Virtual to Reality: Understanding the Role of Metaverse as a Pedagogical Strategy

The use of the metaverse in education has gained increasing attention as a potential supplement to traditional teaching methods. This study aimed to investigate the impact of experiential learning on students' intent to use metaverse learning platforms and to explore how the metaverse can support these approaches. The study included participants from three countries and used metaverse scenes, such as a restaurant or Hong Kong scene, to complete learning tasks and interact with Non-Player Characters (NPCs) to complete assessments over a semester. The results of a correlational analysis showed that pedagogical factors had a greater impact on students' intent to use the metaverse for educational purposes than technical factors, which was unexpected. However, the study also identified challenges in adapting content to match the needs and skills of students who may not be familiar with games, as well as using the metaverse for more advanced pedagogical approaches, due to limitations in integrating content. Based on the findings, recommendations for educators, designers, and researchers are provided to enhance the effectiveness of metaverse-based education. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the metaverse can be a valuable addition to traditional teaching methods.