VoRtex Metaverse Platform for Gamified Collaborative Learning

Modelling the effects of perceived system quality and personal innovativeness on the intention to use metaverse: a structural equation modelling approach

The metaverse, an interactive and immersive 3D virtual environment, has recently become popular and is widely used in several fields, including education. However, the successful use of metaverse relies on the extent to which users intend to adopt and use it. Close examination of this critical issue reveals a lack of research that examines the effects of certain factors on users' intentions toward using metaverses. Thus, this study extends the technology acceptance model by integrating two constructs-perceived system quality and students' personal innovativeness. Using a survey to collect data, 164 responses were received from students at the University of Ha'il in Saudi Arabia. Two steps in structural equation modelling (SEM) using the AMOS software were applied to analyse the data and test the research hypotheses. The results revealed that perceived system quality had a significant effect on students' intentions to use metaverses through perceived ease of use. Furthermore, personal innovativeness had a significant effect on students' intentions through the perceived usefulness of the metaverse. In addition, perceived usefulness affected students' intentions to use a metaverse. Surprisingly, perceived ease of use had an insignificant effect on students' intentions to use the metaverse. Although the proposed model and its findings contribute to the technology acceptance model (TAM) literature, the study's practical value is significant because it can help educational policymakers and authorities to understand the effect of each factor and plan future strategies. Additionally, the findings of this study can assist practitioners, designers, and developers in designing and promoting the utilisation of metaverses.

The Second Life Metaverse and Its Usefulness in Medical Education After a Quarter of a Century

The immersive virtual world platform Second Life (SL) was conceived 25 years ago, when Philip Rosedale founded Linden Lab in 1999 with the intention of developing computing hardware that would allow people to immerse themselves in a virtual world. This initial effort was transformed 4 years later into SL, a universally accessible virtual world centered on the user, with commercial transactions and even its own virtual currency, which fully connects with the concept of the metaverse, recently repopularized after the statements of the chief executive officer of Meta (formerly Facebook) in October 2021. SL is considered the best known virtual environment among higher education professionals. This paper aimed to review medical education in the SL metaverse; its evolution; and its possibilities, limitations, and future perspectives, focusing especially on medical education experiences during undergraduate, residency, and continuing medical education. The concept of the metaverse and virtual worlds was described, making special reference to SL and its conceptual philosophy, historical evolution, and technical aspects and capabilities for higher education. A narrative review of the existing literature was performed, including at the same time a point of view from our teaching team after an uninterrupted practical experience of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in the last 13 years with >4000 users and >10 publications on the subject. From an educational point of view, SL has the advantages of being available 24/7 and creating in the student the important feeling of "being there" and of copresence. This, together with the reproduction of the 3D world, real-time interaction, and the quality of voice communication, makes the immersive experiences unique, generating engagement and a fluid interrelation of students with each other and with their teachers. Various groups of researchers in medical education have developed experiences during these years, which have shown that courses, seminars, workshops and conferences, problem-based learning experiences, evaluations, teamwork, gamification, medical simulation, and virtual objective structured clinical examinations can be successfully carried out. Acceptance from students and faculty is generally positive, recognizing its usefulness for undergraduate medical education and continuing medical education. In the 25 years since its conception, SL has proven to be a virtual platform that connects with the concept of the metaverse, an interconnected, open, and globally accessible system that all humans can access to socialize or share products for free or using a virtual currency. SL remains active and technologically improved since its creation. It is necessary to continue carrying out educational experiences, outlining the organization, objectives, and content and measuring the actual educational impact to make SL a tool of more universal use.

Nurses' knowledge of, attitudes towards and awareness of the metaverse, and their future time perspectives: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The metaverse is a new and developing technology used in the field of healthcare. The perception of future explains time as a psychological phenomenon rather than a physical one. This study aimed to determine nurses' thoughts of the metaverse and their perceptions of future.

METHODS

The study in which the cross-sectional descriptive design was used was conducted with nurses working in a hospital in Trkiye from September 2022 to December 2022. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 374 nurses who were chosen using the convenience sampling method. Personal Identification Form, Metaverse Scale (MS) and Future Time Perspective Scale (FTPS) were used to collect data. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows 25.0 program was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that 81.6% of the nurses believed that they could provide patient education using the metaverse in the future, whereas 46% believed that they could do virtual nursing. The mean scores obtained from the FTPS and MS by the nurses were 3.45 (SD = 0.37) and 3.74 (SD = 0.56), respectively. There was a weak positive relationship between perception of future, and knowledge of, attitudes towards and awareness of the metaverse (r = 0.157, p = 0.002), and a weak, positive relationship between internet use duration and MS (r = 0.169, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscores the potential of the metaverse in nursing, revealing that nurses are optimistic about its application in patient education and virtual care. We recommend the development of specialized training programs to equip nurses with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively utilize the metaverse in healthcare settings.

