Is the Metaverse the Future of Learning?

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Learn how to design scenario-based eLearning with this in-depth KZbin video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWPReJhrrb2ondk

[@allisonkim3694]

After years of working in the special education world and specifically clients with autism, this could offer some amazing opportunities! For these clients, families and therapists that work them, there are so many barriers that do not allow us to teach in environments outside of their home. To me, this video really blows my mind at the possibilities of where things could go! Thanks Devlin for always creating such great content to discuss.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Oh wow! Very interesting idea, Allison. Would be interesting to see how this technology could help connect that audience to opportunities. Thank you for sharing your perspective with us here.

[@lorrainee4841]

Second Life was doing this 15+ years ago - many universities held class, conferences, presentations…

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks for sharing, Lorraine. And you're right! That's a common comparison.

[@williambachman8714]

I'm an experienced instructional designer and my sister is a mental health counselor. We live in different cities and meet in Oculus about once a week to play ping-pong, which is surprisingly accurate. Anyway, we've been discussing how well this might work for her clients, because of the VR's ability to put you in a space with your counselor that is a) less formal and calmer such as a peaceful landscape or b) purposefully triggering so that you can overcome phobias in a controlled environment with a professional. With all technological advances it is important to weight the affordances of that technology with the limitations and potential challenges/downfalls but I think that there is a lot to be optimistic about and that this has a lot of easily applicable potential in mental health applications.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

That's amazing, William. Thank you for sharing that! I've seen videos on KZbin as well with people giving "therapy" (not sure if they're licensed or not...probably not) to people, and it definitely seems that their "clients' are comfortable to share in those settings. I can imagine the sense of presence that it would give, too. Thanks again!!

[@wormholeinteractive]

Would love to see a discussion on the required skills as IDs to make a transition into the metaverse!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Haha I don’t think we’re there yet but that would be cool for sure! I will definitely be on the lookout though for teams / companies that are using this tech.

[@roshnijaiswal7230]

amazing video.. really help me understand where the future is heading..excited!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks Roshni! Glad that you enjoyed it :D

[@Das_Mustang]

I definitely see L&D Moving to the metaverse. I think those that struggle to understand how it fits, may not understand how quickly the mind adapts to the environment and you feel like you are in the space.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

It is definitely immersive! I can see the opportunity, but I imagine there will be a lot of resistance as well. We will see how it goes :D

[@SpeakingEnglishToday]

I first discovered the metaverse from a client. South Korea has a free metaverse for anyone who has internet, and companies were having meetings in this during the pandemic. It's especially helpful for introverts who are more comfortable with technology. I have been waiting for it to get here for a long time.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Very cool! I didn't know about that. Thank you for sharing :D

[@JuliaDemiELT]

Devlin, I really appreciate you shared this info! I was trying to discover and understand how it can be used in designing the courses and you brought so much clarity! Thanks!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You're welcome! Thanks for taking the time to watch and support the video :D. Figured this one may not have a lot of practical value right now, but will hopefully show people what's out there.

[@JuliaDemiELT]

@@DevlinPeckYT Do you think it might be a fair substitution for Zoom and alike in the future? It can make us free from a talking head Zoom mode, but it seems like it may lead to an increasing number of psychological disorders related to loneliness and possible unwillingness to live in ‘real’ reality. I like testing new tech and apps, but it seems like there won’t be any need to go outdoors and socialise F2F if the meta reality can be way more pleasing. It reminded me of a digital reality shown in the movie Free Guy.

[@JuliaDemiELT]

On the other hand it may help create an unforgettable experience for the learners. It’s really interesting!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

@@JuliaDemiELT Good question, Julia. We're getting deep here! Lol. I think that this technology is definitely approaching the dystopia novels and films that we've seen, but I'm not sure if there's any stopping it. This does raise the question though about what's considered "real" reality. A common trend of Web 3.0 is the convergence between the digital and physical world. If we're having shared experiences in a digital space, is this less real than having a shared experience in the physical space? Many gamers who already spend most of their time in digital worlds with friends (that they may or may not have met in person) would already argue that they're equivalent. The metaverse may make it easier to socialize and connect remotely, but like you said, it may lead to even less F2F interaction. What that means for the mental health and future of humanity is definitely up for debate....and that doesn't even get into the question of "access" to technologies like this.

