Metaverse leading way for the transformation of education sector

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Web3 technologies and metaverse are expected to have a significant effect in the education industry. Immersive technologies are being developed with a greater emphasis than ever before in order to gamify the learning process and provide students with exciting learning experiences via virtual campuses. Major metaverse-based companies are targeting education sector to drive growth. The metaverse applications that are gaining pace in the education sector primarily include virtual campuses, practical learning, virtual campus activities and virtual events such as conferences, symposiums with famous personalities.

TechInsight360 expects there will be increased investment in Metaverse ed-tech firms and innovations in learning and education tools developed in metaverse technology. It will be exciting to see the technique of different companies to create their own metaverse platforms. The ed-tech companies will need to focus on filling the research gaps and overcome the qualms towards adoption of metaverse as an effective learning tool.

The year 2022 witnessed various developments in application of metaverse in the education and learning industries. 

• One of the early adopters was Inspired Education Group, a global group of premium schools, in the UK. The group launched its pilot of metaverse technology and virtual technology (VR) in two of its schools including King’s InterHigh in London and St. Louis School based in Milan in March 2022. 

• In August 2022, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), opened its first virtual campus in metaverse in Hong Kong, followed by a subsequent launch of the Guangzhou campus.

• Another noteworthy implementation of metaverse and VR in the education field came from the social media giant, Meta, in September 2022. The company announced its plan to invest US$150 million for assistance to ten universities for establishing their campuses in the metaverse under its Immersive Learning project. Meta also stated the provision of Meta Quest headsets in collaboration with Victoryxr, the business in charge for the design of the metaverse campuses. Moreover, the universities also received funding of approximately US$50,000 for the designing and construction of campus spaces.

In India, Edverse, an education metaverse company launched Edverse Meta Classroom in December 2022. Edverse's Meta Classroom is equipped with a variety of features and tools to enrich the experience of learning for students. They consist of seamless engagement between students and instructors, access to interactive 3D models from Edverse's vast library of 3D content, and performance-tracking tools providing educators access to a detailed dashboard.

By providing educators with a real-time analysis of each learner's development, the performance monitoring function of the platform enables them to customize their instructions to meet the requirements of each unique learner. By the use of a tailored learning strategy, students can experience a comprehensive learning process that increases attentiveness.

A brand-new programme called UNIVERSITY World has been launched by Amazon UNIVERSITY Esports in February, 2023 with the goal of fusing the esports and education sectors through the Metaverse and bringing together students from all around the world. With UNIVERSITY World, college students can now connect online from 16 different countries across four continents. In this new environment, users can gather in a common space that is available to all nations before touring specific rooms designated for each nation. This creates a international community where users may engage in integrated conversation, win points in a variety of mini-games, and do further tasks to earn prizes.

The most recent development in the field of education being the launch of Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) campus on the metaverse. The metaverse campus which will be a virtual depiction of the BIBF building is expected to be launched in two phases.

• The first phase of the campus that is currently being executed is primarily focused on setting up the infrastructure with few facilities.
• The second phase will include the launch of the classrooms and auditoriums where the students will attend live sessions. The virtual campus will enable the users to take part in interactive educational activities that includes tutorials and videos, work together on projects, and participate in events.

The COVID-19 pandemic has expedited the shift to e-learning and the technological application in learning and teaching.There is increased cognizance of the enthralling experience technology can bring in the education sector. The rising popularity and gradual acceptance of the metaverse is expected to bring in revolutionary changes in the field of education.

However, the cost involved in developing metaverse technology and scepticism relating to the privacy and safety of these novel technologies are primary reasons for impeding the growth in adoption of metaverse. Moreover, the negative impact of the increased use of augmented reality among students are also a cause of concerns that to be addressed by the ed-tech companies and educators for fostering the growth in adoption of metaverse in the education sector.