6 ways the Metaverse can boost learning and skill-building

1. Interact and learn in an immersive virtual classroom

Learning has already gradually moved from physical classrooms to virtual and hybrid spaces before and during COVID-19. With the help of virtual reality (VR) headsets, students can join a virtual classroom or university to study, explore, and interact. For example, in this virtual environment, students can explore various learning modules, visit libraries, interact with mentors and counsellors, and socialize with their classmates.

These digital interactions have the potential to effectively revolutionize education by connecting people from diverse economic backgrounds and different geographical regions to educate each other in a cost-effective, adaptable, and efficient way. For example, the Kenya-KAIST virtual campus, which is set to open in September 2023 and is located 60 kilometers from Nairobi, the nation's capital, will allow the institution to expand its presence across continents and allow students to gain knowledge on cutting-edge courses without leaving their home countries.

2. Develop practical experience in virtual and hybrid environments

The metaverse offers immersive, integrated skilling chances through real-world use cases and insistent situations in which errors can be made without repercussions. It integrates VR with data science, spatial design, and other elements when implemented properly to enhance student participation, confidence, and implementation. 

The following are some advantages of metaverse training:

• Learning from experience- High-fidelity, multiplayer VR simulations are used by pharmaceutical industry leader Novartis to train life-saving lab techniques. Students can enter a virtual lab where they can connect with professors while practicing welding tubes, removing bag caps, and labelling bags with unlimited redos.
  
  
• Consistent practice- In the metaverse, learners can practice concepts in a wide range of ways to refine skills through effective training and feedback mechanisms. The Spark City game from Walmart is unique every time it is played. If customers approach within 10 feet, players must ask if they can assist, but only after they have fixed spills and other safety issues.
  
  
• State-based learning- When employees encounter microaggressions at work, Providence Health causes psychological stress. A live actor recorded in a 3D volumetric video looks like a hologram standing in the room in front of you through the camera lens of your phone or tablet, for learning and retrieval to actually happen within the same settings.

3. Discover new worlds with storytelling and visuals

Visualization and storytelling are two main features of a metaverse learning experience, and they are much needed nowadays after the deluge of dull Zoom sessions during COVID-19. Learners can explore a completely new world or immerse themselves in another person's perspective because of VR technology. Using an innovative, multi-sensory first-person story, for example, healthcare pioneer DaVita fosters patient empathy.

Entering metaworlds makes it easier to visualize situations, such as difficult developmental issues. A learner, for example, can use a VR headset to explore a street development in South Asia or to experience life in a green smart city. Learners enter significant global development issues such as climate change, education, gender, urban development, global trade, and health services through bite-sized 360-degree storytelling, virtual tours, and visualizations.

4. Develop people's interpersonal or problem-solving skills

Soft skills training for employees, like communication, leadership, understanding, and empathy, is challenging to attain and evaluate. The metaverse makes this possible by engaging learners in real-world issues and allowing them to develop soft skills in a secure environment, such as having sensitive or hard discussions with customers or staff.

5. Increase accessibility for those with disabilities

The metaverse has the potential to increase disabled people's access to social and academic opportunities. Young adults with special needs, autism, and socializing difficulties can develop their social and occupational skills in an immersive environment by engaging in activities like shopping at a mall or grocery store, buying items at a store, or putting cargo into a vehicle. They can socialize with others and develop their skills in a secure environment through VR apps without feeling nervous or overwhelmed. Moreover, VR can enhance the quality of life for people who struggle with mobility or anxiety.

6. Boost data collection on learning performance

Organizations can acquire previously untapped information to get insights into student behaviour to evaluate performance, discover shortcomings, and keep improving the learning experience by using the metaverse to build immersive learning experiences. Moreover, teachers can play a greater role in data collection and lesson assessment on the productivity of such learning environments.

The metaverse simply signifies life after the internet. Virtual universities, 3D simulations, and game-based activities are some of the initial implementations of this new form of learning. This is just the beginning, as there are countless opportunities for innovative methods to empower and reinvent education because of this technology.

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