Table 2.
Main technical characteristics of the metaverse and educational implications
| Type | Technological characteristics | Educational implications |
|---|---|---|
| Augmented reality | - Overlay virtual objects in the real world to make the object 3D and real (e.g., paper birthday cards are augmented to appear as 3D video cards). | - Learn invisible parts visually and 3-dimensionally through virtual digital information, and effectively solve problems |
| - Adding fantasy to the thread (e.g., Pokémon Go on the street, Zepeto, which recognizes faces and creates 3D avatar) | - In-depth understanding of content that is difficult to observe or explain in text, and learners can construct knowledge through experience | |
| - Effectively emphasizing information and promoting convenience (e.g., HUD presented on the car glass) | - Interactive experiences such as reading, writing, and speaking are possible while immersed in the learning context. | |
| Lifelogging | - One’s daily life and thoughts are productively contented and shared through social media and SNS (e.g., blogs, YouTube, Wikis, etc.). | - Review and reflect on one’s daily life, improve the ability to represent and implement information in an appropriate direction, and feedback from others on social networks leads to reinforcement and rewards. |
| - Network technology forms relationships with others online, communicates quickly, and records various social activities (Facebook, Band, Twitter, etc.). | - Critically explore various information on the lifelogging platform, and creatively reconstruct information through collective intelligence. | |
| - Personal activity information is accumulated and analyzed through various sensors of the internet of things and wearable devices to create added value (e.g., health tracking including Nike Plus). | - Reflect on learning and improve it based on analytics data related to learning (e.g., dashboard). | |
| - Teachers promote learning in a customized direction based on students’ learning log data, provide appropriate support, and prevent dropouts. | ||
| Mirror world | - Expanding the real world by combining GPS and networking technology (e.g., Google Earth, various map applications, etc.) | - Overcoming the spatial and physical limitations of teaching and learning, learning takes place in the metaverse of the mirror world. |
| - Implementation of the real world into the virtual world as if reflected in a mirror for a specific purpose (e.g., Airbnb, Minerva School, food ordering app, taxi call, bus route guidance, parking lot finder app, etc.) | - Conduct online real-time classes through online video conferencing tools and collaboration tools (Zoom, WebEx, Google Meet, Teams), which are representative mirror worlds. | |
| - However, it does not contain everything in reality. In other words, it effectively expands the real world to increase fun and play, flexibility in management and operation, and collective intelligence (e.g., Minecraft, Upland, Digital Lab, etc.). | - Through the mirror world, learners can realize “learning by making” (e.g., in Minecraft, students build and restore historical structures—Bulguksa, Gyeongbokgung, Cheomseongdae, Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, etc. Users can experience their digital heritage and deepen their understanding of history and culture. | |
| Virtual reality | - Through sophisticated computer graphics work, especially in a virtual environment implemented with 3D technology, users enjoy various games through a seamlessly connected interface (e.g., various 3D games including Roblox). | - Practice can be performed through virtual simulation in environments that are difficult to produce due to high costs and high risk (e.g., fire scenes, flight control, dangerous surgery, etc.). |
| - In a space, era, culture, and characters designed differently from reality, they act as avatars rather than their original self, and have multiple personas. | - Users can have immersive experiences of times and spaces that cannot be experienced in reality, such as the past or future era. | |
| - Chat and communication tools are included in virtual reality to communicate and collaborate with AI characters and others (e.g., multiplayer online games). | - Through 3D virtual world-based games (according to the characteristics and types of designed games), users improve strategic and comprehensive thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and learn skills necessary for the real world. |
The technical features are summarized by referring to the content and examples of Kim [1].
3D, 3-dimensional; HUD, head-up display; SNS, social networking service; GPS, Global Positioning System; AI, artificial intelligence.