From Meta-studies to Metaverse: Disrupting the University

Des méta-études au Métavers : rompant l'université

Ray Gallon, University of Strasbourg; and Neus Lorenzo, University of Andorra Faculty of Education

Track: Learning experience design/ Volet: Conception des expériences d’apprentissage

Type: One-hour Innovative Topic Discussion

As early as 2012 the authors of this proposal began advocating for universities to adopt a connectivist paradigm and embrace the then-nascent digital transformation. The Covid crisis forced the university to plunge into distance learning. The process was chaotic, and for the most part, we continued to do at a distance what we did before in the classroom – teach what others have written about. We refer to this mode of education as “meta-studies.” 

At the time of this writing, we are entering year three of the Covid era, and are just starting to catch up to what is required for effective distance learning. While we have been, to paraphrase Thoreau, existing in the lee of the winds of change, the Metaverse happened. 

The term comes from a 1992 science fiction novel by Neal Stephenson, and it is generally used, today, to refer to an augmented internet in which 3D virtual worlds are networked together into a single, vast set of parallel realities. While this is often expressed in terms of entertainment (games, interactive stories, etc.), the Metaverse represents a dynamic environment for every aspect of life, including commerce, experiments with crypto currencies, industrial development, social experiences, and learning situations. 

In this presentation we dive into the immersive and pervasive nature of Metaverse technologies (e.g. augmented and virtual realities, block chain, digital currencies, the Internet of Things or IoT, Artificial Intelligence – including natural language recognition and processing, etc.). How should universities respond to these technologies, which have the power to circumvent traditional sources of teaching and learning with powerful, personalized tools? When everyone has their personal version of the Metaverse, will we have any shared common reality? How will we define, and work for, the common good? 

It is clear that these technologies are coming, for better or for worse, and that the current university paradigm is no longer appropriate. The current system builds knowledge around paper-based publishing and peer review that demands time and perpetuates multiple inequities both on academic and economic levels. Then it “transfers” these meta-studies based on subject-matter expertise. Often, the material we are teaching, much like a virus, has mutated in the time it takes to verify it. 

Meanwhile, Internet and the coming Metaverse churn out reams of information faster than we can keep up, and often without any sort of verification or confirmation. They are also creating new social relationships that can span continents, but that can also foster new forms of delinquency, hatred, and violence. Can we create a new paradigm for the university that can lead intellectual development in the Metaverse context, and set examples for upholding truth, defending the scientific method, and building a culture of lifelong learning? Are we able to effectively use the Metaverse to build respect for privacy and human rights? Can we use it to think critically about new proposed laws, to rebuild democracy and re-establish trust? Because if we can’t, our students will enter this parallel universe on their own, accommodating to whatever leadership they find. 

These are the questions we will raise for discussion, with the idea that we must not only anticipate change, but lead the way to a humanist metaverse. Otherwise, we risk having yet another crisis forced upon us, with the possibility of becoming irrelevant if we can’t keep up.

Learning objectives:

• Identify and analyze the Metaverse concept and how it affects communication, private life, work, education, and the entire human context. 
• Discuss the need for a major paradigm shift in the university before the Metaverse catches us up short. 
• Explore what kind of paradigm change might be effective in creating a sustainable future for the university in the Metaverse.their studies 
• share resources to help in utilizing podcasts and podcasting in education.