Metaverse in Education: a systematic review

Abstract

The Addressing the new educational needs and requirements still remains a challenge. Moreover, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the technological advancements, learning environments are being transformed. Metaverse is a computer-generated lifelike 3D virtual extension of the physical world as it immerses users, allows them to interact with others and with digital objects, and eliminates the constraints of distance and time differences. It is characterized by persistence, interactivity, and embodiment. The use of the metaverse in educational and training processes to create new learning environments that allow learners to function in a parallel, safe and personalized reality is gaining ground. The aim of this study is to analyze the existing research into the metaverse in the educational field. Hence, a systematic literature review has been carried out using the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. To provide more complete and constructive results, no year, educational level, or subject restrictions were set. As metaverse is a new topic and taking the inclusion and exclusion criteria into account, a total of 17 articles has been analyzed. Based on the findings, metaverse has the potential to enrich and transform education and lead to increased learning outcomes and enhanced students' engagement and motivation. Despite this fact, the use of metaverse in education is in its infancy, thus, more research and experiments should be carried out in all educational levels and populations to assess its impact and improve its effectiveness. Finally, the need for designing valid instruments to evaluate the educational experiences generated within the metaverse was evident.