Title: Learning and teaching in the Metaverse: a paradigm shift in education in the developed world

Authors: Viktoria Mauz; Christian Díaz

Addresses: UIBS United International Business School, Brandschenkestrasse 38, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland ' UIBS United International Business School, Brandschenkestrasse 38, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland

Abstract: The rapidly evolving digital landscape, especially the emergence of the Metaverse, holds the promise of transforming education by merging physical and virtual worlds. This paper conducts an integrative literature review, combining theoretical and empirical sources to explore "learning and teaching in the Metaverse", "peer learning in the Metaverse", and "social aspects of teaching and learning in the Metaverse". Searching multiple academic databases yielded over 35 relevant studies, subjected to thematic analysis and triangulation with empirical data from in-depth interviews with researchers. The study highlights the potential benefits of the Metaverse in education, particularly in peer learning. It emphasises gamified learning experiences, enhanced diversity and inclusion, personalised skill-based learning, virtual campus settings, and immersive learning encounters. However, challenges such as cybersecurity, potential distraction, cyberbullying, and usability issues accompany these advantages. Despite its promise, research gaps persist. Long-term effects of Metaverse-based education and the sociological impacts within these environments remain largely unexplored.

Keywords: Metaverse; education; learning; teaching; technology; gamification; virtual reality; cybersecurity; cyberbullying; integrative literature review.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIIE.2024.144151

International Journal of Innovation in Education, 2024 Vol.9 No.1, pp.47 - 60

Received: 11 Jan 2024
Accepted: 11 Apr 2024
Published online: 29 Jan 2025 *

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