This week we talked about the Metaverse.
We were actually, more broadly, speaking about the pros and cons of distance learning (i.e. the use of video chat technology like Zoom to replace or supplement in-person learning). Maybe I’m just stubbornly old-fashioned in this regard, but as good as video chat technology is, it’s no replacement for the in-person experience.
Of course, the Metaverse is essentially Zoom for every day life. By that I mean, it’s more than a video call, it’s virtual reality. I’ve never tried VR myself, and sure, it sounds neat, but living in VR sounds not only super unhealthy from a social standpoint, but also, it sounds like an existential nightmare. I mean, I’ve never actually watched the Matrix trilogy, but I know enough to see the parallels and it makes me uncomfortable. The idea of spending most (or all) of your waking time in, essentially, a fake universe sounds scary. What happens when people become hopelessly dependent on their new “environment” and then the servers go down? Will people become so caught up in their VR world that they forget the real universe exists and freak out when they are unexpectedly reminded of the virtual nature of their reality? I realize that sounds extreme and borderline “boomer” of me, but these are real possibilities to consider.
How can I tie this to education? Well I guess for starters, students need to be able to critically think about technology – who they interact with online, “where” they go online, and the potential dangers that come with immersive technologies. Does that mean that video technology like Zoom does not belong in the classroom? Absolutely not. That is a very useful tool! Should it replace in-person classes? No, I don’t think that would be a net positive for education. What about the Metaverse? Can VR technology be useful in the classroom or in the work place? Sure – I bet there are many ways they could be used and I’m cautiously optimistic to see what kinds of creative ideas educators come up with in the future to use this technology.
I’m not sure platforms like the Metaverse will really take off like they Meta hopes it will, however, similar predictions were made about the video game industry in the early 1980s, and look where we are with that now. Anything could happen. But I honestly kind of hope the world doesn’t do a full transition to a virtual reality anytime soon.