I concluded my last article on this blog, (“Learning Is a Serious Matter. But It Can Be Fun!”), by stating that “metaverses are naturally gamified environments, since they already offer avatars, feedback, agency, context, narrative, and relationships, in addition to having the ‘look and feel’ of games and using the language and technology of digital games.”

 

It’s not hard to imagine that there are many ways to use this type of environment in education. The first one that comes to mind is using it as an alternative to web conferencing for conducting remote classes and/or activities. Web conferences have been used very successfully for professional meetings, to the point that many companies have decided to continue using this method for meetings even after the recommendations for physical distancing have ended (in this other article, I explain why I prefer the term “physical distancing” to “social distancing”). But in schools, we face some challenges. The main one is students’ perfectly understandable reluctance to turn on their cameras. Often there are connection issues or webcams are unavailable. There are also privacy concerns. But even when a student feels comfortable and wants to appear on video, it’s common for them to be pressured by classmates not to do so. The fact is that the main feature of videoconferencing—which is to provide a sense of closeness and presence, as well as to enable face-to-face nonverbal communication very similar to what occurs in meetings held under the same roof—is not usually taken advantage of in remote teaching activities. The problem doesn’t stop there. Not only is face-to-face communication lost, but the likelihood of students losing focus increases dramatically, since—knowing they aren’t being watched—they easily succumb to the temptation to engage in unrelated activities while “participating” in the online session.  From the teacher’s perspective, this situation is also uncomfortable, as they lose visual feedback from students and, in many cases, are left with the feeling of “talking to the walls” (or to a “grid of little faces,” since many students don’t even bother to upload their photo to their video conferencing app profile).      

You might be thinking:

“Hmm, but the metaverse doesn’t show the participants’ videos either! And if it did, we’d run into the same problem!” 

In response to this likely and pertinent question, I would like to point out that, in fact, participants can join via video in most metaverses, and these metaverses offer many tools typical of video conferencing apps, such as screen sharing, slide presentations, and virtual whiteboards. But I agree that being able to join the metaverse via video would not lead students to change their attitude and turn on their cameras.

“How, then, could the metaverse solve the ‘closed-camera’ problem?”

A person’s participation in a metaverse takes place through an avatar, which acts and interacts on their behalf; the person, in turn, has full control over their alter ego and perceives the world from the perspective of that character, who represents them. This connection between a human being and a virtual character in the metaverse is very strong and is easily perceived by most participants in these environments; it is similar to what happens when we control a character in a video game.  As a result, the participant feels immersed in that world (if using virtual reality headsets, the sensation is even greater, very close to actually “being there”). This perception of being with other participants in the same space—even if virtual—is already an improvement over video conferences, a means of communication that can make us feel close but not necessarily part of the same environment. Compared to video conferences with cameras turned off, the advantage is that participants must pay closer attention to properly control their avatar and interact with other avatars; moreover, engagement is naturally higher because it is a gamified environment, as I explained in the previously mentioned article. Therefore, using a metaverse as an environment for remote activities makes it possible to preserve students’ privacy, put them more at ease (which is especially important for students who feel intimidated in front of a camera), while also offering a greater sense of presence and of sharing the same space—and, above all, greater engagement and attention. But using the metaverse to hold online meetings or classes, as a substitute for web conferences, is just one of the possibilities offered by these environments. Virtually any activity carried out in physical spaces (except for some activities involving physical contact with other people or with physical structures) can be transported into the metaverse, which, in turn, opens up endless new possibilities that would be unfeasible or impossible in physical spaces. 

 

“Okay. You’ve convinced me! I want to try the metaverse! But I still don’t quite understand what it is. Is it a specific game? Any game? Or is it that game called Second Life, which was around a long time ago and then disappeared?”  

 

Great questions ;-) . I'll answer them below, one by one:

First of all, Second Life (SL) hasn’t gone away! It’s the most successful metaverse to date; it experienced a boom between 2007 and 2012, saw a decline in the number of “residents” (as its users are called), but continues to be widely used by a loyal community.

Second, SL is not a game, just like most metaverses. It is possible to consider a game as a metaverse (not just any game, but only those that meet the requirements that characterize a metaverse, as I will show shortly). But SL, and most metaverses, are more than just games, since they allow users to engage in virtually any activity, including—but not limited to—games. Just as in the real world, in a typical metaverse we can chat, socialize, go for a walk, attend parties, visit exhibitions or shows, attend or teach classes, buy and sell, play games, or even just do nothing.   

