Wait, is virtual learning actually fun?
I was standing in a giant conference room at the London Meta office when Steve from VictoryXR put a headset on my head. I waited nervously as the world began to shine before my eyes. One minute I was in King's Cross and the next I was transported to a university in the Metaverse via a Meta Quest headset.
Yes, that's right. Having lived through the terrifying attempts of universities to move online, I was skeptical about digital learning. For me, it was Zoom calls with my camera off, scrolling through social media while my teacher read passages from the textbook, and awkwardly quiet breakout rooms. When I walked into Metaversity, I noticed how different the classes here were in comparison.
The Meta for Education beta program leverages mixed reality and virtual reality to take learning to the next level. Instead of reading books about the human body, you can open it yourself. Instead of writing Spanish conjugations, you can conjugate them in natural conversations while walking down the streets of Spain. Everything is designed to immerse you in the experience, and that's exactly what happened to me.
First, I went to science class, where I was able to disassemble the entire human body and learn about each bone, organ, and cell just by touching them. I have always been a visual learner, so reading biology textbooks did not allow me to absorb knowledge. As I examined every organ in detail, I couldn't help but think that having a visual aid right in front of me would completely change the way I approach my science lessons.
That's not all there is to accomplish in the world of virtual science. Doctors, nurses, and students gain hands-on experience dealing with real-life emergencies for which they may not otherwise be prepared. Morehouse College Metaversity Director Dr. Musina Morris explains that Metaversity is “built for education, with educators and students in mind,” and how to improve your learning as a medical student. , what better way than to be suddenly thrown into an emergency situation?
After a grueling biology class, Steve from VictoryXR takes us on a tour of Morehouse College in the US, built to perfectly resemble the Metaverse. I walked around the campus as if I were actually there and admired every detail. I could imagine myself one day, hungover, still in the comfort of my university bed, walking around campus and interacting with my coursemates. You can also visit the virtual student bar from home.
The fun didn't stop there. I headed to the next booth, the language department's Immerse VR. Nervously, I put on my headset, stepped out onto the streets of Spain, and began speaking Spanish to my virtual teacher.
Via Immerse
As an A-level Spanish student, my rusty skills were put to the test. Conversing in a different language always makes me nervous. Because failure is the worst feeling. But talking to an AI teacher meant that they could fail in areas where there was no room for judgment. Not only did I gain confidence in speaking in the Metaverse, but I also felt that I had the ability to try out more advanced phrases and grammar. My AI speaking partner corrected me each time I was wrong and our discussion continued.
Upon completion, my spelling, grammar, and unique word choices were evaluated. I got 100 points for pronunciation, 96 points for grammar, and 76 points for word uniqueness. Apparently, I use the word “mucho” a little too much (pun intended). There was clearly room for improvement in the choice of adjectives. After that, I wanted to try again. It was a far cry from asking a classmate “¿Qué haces en tutiempo libre?”
Virtual reality and augmented reality may have been a blur in my knowledge until today, but the University of Glasgow has been using them in their labs for years. I had a very interesting conversation with Neil McDonnell, Professor of Philosophy and XR Technology. He emphasized how innovative this technology is for humanities students. Did you know that the British Museum only displays 1% of its 8 million works of art? Everything you ever wanted to see there, you can see there, and you'll get even closer than if you were to visit in person. Imagine. Professor McDonnell also explained how the Metaverse allows university students to take charge of their own collections of museum objects. Whether you're in London or Tokyo, you'll be able to access the museum of your choice.
Via VictoryXR
More than a dozen universities, including Imperial College London, the University of Glasgow, and the University of Leeds in the UK, are using Meta Quest headsets to transform their classrooms. Virtual reality and mixed reality are designed to change the way we learn, and they have the performance statistics to back it up. In fact, Morehouse College students improved their attendance by 10% and their grades by 11%.
Monica Alles, Executive Director of Imperial College London, is also very enthusiastic about the opportunities it offers to students. “Students are hungry for newer and more innovative ways to connect to technology,” she said. She hopes AI and XR technologies will open “new gateways to knowledge,” but more importantly, “unlock the human parts of learning: curiosity, creativity, and connection.”
As a student who has studied at university using the traditional method, the COVID-19 lockdown method, and now the Metaverse method, I have never been more genuinely interested in the task at hand than the mixed reality method. We have combined the best of both worlds to create an exciting learning experience.
Education and VR Director Matt Saunders noted how appealing this technology is to students currently using it. “Students are likely to be much more engaged because they are physically with the people they are with.The benefits of Metaverse and immersive technology are that they learn in a different way than if they were learning on a screen or using a textbook. and feel a stronger connection with learners and teachers,” he explained.
I left MetaOffice feeling inspired and hopeful about the future of virtual reality and augmented reality learning. In a world where we're all glued to our phones, mindlessly scrolling through short-form content, I wonder how technology can rewire our brains for the better. I witnessed it. Their attention spans are very short and their motivation is low.