[@JuliaDemiELT]

@@DevlinPeckYT it makes sense! Thanks for sharing your ideas! Looking forward to your new videos!

[@roulaal2617]

Wonderful video. Thanks for sharing! So true, I can't stop thinking about accessibility.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thank you, Roula. Will be interesting to see how it evolves and if metaverses can be made accessible.

[@bluebellfowlers]

This is fascinating. Interestingly enough, Devlin, as an educator, experiences are critical. However, given the constraints of the classroom, we are limited. When you mentioned history, I was wondering several years ago how we can create an "experience" that will lead to deeper learning and develop conceptual understanding. I am imagining a PBL where students have to solve a problem...and it could be with students from all over the world. Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You're welcome! Thanks for sharing your perspective here, Michele. Definitely sounds like we will be able to design some immersive learning experiences in the future. Excited to see how things go :D

[@satyamchawla4095]

Superb!! I enjoyed it and even imagined making a quiz to make my learner more engaging. Thank you Devlin for showing this up.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching...glad that this could help spark some ideas :D

[@srikar011]

For sure this gonna happen.Thanks for your foresight Devlin!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You’re welcome! Thank you for watching 😃

[@srinivascharytummanapalli8623]

Thanks Devlin. When I heard about Metaverse few days ago , I started thinking about its impact on future learning & skills required to deal with it. This video is helpful to Visualize future learnings, thanks for bringing up this topic, its informative 👍

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching…I’m glad it came at a good time.

[@fatemehashemi6378]

Thank you, Devlin.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You're welcome, Fateme. Thank you for watching :)

[@cynthiareid6416]

Thanks, Devlin for sharing this information. I appreciate it remembers me the famous game called "Age of Empire" in 1998 approx. where we had to built different scenarios at a specific time. It is useful for learning but it must not be isolated if do not with other tools using or not using the technology. I reckon that cost is a high barrier to incorporating VR in organizations and universities. Thanks!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Good point, Cynthia. Thank you for watching and sharing your perspective here 😃

[@lukegoodwinland]

Great video Devlin. I saw a video recently of Zuckerberg and Gary V discussing the Metaverse. Super interesting!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks Luke! Appreciate you taking the time to check it out :D

[@rickchrist6979]

If the learning relates to physical space: architecture, urban planning, meteorology... then the ability to create buildings, neighborhoods, and storms in a metaverse would be orders of magnitude faster and cheaper than doing it for real. I've been thinking about some similar applications and would love to hear more about what you're thinking.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Wow!! Great perspective, Rick. A metaverse may not be necessary since I imagine people can accomplish this with 3D imaging (and can experience it with a group in VR), but I guess the lines are blurring between these different concepts. But yes, learning experiences where a sense of space / scale / presence is important would be perfect for 3D simulated environments like this.

[@rickchrist6979]

@@DevlinPeckYT 3D and VR allow a group of professionals to share individual projects. A metaverse would allow them to interact with a public, and with other designs. It would allow them to model transportation impacts and other things with the added value of "random event" by the public. You're right, the lines are blurring; the challenge for us as IDs is to be comfortable in these worlds, not to judge them.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

@@rickchrist6979 ah yes, I see! Very smart. See the reaction in the digital world before committing in the physical world 😃. Exciting times.

[@flagshipbuilds]

Devlin, do you know how to create a pulsing circle on Storyline? Can I pay for a tutorial on how to do it? I would ask to keep it unlisted and if you keep screen view only so I can follow along.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

There are multiple ways to do this, but one way is to use two layers: on layer 1 you animate in the circle, and on layer 2 you animate out the circle. Make the timelines just long enough for the animations to complete. Then add a trigger to show layer 2 when layer 1 timeline ends and to show layer 1 when layer 2 timeline ends. Show layer 1 when the timeline starts on the base layer and you're done!

[@flagshipbuilds]

@@DevlinPeckYT Thanks! That's a good idea.

