The following content was adapted from one of my latest contributions on the Metaverse’s immersive technology.
Suggested citation: Camilleri, M.A. (2023), “Metaverse applications in education: a systematic review and a cost-benefit analysis”, Interactive Technology and Smart Education, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITSE-01-2023-0017
Online users are connecting to simulated virtual environments through various digital games like Fortnite, Minecraft, Roblox, and World of Warcraft, among others. Very often, gamers are utilizing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to improve their gaming experiences. In many cases, they are engaging with other individuals in the cyberspace and participating in an extensive virtual economy. New users are expected to create electronic personas, called avatars (that represent their identity in these games). They are allowed to move their avatars around virtual spaces and to use them to engage with other users, when they are online. Therefore, interactive games are enhancing their users’ immersive experiences, particularly those that work with VR headsets.
Academic researchers as well as technology giants like Facebook (Meta), Google and Microsoft, among others, anticipate that the Metaverse will shortly change the way we experience the Internet. Whilst on the internet, online users are interacting with other individuals through websites, including games and social media networks (SNSs) in the Metaverse they engage with the digital representations of people (through their avatars), places, and things in a simulated universe. Hence, the Metaverse places its users in the middle of the action. In plain words, it can be described as a combination of multiple elements of interactive technologies, including VR and AR where users can experience a digital universe. Various industry practitioner including Meta (Facebook) argue that this immersive technology will reconfigure the online users’ sensory inputs, definitions of space, and points of access to information.
AR and VR devices can be used to improve the students’ experiences when they engage with serious games. Many commentators noted that these technologies encourage active learning approaches, as well as social interactions among students and/or between students and their teachers. Serious games can provide “gameful experiences”, if they share the immersive features that captivate them, like those relating to the entertaining games. If they do so, it is very likely that students would enjoy their game play (and game-based learning). Similarly, the Metaverse can be used to increase the students; motivations and learning outcomes.
For the time being, there is no universal definition that encapsulates the word “Metaverse”. The term has been used in a 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash. Basically, it is a blend of two words, in which parts of them, namely “meta” and “universe” were combined to create the “Metaverse” notion. While meta means beyond, universe is a term that is typically used to describe an iteration of the internet that consists of persistent, immersive 3D virtual spaces that are intended to emulate physical interactions in perceived virtual worlds (like a universe).
Although, there are various academic contributions that have explored the utilization of online educational technologies, including AR and VR, in different contexts, currently, just a few researchers who have evaluated of the latest literature on this contemporary topic, to reveal the benefits and costs of using this disruptive innovation in the context of education. Therefore, this contribution closes this gap in academic literature. The underlying objective of this research is to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of using this immersive technology with students.
Opportunities
Immersive multi-sensory experiences in 3D environments
The Metaverse could provide a smooth interaction between the real world and the virtual spaces. Its users can engage in activities that are very similar to what they do in reality. However, it could also provide opportunities for them to experience things that could be impossible for them to do in the real world. Sensory technologies enable users to use their five senses of sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell, to immerse themselves in a virtual 3D environment. VR tools are interactive, entertaining and provide captivating and enjoyable experiences to their users. In the past years, a number of educators and students have been using 3D learning applications (e.g. like Second Life) to visit virtual spaces that resemble video games. Many students are experienced gamers and are lured by their 3D graphics. They learn when they are actively involved. Therefore, the learning applications should be as meaningful, engaging, socially interactive and entertaining as possible.
There is scope for educators and content developers to create digital domains like virtual schools, colleges and campuses, where students and teachers can socialize and engage in two-way communications. Students could visit the premises of their educational institutions in online tours, from virtually anywhere. A number of universities are replicating their physical campus with virtual ones. The design of the virtual campuses may result in improved student services, shared interactive content that could improve their learning outcomes, and could even reach wider audiences. Previous research confirms that it is more interesting and appealing for students to learn academic topics through the virtual world.
Equitable and accessible space for all users
Like other virtual technologies, the Metaverse could be accessed from remote locations. Educational institutions can use its infrastructure to deliver courses (free of charge or against tuition fees, as of now). Metaverse education may enable students from different locations to use its open-source software to pursue courses from anywhere, anytime. Hence, its democratized architecture could reduce geographic disparities among students, and increases their chances of continuing education through higher educational institutions in different parts of the world.
In the future, students including individuals with different abilities, may use the Metaverse’s multisensory environment to immerse themselves in engaging lectures.
Interactions with virtual representations of people and physical objects
Currently, individual users can utilize the AR and VR applications to communicate with others and to exert their influence on the objects within the virtual world. They can organize virtual meetings with geographically distant users, attend conferences, et cetera. Various commentators argued that the Metaverse can be used in education, to learn academic subjects in real-time sessions in a VR setting and to interact with peers and course instructors. The students and their lecturers will probably use an avatar that will represent their identity in the virtual world. Many researchers noted that avatars facilitate interactive communications and are a good way to personalize the students’ learning experiences.
Interoperability
Unlike other VR applications, the Metaverse will enable its users to retain their identities as well as the ownership of their digital assets through different virtual worlds and platforms, including those related to the provision of education. This means that Metaverse users can communicate and interact with other individuals in a seamless manner through different devices or servers, across different platforms. They can use the Metaverse to share data and content in different virtual worlds that will be accessed through Web 3.0.
Challenges
Infrastructure, resources and capabilities
The use of the Metaverse technology will necessitate a thorough investment in hardware to operate the university virtual spaces. The Metaverses requires intricate devices, including appropriate high-performance infrastructures to achieve accurate retina display and pixel density for realistic virtual immersions. These systems rely on fast internet connections with good bandwidths as well as computers with adequate processing capabilities, that are equipped with good graphic cards. For the time being, VR, MR and AR hardware may be considered as bulky, heavy, expensive and cost-prohibitive, in some contexts.
