The introduction of the metaverse has been a boon to the industry, everyone is talking about the metaverse, may it be-the enterprises or the educational institutions. Even Mark Zuckerberg decide to go all in and rename FaceBook “Meta”.But the question arises -
What is Metaverse?
Metaverse is the use of AR and VR to create virtually controlled realities in which its participants can have their own avatars that represent them. All of this is done over Blockchain projects.
These avatars can walk and talk to each other and pretty much do everything that they can do in the real world-play games, or visit places that they can’t visit normally.
Constituents of a Metaverse
Blockchain
It’s a decentralized system of blocks or nodes each of which has a unique signature to it because of which the information cannot be changed.
In a Blockchain, there are more than one users who are a part of that network. Everyone’s consent is required to make even the smallest change in the network.
Blockchain technologies are being used on a large scale-from Cryptocurrencies having a number of advantages to special digital tokens such as NFTs.
Augmented Reality
It creates objects over the existing real-world objects which can be touched and felt. This technology is being used in the latest immersive technological gadgets like Microsoft Hololens.
Models can be projected and can be interacted with using AR. This is how an avatar is created which represents who you are on the screen.
Virtual Reality
The creation of non-existing realities on the internet. Now the realities, the experiences, or the destinations that you might have only dreamt of can be brought to reality.
Just by using gadgets like Oculus Quest2, you can teleport yourself to an entirely different world.
Need for Metaverse in Education
Upgradation of Online Education?
While the online meetings were helping coordinate the flow of lectures in a classroom, they failed to provide an interactive environment that is required for the overall development of an individual. Metaverse solves that problem with the use of avatars in a classroom.
Enhanced Student Teacher Interactions
Now teachers can interact with the students using their avatars. In place of being at different places at a time only being connected through a screen, isn’t it just so much better to exist in the same reality as your teacher and learn that way?
Enhanced Student Student Interactions
Making friends who are in the same classroom as you are also part of the growth and development of a student. If they too exist in the same reality and share their classroom, it further elavates the standards of online education.
Use of VR Tech in Teaching
Virtual realities can be used for pieces of training related to preventive measures at times of natural disasters which can’t be done otherwise.
What Metaverse offers?
A virtual Classroom design
Offers an interactive learning experience for students as well as teachers.
Enhanced Gaming
Games require the activeness of all the senses of an individual, even better if we can just teleport ourselves to the arena.
New and improved way of teaching
Use of AR and VR to make the learning experience more practical than just plain theory.
Better PTMs
Even the working parents get to attend their kids’ meetings and at their respective offices just by logging in to the system.
Use of 3D to demonstrate Models
Realities can be switched in a Metaverse to teach the students topics like Aerospace, Astronomy, or a specific study on a destination. Even historical events can be experienced using these technologies.