Lesson learned from assessing teachers' and students' perspectives regarding the quality of e-learning in medical education during the pandemic: a mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

The evaluation of e-learning systems ensures the provision of quality training. The goal was to identify the perspectives of teachers and students on e-learning in medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), Iran.

METHODS

This study utilized a convergent mixed methods research design with a two-phase approach to collect and analyze data between June and August 2022. In the first stage, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the quality of e-learning systems from the perspective of 400 students. In the second stage, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 virtual education professors and 10 student representatives to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of virtual education. A validated questionnaire was administered to assess the quality of the e-learning system, and data were analyzed using SPSS-21. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed that the student support system, the course structure, and the infrastructure and technology subscales' mean scores were significantly higher than the average level (P < 0.001). However, the professors' methods of teaching and learning strategies were unsatisfactory. The results of the present study showed that the evaluation mean score was significantly higher among, younger, female, and undergraduate students. Virtual education has strengths and weaknesses, and innovative approaches are needed to enhance student engagement. The lack of appropriate infrastructure and virtual teaching tools for teachers and students is a significant challenge that needs to be addressed. Blended learning is effective in medical education, and the shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered teaching approaches is an opportunity to explore innovative teaching approaches.

CONCLUSION

From the perspective of students, the quality of eLearning systems at the universities was moderate. Virtual education offers both benefits and drawbacks, and there is a requirement for innovative solutions to enhance student engagement and lessen boredom.

The effect of metaverse on L2 vocabulary learning, retention, student engagement, presence, and community feeling

This study investigates the multifaceted impacts of Metaverse Based Language Teaching on high school L2 vocabulary learning and retention, engagement, community feeling, and diverse dimensions of presence, namely social, cognitive, teaching, and overall presence. Adopting a quasi-experimental design, the study provides an in-depth controlled trial. The participants in this study consist of 86 (43 male, 43 female) high school English language learners in Türkiye, who are assigned to two groups. The control group uses traditional instructional technologies while the experimental group engages with metaverse technology. The lessons are based on social constructivist theory for both groups. Pre- and post-tests are employed to quantitatively assess vocabulary learning and retention and reveal substantial improvements in both areas. A series of carefully selected psychometric scales capture core aspects of engagement, community feeling, and presence. The findings reveal increased levels of engagement and a sense of presence, and connectedness within the language learning community, which confirms the efficacy of the MBLT. However, the improvement in social presence does not reach statistical significance. Cumulatively, the findings of this research transcend mere quantifiable improvements in vocabulary learning and retention. They reveal a holistic transformation of the language learning experience by emphasizing the significance of social interactions and digital embodiment in high school second language education through metaverse. The research highlights the metaverse's potential in shaping the future of language education, reimagining traditional paradigms, and proposing a new era of immersive, interactive, and transformative pedagogy.

Metaverse and oral and maxillofacial radiology: Where do they meet?

Since previous literatureregarding the application of the metaverse in educationis scarce, the present letter aimed to highlight possible applications, as a complementary tool for the classroom, in the oral and maxillofacial radiology academic experience.Thepotential risksof the metaverse are also discussed. The metaverse and its possible applications, especially related to enhanced teaching and learning, will become a hot topic in the near future, and therefore, there will be a challenging learning curve before the educator makes the most of these innovative educational tools empowered by deeply interactive virtual reality technology.

Influential Factors in the Design and Development of a Sustainable Web3/Metaverse and Its Applications

This paper summarizes the work of many different authors, industries, and countries by introducing important and influential factors that will help in the development, successful adoption, and sustainable use of the Web3/metaverse and its applications. We introduce a few important factors derived from the current state-of-the-art literature, including four essential elements including (1) appropriate decentralization, (2) good user experience, (3) appropriate translation and synchronization to the real world, and (4) a viable economy, which are required for appropriate implementation of a metaverse and its applications. The future of Web3 is all about decentralization, and blockchain can play a significant part in the development of the Metaverse. This paper also sheds light on some of the most relevant open issues and challenges currently facing the Web3/metaverse and its applications, with the hope that this discourse will help to encourage the development of appropriate solutions.

