Conceptualizing and enhancing metaverse literacy for education

Abstract

The metaverse has gained considerable attention and enormous investments in recent years and is increasingly recognized as a critical domain for future interactions and communications. Despite its growing importance, there is a notable lack of research on metaverse literacy, especially in education and training. This study aims to conceptualize “metaverse literacy for education” by defining its core components and proposing a framework for its evaluation. Furthermore, we report a case study leveraging an experiential learning approach to explore how exposure to various digital platforms - Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, mobile phones, and personal computers (PC) - influences metaverse literacy and perceptions regarding its adoption. The case study engaged first-year bachelor-level students (N = 30) enrolled in an undergraduate program. Our findings reveal that learning experience with the metaverse significantly shifts students’ perceptions about the effort needed for adoption and enhances their metaverse literacy for education. By focusing on these dimensions, this study makes a contribution to the understanding of metaverse literacy for education, advocating for an experiential approach to learning and adaptation in digital environments.