In this article, I present an overview of the term ‘Metaverse’. This term was popularised by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg when contextualising his vision for the term while introducing the rebranded name of his company.
An audio version of this post is available:
What exactly is this buzz word ‘Metaverse’ about? How can it be related to education and, more specifically, to our English language teaching field? Chances are there are more questions, but let me get started with the ones above. If you come up with questions, or would like to add something as you read the article, I invite you to use the comments to voice them.
Understanding the word and the concept
In this context, the prefix ‘meta‘ means beyond and ‘verse’ refers to the universe. Tech companies use the word to describe what comes after the Internet. This may or may not be reliant on VR glasses.
In the Meta launch video, Zuckerberg says: “This may sound like science fiction, but we’re starting to see a lot of these technologies come together.“
“In the next 5 to 10 years, a lot of this is going to be mainstream,” said Zuckerberg. “When it’s complete, our physical reality will merge with the digital universe.” In other words, it refers to alternate digital realities where people work, play, and socialise.
There are other names for Metaverse such as ‘mirror world’, or the ‘spacial internet’, or even the ‘AR cloud’.
The key concepts which define it are ‘experience’ and ‘virtually enhanced physical reality’. Metaverse involves the concept of Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR & VR). It is being built today as I write these words. Looking ahead, digital avatars and layers, in a much more advanced concept than what we currently have, are also to be expected for online interaction.
Perspective for Metaverse in education
It was mentioned by Meta’s chief business officer, Marne Levine, that the value of metaverse for education provides assistance for running classes. It creates an immersive learning experience such as demonstrated in this video from Meta themselves:
Education in the metaverse
My experience, as an English language teacher over the years, has led me to observe a growing need to bring the latest accessible advances to students’ learning contexts. They can contribute to their growth, both in their progress in the language (always keeping an eye on the communicative opportunities to use the target language), and in enabling them to cope with the challenges of an ever-competitive world outside the classroom environment.
Due to the mid/post-pandemic educational context, both teachers and students have reached a new level of understanding in dealing with technology. And that also means we have learned strategies to cope with the constraints faced, especially during synchronous classes!
I propose we quickly check with the students how much they know about ‘Metaverse’. This can help us find out opportunities for when to include VR-based tasks. Plus, they can also enhance the communicative gain for language usage, when possible. The current freely available resources look far from the full ‘Metaverse’ perspective shown in the video but, in most contexts, it is like experiencing a sample of the future or a quick visit to an unknown place.
Practical examples and actionable thoughts
On my Instagram account, I have a demonstration of a cultural and communicative idea using VR during synchronous online classes with adults and teenagers.
I’d like to highlight a key point related to the importance of equipping teachers to be better able to integrate the potential of mobile-learning mentioned in the publication, ‘A lifeline to learning’ by UNESCO:
“Only comprehensive training on the integration of mobile technologies and appropriate pedagogical methodologies, as well as necessary subject matter knowledge, can equip teachers with adequate initial skills to design and facilitate mobile learning practices. Effective mobile learning projects also require ongoing support to guide teachers to use learner-centred techniques.”
UNESCO, 2018.
I’ll leave you with a few thoughts on how to use this information in your classroom:
- Which keywords could you select for our English language teaching context where you are based?
- How have you included immersive learning activities in your English classes?
- And what is your view when it comes to the potential of Metaverse in language teaching?
To discover more about VR in remote language teaching, watch this IATEFL presentation, and read my previous blog post on the topic.