- With impressive results to show, the horizon for the learning sector is heaping with XR options, and the Metaverse could soon be knocking on the door as well.
The world around us is rapidly changing, and in return, so is the way people learn.
A recent survey found that 64 per cent of Gen Z favour interactive classroom discussions as one of the most helpful tools for learning, and have made it clear that a hands-on, immersive approach is what they thrive in.
With new generations comes new technology. The latest word on everyone’s lips is the Metaverse—a term recently used by Mark Zuckerberg earlier in 2022 to give a name to Facebook’s new mission to expand the internet to new digital bounds.
Although its meaning is ever-changing and sometimes confusing to pinpoint exactly, it mostly refers to how reality and the internet as a whole could fuse into a new universe hosted within immersive technology.
So, what is immersive tech, then? In short, it is any technology that encompasses extended reality (XR) tools, like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality.
With these new immersive technologies and the need to innovate in the sector, learning management systems (LMS) are being revamped, offering a glimpse into how education could take place in the Metaverse.
Current role of immersive tech in LMS
When talking about LMS, we refer to the technology implemented by an instructor to plan and dispatch learning processes, be it web or software-based.
The learning field has started leveraging immersive tech for training purposes to supply the needs of the new generation currently taking over the workforce.
Jose M. Azares, CEO and founder of NIDUM, an immersive learning startup with clients like Dave & Buster’s and Canfor, says, “post-pandemic, the way of learning has changed, and we believe that the tools being used should evolve with these changes.” To make his point, he compares regular onboarding—often filled with long videos and boring PDFs—with how pilots train with immersive technologies to be more prepared for the challenges of their role.
Immersive training companies like his have disrupted the LMS industry by applying extended reality to learning processes.
Professionals train through simulators on web applications that can be adapted to a magnitude of mobile devices and headsets which will then walk the user through visualized onboarding sessions.
Azares explains; “with immersive modules, the user must interact directly with the information being displayed. They’re created based on microlearning, so content is designed for higher engagement, enough for trainees to go deeper into what they learn.”
According to an IBM report, immersive training reduces training time by 40% and improves employee performance by 70 per cent.
With impressive results to show, the horizon for the learning sector is heaping with XR options, and the Metaverse could soon be knocking on the door as well.
Opening doors to Metaverse
So far, the Metaverse looks like a dimension that works mainly through immersive tech. Just like the concept of VR was introduced to the mainstream around 10 years ago, and it’s still working its way to the main market, we could see the Metaverse imminently come into our lives in similar ways.
Predictions show that the VR and AR in education market will grow from $9.3 billion in 2018 to $19.6 billion by 2023.
Whether the Metaverse applies VR, AR, or all of XR in its favour, the market of its intended mediums is growing rapidly, and their use is already successful in learning environments.
For example, a recent study found that students using a VR headset to take a virtual field trip produced higher enjoyment, interest, and immediate and long-lasting retention of information, as opposed to a group exposed to only a video of the same subject.
Eileen McGivney, a Harvard Graduate School of Education researcher, asserts that “VR, because of the way it situates someone in the environment and the power it can provide for storytelling, it gives someone an emotional experience, which really connects to student excitement and investment.”
The leeway for the Metaverse is already taking flight with outstanding results and wide adoption in the field, making its use more plausible in the future of education.
Bright future
If XR technologies create such impacts in learning, the potential of the Metaverse applied to LMS could be endless. Students could learn about the human body with mixed reality through their phones or explore the infrastructure of ancient cities through VR headsets.
If immersive tech has proven to be successful for learning, perhaps the uber-immersive nature of the Metaverse could mean even more advances in learning proactively.
Moreover, the increasing adoption and normalisation of XR tools for education mean that the Metaverse could quickly seep into the seams of the learning field as well.
However, when asked about the Metaverse, Azares emphasises that “although immersive tech is a transitional point for the Metaverse, the latter is still too intangible. To get there, you must first go through different adaptation phases, such as analog and digital with immersive tech.”
While the Metaverse is a hot topic, perhaps we should allow the current wave of XR in LMS to have its moment before thinking too far ahead into the future. The more we learn about what immersive tech can do for learners, the clearer the path to transitioning into the Metaverse.
Mark Zuckerberg mentioned the first features of the Metaverse could become mainstream in five to 10 years. So, with such a bright future for education far ahead, we still have time to sit back and enjoy the benefits of immersive tech in LMS before worrying about the next thing.
- The writer is a Junior Writer at Publicize.