Metaverses and Virtual Worlds, an Alternative to Knowledge Transfer. The OFFF-2020 Case

Abstract

Virtual worlds and metaverses are at a crossroads in terms of their implementation as channels of knowledge. In part, this is due to COVID-19, a contingency that is degenerating into an unprecedented pandemic, leading to the adoption of IKT (Information and Knowledge Technology) solutions. The aim is to alleviate the devastation, with education and collaborative knowledge being among the most affected. Creativity and imagination, coupled with new technologies, seem to be part of the answer. Predictably, beyond this context, the use of these disruptive models will become normalised. The article aims to present and understand virtual worlds as an alternative for knowledge transfer through a successful case study, giving rise to an incipient state of the art. The research question seeks to test the viability of these virtual formats as substitutes for knowledge transfer. With a qualitative-quantitative approach, the digital tools adapted for OFFF-2020-Seville, a cultural event for which a synthetic telepresence forum was created, are analysed. The findings conclude with a series of advantages and considerations for reflection. It closes by stating that for the moment virtual worlds are a supporting element, but not a substitute for interpersonal interaction.