Virtual Reality and The Metaverse

Mar 23, 20223 min read

When looking at the future of technology in the classroom, more teachers are adopting the use of virtual reality and soon to include the metaverse. Virtual reality and the metaverse can provide students with immersive education experiences where they can view the entire 360 degrees of a scene through a headset. While many people know what virtual reality or the metaverse are, they might not know how it can be used to enhance students' learning experiences in the classroom.

Roberts, R. (2019). VR , AR, & MR in Education. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://medium.com/awecademy/vr-ar-mr-in-education-e789bfe5b869.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is a technology that uses real captured images and video of locations which can be viewed through a headset or on a projector in a 360 degrees immersive format. With virtual reality, students can experience locations from anywhere in the world through a portable headset, providing them with opportunities to learn more in depth about a given topic or location. Virtual Reality "allows students to experience destinations from across the world without ever having to leave the classroom. Imagine students being able to explore the pyramids of giza whilst sat at their desks. This is what virtual reality education allows" (Immersion VR, 2020). This technology can evidently enhance the experience of students in the classroom, but more importantly, it is accessible to all students, easy to monitor, and simple to incorporate into curriculums. VR is beneficial to students who might learn better through hands-on experiences and it can promote peer interactions. The most significant benefit of using virtual reality in the classroom is that it encourages creative thinking and the use of imagination amongst students. When using the technology,"students are “transported” out of the classroom and their imagination is allowed to flourish"(Immersion VR, 2020). It can provide a memorable and inspiring experience for many students and its popularity will grow as the technology advances.

Stambol. (23AD). Educational VR & Remote Learning at Home. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://www.stambol.com/2020/03/23/educational-vr-remote-learning-at-home/.

The Metaverse

What is the metaverse? The metaverse is a multiverse made up of 3D virtual worlds or more simply, a rich entirely digital world comparable to a 3D model of the internet. The metaverse is a real-time online space that is supported by virtual reality and artificial intelligence (Hirsh-Pasek et. all., 2022). The metaverse can be used to enhance students' learning experiences in the classroom in a a similar way to that of virtual reality; however, much more immersive. Using the metaverse, teachers can project images onto the floor and onto the walls to create a similar 360 degree immersive experience, where students can use their avatars to explore the location. For example, an avatar can explore the ancient city of Rome, pick up objects, and interact with the environment as if they were actually there during that time period. With this technology, "opportunities for collaborative learning and co-creation are embedded into the virtual and real learning spaces they have built together" (Hirsh-Pasek et. all., 2022). The metaverse takes virtual reality to a new level, one that can entirely alter students experiences when learning and give them opportunities to thoroughly explore subejcts like never before. While the metaverse is still in the works, it is important that teachers learn how to implement such technology in the near future. Below I have included an short, yet insightful video about future experiences in the metaverse for education purposes.