Envisioning Architecture of Metaverse Intensive Learning Experience (MiLEx): Career Readiness in the 21st Century and Collective Intelligence Development Scenario

Th metaverse presents a new opportunity to construct personalized learning paths and to promote practices that scale the development of future skills and collective intelligence. The attitudes, knowledge and skills that are necessary to face the challenges of the 21st century should be developed through iterative cycles of continuous learning, where learners are enabled to experience, reflect, and produce new ideas while participating in a collective creativity process. In this paper, we propose an architecture to develop a metaverse-intensive learning experience (MiLEx) platform with an illustrative scenario that reinforces the development of 21st century career practices and collective intelligence. The learning ecosystem of MiLEx integrates four key elements: (1) key players that define the main actors and their roles in the learning process; (2) a learning context that defines the learning space and the networks of expected interactions among human and non-human objects; (3) experiential learning instances that deliver education via a real-life–virtual merge; and (4) technology support for building practice communities online, developing experiential cycles and transforming knowledge between human and non-human objects within the community. The proposed MiLEx architecture incorporates sets of technological and data components to (1) discover/profile learners and design learner-centric, theoretically grounded and immersive learning experiences; (2) create elements and experiential learning scenarios; (3) analyze learner’s interactive and behavioral patterns; (4) support the emergence of collective intelligence; (5) assess learning outcomes and monitor the learner’s maturity process; and (6) evaluate experienced learning and recommend future experiences. We also present the MiLEx continuum as a cyclic flow of information to promote immersive learning. Finally, we discuss some open issues to increase the learning value and propose some future work suggestions to further shape the transformative potential of metaverse-based learning environments.

Metaverse!

This study aimed to synthesize the literature on Metaverse to highlight its current research, opportunities, and applications in e-healthcare and education to reduce inequalities and for delivering fair and equal opportunities and solutions. The authors employed preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) to rapidly map the field of a metaverse in health and education. Two major application domains emerged in the literature from the 88 research publications, which include (1) Metaverse in healthcare and (2) Metaverse in education. This study will act as a road map to help academics who desire to continue their research work in the Metaverse for various healthcare and educational services. However, its implementation is required in the future to improve mental healthcare and the effectiveness of mental health services, particularly in low and medium-income (LMIC) and conflict-affected areas.

A systematic review on the metaverse-based blended English learning

Over the past two decades, various digital technologies have been applied to sustain higher education. As the latest emerging information technology, the metaverse has been a recurring theme to be considered as a new direction to promote blended English learning. This study aims to investigate metaverse-based blended English learning. Through a systematic review based on bibliographic and content analysis, the study attempts to integrate the evidence to generate a model that links the education-based metaverse. The metaverse platforms in which learners' academic success can be significantly enhanced due to a high degree of learner engagement in immersive virtual environments. In addition, the virtual learning experience is restricted by the degree of digital literacy at the same time. To improve instructors' and learners' digital literacy levels, necessary support is indispensable by educational institutions and designers of the metaverse platforms. Meanwhile, this study addresses potential challenges that may hinder sustaining metaverse-based blended English learning, and provides some suggestions based on the previous literature. In future research, we will keep updating and polishing the metaverse-based blended English learning research to provide more detailed guidance for researchers and educators.

Systematic literature review: The adaptation of distance learning process during the COVID-19 pandemic using virtual educational spaces in metaverse

Virtual education has started to grab interest since technology emerges in everything in our life. Metaverse is one of the technologies that has been conceived since the late 90s and is currently being renewed and renovated to suit current changes. Yet, many teachers and students still do not know how to utilize Metaverse to create a new atmosphere in the learning process. Therefore, this study aims to show the results of using Metaverse in the form of virtual space in the educational field and how teachers and students respond to the process. In this study, the authors would like to conduct a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on the advantages and disadvantages of virtual educational spaces in Metaverse based on many previous studies related to this topic. Survey results conducted by previous studies show that students mostly enjoy using Metaverse as their learning method and can comprehend several lessons better when using Metaverse than traditional learning- textbook-based and face-to-face learning. Unfortunately, only several studies focus on finding preferred subjects to teach using the Metaverse and for which educational level this method suits best. In general, the authors conclude that Metaverse has excellent potential in the future to be explored profoundly in the education field due to the development of skills in the use of technology and a significant increase in student practice scores. However, the guidance of teachers and parents is still needed so that students can avoid the disadvantages.

