therefore fall on the parents and not the school; this is unlikely in the traditional schooling system as most schools provide options for disabled students. 

Also, clocking dozens of hours per week in a digital world, for education and entertainment, might result in the child neglecting his life in the real world. This may impair his real-life relationships with others.

When it comes to virtual reality, there's a case of accessibility and affordability. It will be difficult to adopt a means of education that's not widely available and can not be afforded by the majority. 

Conclusion 

The rise of the metaverse has brought infinite possibilities and shown its potential to revolutionize sectors and occupations, such as entertainment, gaming, socializing, work, and commerce. The education sector is not left out; the metaverse has the potential to upgrade all aspects of learning. This new concept is expected to contribute to improving teaching, learning, and comprehension.