Class in the metaverse: Nir Eisikovits on the challenges of building virtual reality universities

Virtual reality, widely used in gaming, is now being adapted for a range of purposes, including medicine, therapy, and sports. But could virtual reality work for higher education? In this essay, Nir Eisikovits, an associate professor of ethics at University of Massachusetts-Boston, explores the ethical and social challenges of virtual reality. He explains what is at stake for students and universities if campuses move to the metaverse.

Nir Eisikovits, "College Could Take Place in the Metaverse, but These Problems Must Be Overcome First,"The Conversation, 1 March 2022

 

1. At the beginning of his essay, Eisikovits explains several pressures higher education institutions face. Which two do you think are most important? Why? One solution could be creating an alternate university, one that exists in virtual reality. How could a virtual reality university benefit students and faculty?
2. Eisikovits describes five key challenges that higher education must address before building virtual reality universities. What are these challenges? Which one do you think most impacts the university community you are part of? Why?
3. Eisikovits uses a numbered list to organize his argument, a strategy discussed in Chapter 2. Why do you think he chose to organize his points in this way? How does this organization affect you as a reader? Think about your own academic writing. In what kinds of writing do you think you could use a numbered list effectively? Where would a numbered list not work as well? Why?
4. Watch Facebook’s promotional video for the metaverse. Then, join this conversation and draw on your own experiences as a student in your response. Would you want to go to college in the metaverse? Why or why not? What would a virtual reality university offer? What would it limit? What other information would you want before making that choice?

Comments

[Cristal]

I would not like to go to a college in the metaverse because I feel as if it won't be as effective as going to college in person being face to face with a professor who is teaching you about a certain subject. A virtual university would give students the opportunity to attend class without physically being present. Would the experience if one would do virtual reality for science classes which required a number of labs be as efficient as doing in-person? Would it limit our mobility and the things we are able to do in the lab? Would we retain the information the way we should be doing?

[Christopher Timberlake]

I would try going to school in the metaverse. I think it would be a bigger of a change than we think it is. We would be missing out on face to face communication skills. You would be able to take any course you would like. It would limit like the characters or avatars you can choose. I would want to know the hours and how would work be done. I think it would help people learn what they want to learn but at the cost of face to face communication skills.

[Trinidy Jackson]

I would want to experience college in the metaverse because it would make school more fun for me and I would feel more motivated to do the work. It can be a distraction for most people but I find it captivating. I would feel more enthusiastic about my work if the class is interesting to me. A virtual reality university would offer people with anxiety the opportunity to focus on their work without interacting with other students. However, it could limit communication between the students and professor. Before making this choice, I would like to know how much I have to pay compared to regular college.

[Brayan H.]

Nir Eisikovitz, the author of the article, has made some great points about the effects of college taking place in the Metaverse. Some points I’d like to mention that I agree with are, the “Focus” in the virtual reality environment, the “Communication”, and the “Digital Divides”. Focus is highly needed when you are attending college, especially if the idea of college takes place in the Metaverse. As a student myself, it’s already a struggle sometimes to even pay attention in class without having to look at another tab or reply to texts in the middle of class. Communication is another important aspect of college that is required. Being on a virtual reality platform takes away the facial expressions and body language we show in class if we were to argue on a topic, or in generality to show how we feel in class. When I first started my life in college, I had to do a hybrid semester. When I would be at home doing my classes, anyone that presented an argument or a presentation had their cameras off, which removes the expression of the argument or presentation, and since most of us during the first semester had to sit in front of the computer, our body language was removed as well. Now on the other hand when I completed my other classes on campus, the environment was so much more different. Although we were all in a pandemic still and were still required to wear masks, which removed facial expressions, I was able to see the body language students would portray in class whenever we presented. Finally, virtual reality can create a digital divide. Many people across the world are not able to afford to pay for college tuition, and with the idea of having college take place in the Metaverse, educators need to think about how much more accessible this technology will be for other people. Would it lower the costs of attending college? How will this be made available to other students who would like to study for a major? It’s questions like these that we must consider before we move on with the plan of making college life available on a virtual reality platform.