The degree of freedom in a virtual world
The Metaverse offers higher degrees of freedom than what is available through the worldwide web and web2.0 technologies. Its administrators cannot be in a position to anticipate the behaviors of all persons using their technologies. Therefore, Metaverse users can possibly be exposed to positive as well as to negative influences as other individuals can disguise themselves in the vast virtual environments, through anonymous avatars.
Privacy and security of users’ personal data
The users’ interactions with the Metaverse as well as their personal or sensitive information, can be tracked by the platform operators hosting this service, as they continuously record, process and store their virtual activities in real-time. Like its preceding worldwide web and Web 2.0 technologies, the Metaverse can possibly raise the users’ concerns about the security of their data and of their intellectual properties. They may be wary about data breaches, scams, et cetera. Public blockchains and other platforms can already trace the users’ sensitive data, so they are not anonymous to them. Individuals may decide to use one or more avatars to explore the Metaverse’s worlds. They may risk exposing their personal information, particularly when they are porting from one Metaverse to another and/or when they share transactional details via NFTs. Some Metaverse systems do not require their users to share personal information when they create their avatar. However, they could capture relevant information from sensors that detect their users’ brain activity, monitor their facial features, eye motion and vocal qualities, along with other ambient data pertaining to the users’ homes or offices.
They may have legitimate reasons to capture such information, in order to protect them against objectionable content and/or unlawful conduct of other users. In many cases, the users’ personal data may be collected for advertising and/or for communication purposes. Currently, different jurisdictions have not regulated their citizens’ behaviors within the Metaverse contexts. Works are still in progress, in this regard.
Identity theft and hijacking of user accounts
There may be malicious persons or groups who may try use certain technologies, to obtain the personal information and digital assets from Metaverse users. Recently, a deepfake artificial intelligence software has developed short audible content, that mimicked and impersonated a human voice.
Other bots may easily copy the human beings’ verbal, vocal and visual data including their personality traits. They could duplicate the avatars’ identities, to commit fraudulent activities including unauthorized transactions and purchases, or other crimes with their disguised identities. Roblox users reported that they experienced avatar scams in the past. In many cases, criminals could try to avail themselves of the digital identities of vulnerable users, including children and senior citizens, among others, to access their funds or cryptocurrencies (as they may be linked to the Metaverse profiles). As a result, Metaverse users may become victims of identity theft. Evolving security protocols and digital ledger technologies like the blockchain will be increasing the transparency and cybersecurity of digital assets. However, users still have to remain vigilant about their digital footprint, to continue protecting their personal information.
As the use of the virtual environment is expected to increase in the foreseeable future, particularly with the emergence of the Metaverse, it is imperative that new ways are developed to protect all users including students. Individuals ought to be informed about the risks to their privacy. Various validation procedures including authentication, such as face scans, retina scans, and speech recognition may be integrated in such systems to prevent identity theft and hijacking of Metaverse accounts.
Borderless environment raises ethical and regulatory concerns
For the time being, a number of policy makers as well as academics are raising their questions on the content that can be presented in the Metaverse’s virtual worlds, as well as to the conduct and behaviors of the Metaverse users. Arguably, it may prove difficult for the regulators of different jurisdictions to enforce their legislation in the Metaverse’s borderless environment. For example, European citizens are well acquainted with the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation. Other countries have their own legal frameworks and/or principles that are intended to safeguard the rights of data subjects as well as those of content creators. For example, the United States governments has been slower that the EU to introduce its privacy by design policies. Recently, the South Korean Government announced a set of laudable, non-binding ethical guidelines for the provision and consumption of metaverse services. However, there aren’t a set of formal rules that can apply to all Metaverse users.
Users’ addictions and mental health issues
Although many AR and VR technologies have already been tried and tested in the past few years, the Metaverse is still getting started. For the time being, it is difficult to determine what are the effects of the Metaverse on the users’ health and well-being. Many commentators anticipate that an unnecessary exposure to Metaverse’s immersive technologies may result in negative side-effects for the psychological and physical health of human beings. They are suggesting that individuals may easily become addicted to a virtual environment, where the limits of reality are their own imagination. They are lured to it “for all the things they can do” and will be willing to stay “for all the things they can be” (i.e. excerpts from Ready Player One Movie).
Past research confirms that spending excessive time on internet, social media or playing video games can increase the chances of mental health problems like attention deficit disorders, eating conditions, as well as anxiety, stress or depression, among others. Individuals play video games to achieve their goals, to advance to the next level. Their gameplay releases dopamine. Similarly, their dopamine levels can increase when they are followed through social media, or when they receive likes, comment or other forms of online engagements.
Individuals can easily develop an addiction with this immersive technology, as they seek stimulating and temporary pleasurable experiences in its virtual spaces. As a result, they may become dependent to it. Their interpersonal communications via social media networks are not as authentic or satisfying as real-life relationships, as they are not interacting in-person, with other human beings. In the case of the Metaverse, their engagement experiences may appear to be real. Yet again, in the Metaverse, its users are located in a virtual environment, they not physically present near other individuals. Human beings need to build an honest and trustworthy relationship with one another. The users of the Metaverse can create avatars that could easily conceal their identity.
Read further! The full paper can be accessed and downloaded from:
The University of Malta: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/110459
Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/102800696/Metaverse_applications_in_education_A_systematic_review_and_a_cost_benefit_analysis
SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4490787
Substantia Mea 
You must be logged in to post a comment.