Multilingual discussion in metaverse among students from the USA, Korea and Japan

Abstract

E-learning continues to be used as an educational tool all over the world. However, the typical e-learning systems are sometimes not enough for students to feel a close connection with others. Now engineering education needs to be carried out from a global viewpoint, since there are lots of opportunities for international collaboration in higher education organizations. In this study, we investigated multilingual discussion in Metaverse and its possibility to enhance the skills for international discussion and international characteristics. Students from Edwards-Knox high school in the USA, graduate students from Yonsei University, Korea, and Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT), Japan, participated in this discussion held on the virtual island (owned by NUT) of Second Life. A language grid system was incorporated into the Metaverse system. This made it possible for the discussion to be carried out with and without the translation system. These sessions were carried out and compared with each other. Also the effectiveness of the international discussion project in Metaverse (with the language grid system) was discussed. © Springer-Verlag 2010.