Collaborative Learning in the Edu-Metaverse Era: An Empirical Study on the Enabling Technologies

Computer-supported collaborative learning aims to use information technologies to support collaborative knowledge construction by practising the relevant pedagogical approaches, especially in the distance learning setting. The enabling technologies are fast advancing, and the need for solutions during the COVID-19 global pandemic led to the emergence of the Edu-Metaverse, which is conceptualised as a collection of networked virtual worlds (i.e., the Metaverse) for learning. There is a great necessity to investigate how these more recent enabling technologies can support collaborative learning. This empirical study aims to collect both quantitative and qualitative results to fill the knowledge gaps. Specifically, 20 undergraduate students (three females and 17 males) taking the Game Design and Development course voluntarily participated in this study. The participants used three representative collaboration platforms (i.e., AltSpace, Gather, and ZOOM) in our laboratory for discussing three course-specific topics, simulating the undertaking of collaborative learning tasks in the distance learning setting. The results suggest that the participants were more engaged in the learning activities using the Metaverse platforms that offer avatar-mediated communications and collaborations (i.e., AltSpace and Gather). These platforms also gave the participants a stronger sense of co-presence and belonging to the learning community. Potential improvements to the usability and the participants' feedback are also discussed in the paper. We hope the results can contribute to the fast-growing use of the Metaverse enabling technologies for educational purposes.