[@MisterMessinger]

Super intriguing! This definitely seems like the direction learning is going especially with gaming being such a popular hobby with so many. Do you have other resources on the role of VR in eLearning?

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks!! Will take a while for us to get there, but will be very interesting to see what it’s like when we do. And no, not at this time

[@infographie]

Excellent

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks so much!

[@vp3265]

Thanks for sharing this information. I've been interested in all of this; however, not too sure how I will interact. NFTs were my area of study but I appreciate you showing us the actual Decentraland. Have you seen "Ready Player One?"

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You're welcome! That's cool that you've studied NFTs...what are your thoughts on them? I know it can be polarizing. And yes, I've seen Ready Player One! Is this the first iteration of that world? :D

[@vp3265]

@@DevlinPeckYT I'm up and down about NFTs. I have studied how to make them but am not enthused about the entire minting, crypto, marketing of it all. I'm throwing myself more into Elearning. I'll continue watching the NFT world and probably will dip my toe in eventually. Haha...Ready Player One seemed to put much of the metaverse into somewhat of an exaggerated perspective but is kind of the first iteration, especially since I'm not a gamer.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

@@vp3265 Yeah, definitely a lot of hype cycles surrounding NFTs...will see how that evolves as well. Thank you for sharing your perspective with us :D

[@wendysimmons4088]

Hi Devlin, Although this is interesting and good information to know, I can't help questioning how this could be "better" than a Zoom/Teams call or better yet, old-fashioned F2F interaction. This pandemic has contributed to a loss of a certain amount of social skills and this seems to as well. Yes, the metaverse can be sexy but at the end of the day, it ultimately seems like a very lonely place. Thank for the video!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You're welcome, and thank you for sharing this perspective! I have questioned that too. Maybe it's "sexy" as you mention because of the novelty of it, but a Zoom call may be just fine :D. And I think part of the reason why this type of thing is taking off is because people are not coming together F2F...so platforms like this are trying to bridge that gap between the real world and the virtual world. Whether or not they're successful may be a different story.

[@sherylb4405]

I think this also can speak to different audiences that may have challenges meeting FTF for many different reasons. (differing abilities, social anxiety) or even different learning preferences. Many are now active gamers and this will be a very seamless transition to learning that may engage select people more than more traditional approaches. This looks to be very similar to Second Life in general concept, but with major tech companies taking it on, it will likely develop more quickly and get more uptake from the general population due to their influence. I love that Devlin did the video on this, we in the L&D field need to always be on our toes regarding new tech and how it may impact us and learners. I would not be surprized if some instructors eventually become like vTubers (Virtual KZbinrs) in that they have an avatar and communicate that way. There will likely be an aggressive market over time for Instructional Designers to have skills that will relate to this new tech.

[@JessieCarty]

It is interesting to see how even technology loops around. I remember doing to sessions back in maybe 2011 where we were talking about trying to having teaching sessions in Second Life. Spoiler Alert - Students weren't interested for the most part. I'm hoping that the VR helmets continue to get lighter though because I find that the most interesting way this could be a thing versus just a different way to sit at the computer. Now off to play Beat Sabers LOL

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Haha, yeah, the Second Life comparison is on point! When the VR / AR gear gets further along it will be glorious.

[@RobinTurner]

@@DevlinPeckYT So far it strikes me as a copy of SL with lower resolution - I guess that might be the result of optimising for VR. I'm just wondering what the Metaverse has to offer that SL doesn't already have.

[@aquartz8922]

YES to more NFT content.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Nice! Glad to hear that you're interested...I think you're the first in these comments, haha

[@aquartz8922]

The future is happening now.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

@@aquartz8922 haha indeed

[@glowman71]

SecondLifev2... suspect it will go just about the same. The ONE area I see this being valuable- recreating team-based complex scenarios that are very difficult to replicate in the real world (i.e. say coordinating emergency response to a flood, etc...) You could have the scenario set up, a proctor, etc... I am excited for Web3 (ownership, blockchain security), but this "create a proxy for yourself so you can feel more connected to other actual people by not using your actual self" really misses the mark for me.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Yes, we will definitely see! And re: the scenario example, I wonder if that may be better suited for a VR experience than a metaverse. And that makes total sense about the avatars. It can definitely seem like a step back. Have you seen the companies that have you come in and jump, and when you’re in midair, like 100 cameras take photos of you at all angles? Then they make a 3D version of you that you can bring into metaverses and stuff. Does that sound any better or is it still not doing it for you haha