Finally, I will present my definition of the metaverse. This is because there is no consensus in the literature, and since the announcement of the name change of Zuckerberg’s company from Facebook to Meta (an explicit reference to metaverses), news reports, marketing campaigns, and social media posts have been using this term with varying meanings, creating a great deal of confusion for those trying to follow the topic. “Second Life,” the name of the aforementioned metaverse—the most successful to date, though it risks losing its leadership position to Meta’s metaverse, which aims to be the new environment for social media interaction—means “Second Life.” This name is quite evocative, as a metaverse functions as another reality in which it is possible to socialize, engage in activities, and conduct transactions analogous to those we perform in the physical world—that is, our “first life.” However, there are many variations in terms of features and possibilities among metaverses. In SL, for example, it is possible to purchase land, construct buildings, create objects, trade items (there is a currency and a specific economic system for this environment), open stores, provide services, and engage in various forms of interaction and socialization. But there are also simpler metaverses that do not allow for trading or the construction of objects. Although virtually all metaverses are three-dimensional, there is nothing preventing them from being two-dimensional, like Gather Town; audio-only (imagine a metaverse without images, consisting solely of audio interactions); or even text-based, like the old MUDs from the pre-internet era.  

“Okay. But what’s your definition, then?” 

Oh, yes, I’m sorry. So far, I’ve probably raised more questions than I’ve provided answers. But I’ll get there. The fact is that, with so many possibilities for creating other realities (all virtual reality games and applications, for example, generate other realities), we need to identify the common essence of those environments that we can call metaverses. Otherwise, any virtual environment could end up being characterized as such. 

 

Here is my definition: 

“The metaverse is an interactive, online, multi-user digital environment, in which people participate and interact with the environment and with other users, through their avatars—entities that represent them and are controlled by them.”

Therefore, in order for me to classify a virtual environment as a metaverse, I check to see if the following requirements are met:

• Online Access 

• Multi-user

• Interaction takes place through an avatar (a character that represents the user, is controlled by the user, and acts on the user's behalf within the environment)

Note that I didn’t mention virtual reality, much less VR headsets (the focus of Meta’s metaverse). Nor is it required to be a game, three-dimensional, or even to include images or commercial transactions. On the other hand, not just any game or virtual reality environment fits this concept.   

Returning to the topic of education, in addition to serving as an alternative to web conferencing apps, metaverses offer many possibilities, such as hosting events (traditional “science fairs,” for example), implementing active learning methodologies, providing spaces for socialization, and gamified activities, among many others.

One technology that is frequently associated with metaverses—and that could have a major impact on education—is blockchain, which enables the authentication of digital content. With this technology, it will be possible to track attendance, issue certifications and diplomas and other documents, receive and make payments, manage copyrights, and ensure the authenticity of educational content, among other important records and authentications that will contribute to the virtualization of schools. 

 

Want to give it a try? I've picked out a few metaverses for you. Have fun:

Second Life: The first commercially successful metaverse. In it, you can build a school, a museum, a club, a church—anything. You can teach classes, give lectures, put on shows, organize events, set up galleries and exhibitions, host parties, and more. You can buy or sell anything built in this world, even virtual works of art. You can create your own avatar and visit and explore this world for free, but to build your own properties and furnishings in this world, you must purchase a plot of land (called an “island”), in addition to paying other fees based on your use of the content you create.

Mozilla Hubs: Completely free. You can use existing environments, customize them, or create your own 3D environment. 

Frame VR: An online tool for collaboratively creating immersive virtual environments. Easy to use. No installation required (runs in a web browser). You can share various types of media, such as PDFs, videos, images, 360-degree panoramas, etc. The free version has some limitations.

Gather Town: This environment is quite different from traditional metaverses. It is entirely two-dimensional and uses an interface very similar to that of video games from the 1980s. Simple to use and requiring little computing power to run, it has won over a young audience.  

vTime: an immersive social network, accessible through virtual reality headsets.

 

I hope I've helped shed some light on the new realities that schools, teachers, and students may soon find themselves immersed in. 

Speaking of immersive environments, I’d like to take this opportunity to mention that the topic of my next article will be “Immersive Education,” which involves the use of virtual reality, augmented reality, 360-degree videos, and metaverses in education.

 

See you then.

 

 

Learn more about the author

Romero Tori is a member of the Bett Educar Board, an Associate Professor (Level 3) at the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo (USP), author of the book *Educação sem Distância* ( *Education Without Distance* ), and maintains the blog “Educação sem Distância.”

 

 

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