How institutions of higher learning are embracing the metaverse

In a bid to expand access and widen their reach, educational institutions are exploring the possibilities of the metaverse and associated extended-reality (XR) approaches. The metaverse comprises a range of technologies that immerse users in a virtual environment. It denotes a 3D medium that combines virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) into a new digital realm, sometimes known as XR. These environments are accessed through VR headsets and are typically immersive, interactive and social.

Metaversal Access

The world’s leading technology companies are investing heavily in XR. In 2021 Facebook rebranded itself as Meta, indicating how important it believes XR will become. Indeed, following the massive shift to online learning in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, XR is becoming more prominent among educational institutions globally. In line with its long-term ambitions, Meta launched 10 “metaversity” digital campuses in the US for the autumn semester of the 2022/23 academic year, giving remote students the chance to immerse themselves via VR headsets in an interactive learning environment that replicates a physical campus.

At the end of 2021 Roblox – a US-based XR platform and game-creation system – announced that it had invested approximately $10m to develop a set of XR games at the middle school, high school and university levels. These activities aim to guide students in topics such as robotics, space exploration, computer engineering and biomedical science.

Concurrently, institutions of higher education see the potential of XR learning. In the US, the University of Michigan has recreated the decommissioned Ford Nuclear Reactor in XR, while MIT’s Electrostatic Playground is a room-scale XR environment where students can explore the principles of electrostatics. In addition to individual applications, universities are developing infrastructure and processes to leverage XR. The University of Glasgow’s new Advanced Research Centre, for instance, is a dedicated XR space and is one of the biggest in the UK.

XR in Emerging Markets

While higher education institutions in developed economies are leading the way in XR integration, many institutions in emerging markets are also exploring its benefits.

One such example is the Seoul-based Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), which plans to open a virtual campus within its Kenya KAIST campus at the Konza Technopolis, some 60 km outside Nairobi. In China, where the metaverse market could soon be worth $8trn, according to a Morgan Stanley estimate from early 2022, the development is being spearheaded by a group of universities led by Tsinghua x-lab, the innovation incubator at Tsinghua University.

Countries in the Caribbean have also recognised the growing potential of XR in education. In 2021 the University of the West Indies in Jamaica announced a partnership with EON Reality, which specialises in AR and VR learning, to roll out XR technologies at its Open Campus – a first for the zone.

XR Learning in the Gulf

Educational institutions in the Gulf region are also at the forefront of developments in the VR, AR and XR space. In Saudi Arabia, for example, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research at the University of Umm Al Qura developed an initiative to allow Muslims to visit the Hajar Al Aswad stone in the holy city of Makkah through the metaverse. With all Muslims expected to make at least one pilgrimage to Makkah in their lifetimes, this solution aims to help people visualise and prepare for the experience before they go.

In November 2021 the University of Bahrain inaugurated the BBK Lab for Virtual and Augmented Reality at its E-Learning Centre to help faculty members and students conduct scientific research and support teaching and training processes. University leaders expect the lab to generate innovative, research-led solutions while supporting the realisation of sustainable development goals.

Similarly, the Kuwait College of Science and Technology (KCST) utilises VR in the classroom at the Huawei ICT Academy, which launched in March 2022 on the KCST campus. Developed in partnership with Chinese tech firm Huawei, it hosts a 5G Lab and 5G Star simulation training system. Students study in an immersive environment, using VR in the classroom for complex technology learning.

Elsewhere, Qatar University operates a Virtual Reality Lab for Research and Education to teach topics in disciplines such as engineering, architecture, medicine and mathematics, and help students acquire VR and 3D skills to enhance their employment prospects. In light of the expanding educational opportunities in the field, in March 2022 Qatar National Library hosted a webinar titled “Education in the Metaverse” to show teachers and young adults the impact of XR on the sector and how it can promote continuous learning and student engagement.

Meanwhile, in Dubai, where Meta opened its regional headquarters in March 2022, the emirate hosts the Middle East’s first metaverse incubator. Named MetaIncubator, the centre is designed to nurture and commercialise innovative new solutions and applications in the metaverse, with the education sector among its numerous beneficiaries.

The metaverse was one of the main themes at the Knowledge Summit held in the emirate in March 2022. Delegates learned how metaversities could soon become a reality, with students accessing a virtual immersive learning environment taught by holograms or avatars of actual professors.

Possible Drawbacks

Despite its potential, deploying XR is not without challenges. Perhaps the most significant problem is associated with digital interactions. Computers and smartphones are synonymous with leisure and distraction as much as with work and study. For this reason, stakeholders question whether students will be able to remain focused on a lecture delivered via the metaverse.

Others have raised similar questions about future learning trends: Will the metaverse enable a full range of communicative possibilities? To what extent is learning dependent on non-verbal cues that are not easily noticeable in a digital realm?

During the pandemic, many companies discovered that business could continue remotely. However, many are now realising that there are intangible, unquantifiable values associated with face-to-face interactions, like the well-known “water-cooler moment”, when people exchange ideas during impromptu gatherings. Some researchers point to a similar dynamic in education, asking whether chance face-to-face encounters with peers and teachers can enrich the educational experience in ways not possible in a virtual setting.

Digital Divide

Another criticism is that dependence on e-learning risks widening the digital divide. There are fears that students without access to technology, or the critically important and often-overlooked components of space and silence at home, will be left behind. A situation could also develop wherein more privileged students attend brickand-mortar institutions and benefit from in-person teaching complemented by digital tools, while other students make do with a purely digital environment.

Another consideration is staffing. Leveraging XR capabilities in the classroom requires a basic understanding of a constantly evolving suite of new technologies and techniques. This necessitates that large numbers of staff receive ongoing training. As advancements in XR educational applications continue apace, universities and private companies alike must work to ensure that benefits from this realm can be shared equitably and in due course.