[@nancyamandi4802]

Wow. A very educational video. I have actually been researching on the Metaverse and have been thinking of how it can be applied to the education and health sector. This your video gave me more insights. Coincidentally, I tweeted about the Metaverse in learning and then few minutes later, I saw your mail inviting me to this video. Thanks for this

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You’re welcome, Nancy. It’s an interesting time to be alive! We’ll see where this tech takes us…

[@pixpusher]

Looks like the old RPGs from the 90s :)

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Haha for sure...the graphics aren't quite there yet :'D

[@lucasjin3651]

Meta is not ready yet and won’t be ready for EDU use in the next 2 to 5 years as educators tends to use pretty “mature” products or tech. Without a powerful virtual learning environment coupled with some great useful features, the meta is just a fancy tool or toy. I ain’t want to go to a Meta to read PowerPoint or compete quizzes like I do in most LMS. Also, when designing a course or training workshop, the whole ID design process needs to be totally revamped as the old ways won’t work anymore.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Haha omg, that is a whole new nightmare!!!! Visit our company's metaverse to read these PowerPoint slides. That is scary...I could definitely see our industry taking things there, lol. Let's do our best to avoid that future :'D.

[@lucasjin3651]

@@DevlinPeckYT you got it man! Would like to see more content about this topic in the future. I try to improve my coding skills to see the possibly to design my own VR learning environment in the future. Originally, I thought front-end or full-stack web dev would be a great plus for myself. Now, I think I need to learn more C+ to enable myself to use more powerful tools like Unitiy 3D.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

@@lucasjin3651 they’re both very good options 😃. Unity and C+ would be a good skill set for the future, I’m sure.

[@sherylb4405]

I think with Facebook leading the helm, we can expect faster development...maybe 2 years, I do not see they will be taking the dev lightly considering how much is going into it already and how some are literally buying into the concept already. They will have no choice but to move quickly.

[@clsdesign9740]

Looks like Second Life - a shame that app never went VR...

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Yes, I've seen that comparison a lot!

[@flagshipbuilds]

Is the short answer no?

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Haha I think that people will definitely be learning in the metaverse, but I don't think it's the future of all corporate eLearning, that's for sure :D.

[@gaggys]

But this isn’t a new concept surely. Isn’t this just Second Life?

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Definitely not a new concept. Second Life is an often-cited example. And the term itself (with the accompanying dystopian vision) comes from a book from the 1950s if I'm not mistaken.

[@mcichon81]

@@DevlinPeckYT The book is Snow Crash. It is from 1992 and amazing. One of the few I read twice.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

@@mcichon81 Oh great, thank you so much for clarifying here :D

[@HABLA_GUIRRRI]

is there anything in the known or unknown universe that is not 'cool' 'pretty cool'? is there anything ''shit hot''? how about ''luke warm'' or even '' it's a tad brass monkeys missus''?

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Haha I am sure there is a wide spectrum of coolness in the universe 😃

[@Milan-mj4iv]

I'm honestly not sure how this can look serious for companies. I am making a large number of courses for banks and I sincerely doubt that they would like something like this. The employees of the bank for which I create content do not even have headphones, so the course is made without audio sound. I hope I’m wrong but to me this doesn’t seem like something they would accept.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks for sharing this perspective! I definitely don't think it will be changing industries overnight or anything like that. But I have been seeing people use this for conferences! A really big conference called AfroTech uses a metaverse (possibly built with Virbela...not entirely sure). Maybe use cases like that?

[@Milan-mj4iv]

@@DevlinPeckYT Yea that sounds good and it also looks like the best way for now. It would definitely need time for industries to accept it.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

@@Milan-mj4iv Absolutely. Will be interesting to see if / when it picks up more speed.

[@IAmNumber4000]

Facebook bet their entire brand on... Second Life?

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Hahaha something like that 😂