Metaverse technology is creating new opportunities for teachers to inspire students, said Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta.
Clegg believes that this immersive technology has transformed ‘various areas of education in recent decades’, according to his new blog.
“Metaverse technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) promise to create new ways for teachers to inspire students. In fact, they’re already being used to do just that,” wrote Clegg.
Since Mark Zuckerberg’s bold decision to rebrand Facebook Inc. as Meta, the company has always been positive towards the metaverse. Clegg once again reiterated his belief in the metaverse as he writes, “The metaverse is the next evolution of the internet”. He previously described this immersive technology as ‘the rebirth of the internet‘.
“Technologies that create a sense of presence and shared space offer new ways for teachers to do what they do best—teach,” reads the blog.
Even though ‘these are the early days of this technology’, the former leader emphasized promising signs of the impact of the metaverse, referring to the recent PwC report.
A recent report by PwC found that 40% of VR learners are more confident in applying what they’ve been taught and 150% more engaged during classes.
Also read: Metaverse: The Rebirth of the Internet, says Meta’s Clegg
Similarly, according to a joint study by the XR Association (XRA) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), an impressive 77% of educators are of the opinion that immersive technologies have the ability to spark curiosity and enhance student engagement in the classroom.
Is Japan leading the race?
The metaverse in education is really a popular topic for debate these days. However, the universities of Hiroshima, Japan, are already using the metaverse in the teaching-learning process.
The immersive technology was proven to be the ninja technique for the absence problem among the students.
“I was feeling distressed and depressed as I only had the chance to speak with my family during my absence from school,” said Noa, a 16-year-old first-year high school student from Hiroshima in January.
Similarly, 10 American universities joined the metaverse in 2022 as they used VictorXPR’s EngageVR platform.
Meta’s new university program
Numerous college and university courses are currently being conducted in the metaverse, and this trend has been further augmented by Clegg’s recent introduction of a new university program through his blog.
“We are collaborating with 15 universities across the US that are actively embracing immersive learning,” wrote Clegg.
Each university is hosting classroom sessions and exercises within the realm of virtual reality to explore the potential of immersive technologies in shaping the future of education, according to the blog.
The new programme will include Stanford University, Arizona State University, New Mexico State University, the University of Iowa, Purdue Global, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Nova Southern University, Miami Dade College, and Morehouse College.
VR education gaining traction in Europe
In Europe, the adoption of metaverse technologies in education is rising.
Italy is investing in immersive experiences for schools, with the University of Camerino set to host its first all-metaverse course. Additionally, Germany’s GoStudent offers virtual reality language classes, while Italy’s Itaca Education develops virtual science labs.
In the UK, Noun Town uses gaming to teach various languages. The potential impact of metaverse technologies on education is substantial, provided governments and institutions support their integration.
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