[Ryan H.]

I would not like to attend a virtual university. There are many reasons I would not want to, many of which are the same points made by Nir Eisikovits in this article. One such reason is the loss of nonverbal means of communication. Nir Eisikovits states that “Engineers have only started thinking about these problems” which is an important step, but even if these concerns are addressed there will always be a limit to a computer's resources. There is a lot of information lost when moving into the virtual world. A computer has a limited amount of resources, so it will sometimes remove “unnecessary” data in order to save on space. In doing so, losing crucial information that, though not visually noticeable, can make the virtual world just feel off. I already have difficulties in socializing in school, so I fear that no matter what, there will always be a divide in knowing that I am just looking into a screen. I feel it would limit how close I could get with my classmates, considering they can change their appearance and voice whenever they want. I will admit that virtual universities could be an amazing tool for those unable to attend a physical university like those with health issues, for example someone with a compromised immune system can safely attend and socialize at a virtual university. However, my fears may be unfounded, as I know many people who have already made deep connections with people in virtual reality. Despite my reluctance to attend a virtual university, I would need to know the cost as well as how such a degree will be valued by employers before I could make a final decision.

[Therese Minaya]

Upon reading this article, I agree with Eisikovits argument that the metaverse may obstruct human education. While technology may be beneficial to societal progression, such technological forums fail to promote key components of human evolution. Through face to face education, students are exposed to human expression that can heavily influence the success of one’s education. Through these face to face interactions, students are exposed to the opportunity to establish social relationships and learn the importance of basic human etiquette. It is through in-person schooling where children, teens, and adults become equipped with the proper skills to socialize with one another and learn to empathize with each other’s thoughts and emotions. By only participating in robotic playgrounds as a means to learn, humans are stripped of the chance to learn social etiquette, which is necessary to work in professional settings. The metaverse only utilizes icons, avatars, or even characters to serve as a representation of how students may feel, which I personally believe is an insufficient means to constitute the true emotions of students. Furthermore, the problem of maintaining focus within metaversal education platforms becomes a concern as well. Even in non-virtual settings, students are apt to distract themselves- through tending to their phones in class to engaging in conversation with neighbors, distractions are prevalent in everyday life. Even in the metaverse, distractions do not cease, but are rather more prone to happening. Although students may attempt to filter out distractions by setting app limits or even separate themselves from distracting devices, advertisements from facebook, twitter, or even instagram consistently being drained onto an individual’s interface is inevitable. Thus being said, distractions are essentially everywhere and are even more abundant on the metaverse, ultimately prompting a student’s education to be obstructed. Given that the metaverse abducts students from the opportunity to develop social skills from face to face interactions, I believe that creating this type of learning environment is less beneficial than face to face learning. In addition, distractions become more frequent throughout internet forums, therefore making it harder to focus and learn, which obstructs student success.

[Diana Gonzalez]

I would go to college in the metaverse because it is cheaper, more convenient, and easier. It is cheaper because all of the textbooks can be online, and shared by professors through e-mail. It is convenient because the cost of gas, car maintenance, traffic, and time is saved. This would make it easier, and people could construct their own schedules according to their own schedules. No one knows when you use the restroom, the environment is comfortable, and students are their own teachers if the class is synchronous. Those who are self-learners can follow online lectures and work at their own pace as long as the deadlines are meant. Others who need a little more help can attend synchronous classes. During the colder months, it is possible fewer people will get sick because people are not out in the cold weather with multiple people. This also could apply to spring, but instead of the cold, it is allergies that can make people sick. Activities and other activities that create a school environment can take place somewhere else. For example, people could use community locations to practice whatever sport they sign up for, and club meetings could take place at other fun places. The environmental club can have a meeting at the beach, the book club can meet at a library, debate teams can meet at courthouses, and so forth. This will provide a more real-world experience than meeting in a classroom. People will also be more focused because they are not distracted by their peers, and can adjust to their surroundings if they do find themselves getting distracted. If someone was getting distracted at their desk because of the TV or they're bored, they can just get up and move to the living room or kitchen. .They can even go to a Starbucks or sit on the grass at the park.