Envisioning A Hyper-Learning System in the Age of Metaverse

Abstract

The digital technologies, such as interactive interfaces, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR), are emerging as the latest examples of an ongoing trend of digitizing learning in the metaverse. Their pervasive impact requires us to rethink the notion of information gathering and learning [Pokhrel and Chhetri 2021]. Although much research has been devoted to AR/VR/metaverse education, there is little research on the pedagogical interactions of pre-learning information in the metaverse. Pre-learning refers to the preparatory activity performed before formal learning. Whether we use pre-learning to discover new concepts, or as a travel guide throughout a deeper understanding of a topic, pre-learning requires massive information access. Currently, information presentation remains simple, constrained by the access media. For instance, web pages are mostly arranged in tabs as a form of listing, which does not enable users to organize the information well in relation to each other. With instant online information access updated constantly, the severity of these problems is becoming more significant. Although information organization tools like Miro are now available to create associations and hierarchies and custom edits, they remain constrained to the 2 dimensions of the computer screen. By introducing a third dimension, immersive technologies and the metaverse help us present this information in a hybrid 3D way that is more diverse and aesthetic.

Therefore, we design a prototype of an extended reality (XR) learning interactive system in the metaverse. The system relies on custom catalogs to guide the user through the pre-learning process, allowing categorization and custom combinations of primary and secondary information in a virtual reality environment. It addresses the need for personalization and browsing categorization of web-based information access in pre-learning. The research gives a critical lens of the interaction with information interface in the process of pre-learning in the metaverse.