The teaching & learning industry has been experiencing with the internet boom that gave rise to eLearning in the late 1990s. The next or second wave of mobile social media created intensive shorter, video-based learning on demand.
According to industry expert, the 3rd wave of technology advancement includes websites on the PC and mobile to be replaced by a metaverse of digital 3D spaces, where self-created avatars are interacted with others tremendously. The metaverse can also turn into virtual classrooms, learning centers and digital hub so that education content, course materials can be displayed in an eco-friendly & creative way for enhancing student learning experience.
Unlike hosting a Zoom event that is scheduled and disappears completely when the event is done, the metaverse is “consistently on” and enables social interactions with one another or selective groups. This innovative process & learning feature is a good foundation for enabling & creating a new form of education.
School closures brought on by the pandemic have had devastating consequences for children’s learning and well-being. Most education systems in the world have been severely affected by education disruptions and have faced unprecedented challenges. It is estimated that 147 million children missed more than half of their in-class instruction over the past two years. This generation of children could lose a combined total of $17 trillion in lifetime earnings in present value. Therefore, providing quality education for all is fundamental to creating a peaceful and prosperous world.
How Metaverse can achieve quality education goal #4
1.) Improve accessibility for people with disabilities – For example, an immersive environment offers young adults or students with special needs, autism, and social interaction issues the ability to improve their interpersonal and job skills, such as visiting a shopping mall, exploring an exhibition hall, participating a conference meeting, or even attending a concert. Through Metaverse, they can practice skills and interact with others in a safe environment without feeling overwhelmed or anxious.
2.) Explore different worlds through visualization and creative models – For example, young adults or students can virtually visit any parts of the world or explore life in a purposely built cities. Through Metaverse 360 degree models, virtual tours, and visualizations, learners “enter” crucial global development challenges, including climate change, education, gender, urban development, international trade, and public health.
3.) Learn and connect in an immersive virtual campus – The metaverse facilitates an immersive campus life, where students enter the virtual campus or university to learn, explore, and socialize. In this digital space, for example, learners can enter into different learning centers, visit libraries and breakout rooms, meet coaches and counselors, and hang out with peers. These digital experiences can truly democratize education, by bringing people from geographically dispersed locations and varied economic backgrounds together to learn, in a cost-effective, flexible, and quicker duration.
Other Sustainable Development Goals
Goal #1: No Poverty
Notable targets
Reduce by half the number of humans living in poverty by 2030
Give the poor and vulnerable equal rights to economic resources
Reduce the vulnerability of the poor and other vulnerable populations to economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.
How metaverse contributes to the goal
Supports economic growth by preserving the benefits digitization and establishing business opportunities within the teaching & learning industry
Ending poverty by allowing indviduals the ability to create marketing/social contents, specified knowledge, commercial business models and product information, regardeless of geographic locations, time zone, economic and social status, where global engagement can be done effectively and efficiently . This eliminates all the costs associated with the traditional channels.
Goal #3: Good Health and Well Being
Notable targets
By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being
Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
How metaverse contributes to the goal
With the pandemic continue to go around, one of the most obvious benefits of the use of metaverse is that it reduces the spread of airborne diseases. Students can still receive education virtually without even having to leave their homes. This increases the safety of both the teachers and students as well as any other individuals the person might have come into contact with on the way to a campus or universities.
Goal #5: Gender Equality
Notable targets
End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws.
How metaverse contributes to the goal
With the great features in metaverse all women and girls (students and teachers) have the rights and capabilities to design, create and build their own virtual land, assets, resources without worrying about discrimination, any forms of violence, sexual harrasement and any types of exploitation against them. Alternatively, these virtual assets could be safely exchanged and transferred accordingly and leading to the same ownership, service entitlement and legal rights in the phsysical world.
Goal #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Notable targets
Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all.
How metaverse contributes to the goal
Generation Z consumers are fully digital-native – online is the default option for them when they go looking for the products and services they need. The metaverse – persistent, immersive digital environments that potentially offer everything we need to live our lives digitally, under one roof – provides new ways for businesses to connect with customers. Banks, as ever, have been keen to capitalize on it. One of the most obvious uses of the metaverse, as far as retail banks are concerned, is to create “virtual branches” where they can sell banking products to a new breed of digitally-native gen-z consumers, or provide customer service to their existing customers.
Goal #9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Notable targets
Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all
Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the internet in least developed countries by 2020.
How metaverse contributes to the goal
With the metaverse technology, any brands (schools / universiteies) can create and manage their own metaverse space on their website, giving their users and customers access to a 3D environment directly from their mobile phones and computers without downloading any app. This has enabled that any user can access the brand’s metaverse from any mobile or computer, without having to use any VR device: this literally translates to over 80% of the population of user access.
Goal #10: Reduced Inequalities
Notable targets
Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard.
How metaverse contributes to the goal
Metaverse can protect the integrity of students and teachers information and it shall be a priority no matter if it is the poor or the rich and powerful. Also, the metaverse provide equal access to any individuals regardless of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, orgina, religion or economic or other status.
Goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Notable targets
By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations
Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials.
How metaverse contributes to the goal
A digital twin can help the school community and facility managers visualise the campus environment, conditions, and assets. It would also support research for technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and internet of things (IoT).
Building a digital twin introduces a source of truth for physical data in a digital manner. Connecting it with the school
building management system (BMS) allows condition monitoring with real time sensor data, allowing simulations for greener campus planning, better facility maintenance, and increased HVAC system efficiency. Facility maintenance can become smoother, enabling the achievement of a sustainable and smart campus. Also, the digital twin can also serve as a real-time reference for room usage and locating different departments and divisions.
Goal #12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Notable targets
By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
How metaverse contributes to the goal
For the clothing industry that exist solely in the metaverse space, it literally translates to 97% less CO2 emission and 3,300 liters of less water consumption as compared to each physical clothing item. In addition, it is possible to reduce a brand’s carbon footprint by as much as 30% just simply replacing physical samples with virtual ones during a company’s design and development phases
Also, these virtual clothing items are mostly endorsed & overwhelmed by the younger generation whom are more willing to enter the metaverse mall to undergo the customer engagement and digital purchase process.