Efficacy Testing of a Multi-Access Metaverse-Based Early Onset Schizophrenia Nursing Simulation Program: A Quasi-Experimental Study

This study investigated the effects of a multi-access, metaverse-based early onset schizophrenia nursing simulation program based on Raskin and Rogers' person-centered therapy. The program's effectiveness was tested using a nonequivalent control group pre-test/post-test design. A quasi-experimental simulation study with both pre- and post-test designs was adopted. The experimental group (n = 29) used the simulation program, whereas the control group (n = 29) received only an online lecture on schizophrenia nursing. Changes in scores among experimental and control groups were compared using independent t-tests and analyses of covariance with PASW SPSS-WIN 27.0. Post-intervention, the knowledge regarding patients with early onset schizophrenia, critical thinking ability, and the ability to facilitate communication increased significantly in the experimental group compared with the control group. The nursing simulation program for children with early onset schizophrenia using a metaverse improved nursing students' knowledge, critical thinking ability, and ability to facilitate communication. This training method should be adapted without spatiotemporal constraints by partially supplementing clinical and simulation-based practice. In clinical nursing training, metaverse technical limitations should be identified, and training topics should be selected. Employing EduTech in a metaverse environment can provide clinical education to nurses in psychiatric wards and improve therapeutic communication with their psychiatric patients.

A study of factors influencing Chinese college students' intention of using metaverse technology for basketball learning: Extending the technology acceptance model

Introduction

Based on the expansion of flow constructs based on the TAM model, this study assesses the impact of metaverse technology in college basketball courses.

Methods

We surveyed 849 effective samples using an online questionnaire survey, verified our analysis using structural equation modeling, and examined the moderating effect of gender on the path relationship.

Results

The perceived ease of use, the flow experience, and the perceived usefulness of the product are important predictors of behavioral intention. According to the study, perceived usefulness, and flow experience influence attitudes significantly. A moderating effect of gender is observed on perceived ease of use on the path to behavioral intention, and the results extend the theoretical research on the use of metaverse technology for basketball instruction and TAM.

Discussion

A metaverse-based learning experience can enhance the flow experience of basketball learning, thus increasing the willingness to use and the effectiveness of learning.

The metaverse in education: Definition, framework, features, potential applications, challenges, and future research topics

The declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic forced humanity to rethink how we teach and learn. The metaverse, a 3D digital space mixed with the real world and the virtual world, has been heralded as a trend of future education with great potential. However, as an emerging item, rarely did the existing study discuss the metaverse from the perspective of education. In this paper, we first introduce the visions of the metaverse, including its origin, definitions, and shared features. Then, the metaverse in education is clearly defined, and a detailed framework of the metaverse in education is proposed, along with in-depth discussions of its features. In addition, four potential applications of the metaverse in education are described with reasons and cases: blended learning, language learning, competence-based education, and inclusive education. Moreover, challenges of the metaverse for educational purposes are also presented. Finally, a range of research topics related to the metaverse in education is proposed for future studies. We hope that, via this research paper, researchers with both computer science and educational technology backgrounds could have a clear vision of the metaverse in education and provide a stepping stone for future studies. We also expect more researchers interested in this topic can commence their studies inspired by this paper.

The development of positive education combined with online learning: Based on theories and practices

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the all-around development and mental health of students in education. Positive education, a rapidly developing ramification of positive psychology, has proved beneficial to students’ learning and wellbeing. Meanwhile, online learning has quickly gained popularity due to the impact of COVID-19. However, there have been few reports discussing the relationship between positive education and online learning by combining theories and practices. To explore the connection between positive education and online learning, we provide a literature review for studies, mostly between 2010 and 2022, of theories and practices for both positive education and online learning. Next, we establish one-to-one links between the relevant theories and practices of online learning to each domain in the PERMA model of positive education, a theoretical framework including Positive emotion(P), Engagement(E), Relationship(R), Meaning(M), and Accomplishment(A). We aim to explore how to promote the development of positive education by applying the theoretical and practical advantages of online learning to the PERMA framework of positive education. This study aims to enrich the research perspectives of positive education and provide a reference for future research.

Metaverse Framework: A Case Study on E-Learning Environment (ELEM)

Metaverse is a vast term that can contain every digital thing in the future. Therefore, life domains, such as learning and education, should have their systems redirected to adopt this topic to keep their availability and longevity. Many papers have discussed the metaverse, the applications to run on, and the historical progress to have the metaverse the way it is today. However, the framework of the metaverse itself is still unclear, and its components cannot be exactly specified. Although E-Learning systems are a need that has developed over the years along with technology, the structures of the available E-Learning systems based on the metaverse are either not well described or are adopted, in their best case, as just a 3D environment. In this paper, we examine some previous works to find out the special technologies that should be provided by the metaverse framework, then we discuss the framework of the metaverse if applied as an E-Learning environment framework. This will make it easy to develop future metaverse-based applications, as the proposed framework will make the virtual learning environments work smoothly on the metaverse. In addition, E-Learning will be a more interactive and pleasant process.