Identifying World Types to Deliver Gameful Experiences for Sustainable Learning in the Metaverse

The metaverse is expected to turn imagination into reality through the convergence of various technologies and should be considered as a medium for sustainable education, free from the constraints of time and space. The purpose of this study was to identify world types in the metaverse to deliver a gameful experience to users. The relationship between gameful experience and learning motivation was examined by analyzing previous studies. Furthermore, the metaverse platforms were confirmed as virtual worlds using the metaverse classification. This study employed a bottom-up approach based on real cases to identify world types that can be used for metaverse-based education. Survival, maze, multi-choice, racing/jump, and escape room world types were identified. The results of this study can be used to provide equal educational opportunities to learners by creating innovative educational environments. This is expected to enable the achievement of the fourth sustainable development goal.