When Calculus Learning Collides with The Metaverse

Abstract

Spatial's multiple virtual platforms with interoperable portals, avatars, shared spaces and audio/text messages help teachers enhance the online learning experience and activities for students. In this paper, we propose the following pedagogical strategies using the metaverse: First, using multiple shared-screen modes from Spatial's virtual environment, students use our real time C3 (competition, cooperation, and communication)-based learning platform to learn from each other while solving synthetic (man-made) and real-life first year calculus problems. Second, teachers, students and peers create their own lifelike avatars to interact with each other in different shared spaces. The role of the C3 platform is to act as a teacher-led learning delivery system to build a reciprocal relationship between students and teachers, where students can learn from each other using online cooperation and/or competition learning modes and peers freely walk through different shared spaces to learn how these students solve math problems interactively and see what kinds of mathematical tools and techniques they use. Third, using interoperable portals, based on six designated Calculus problem sets, teachers can simultaneously place different groups of students in different shared spaces according to their teaching pace and have more opportunities to learn about and better understand what students and peers learning needs are. This paper also presents the pedagogical methods, for example, educational game strategies, the initiation/response/evaluation/feedback/follow-up communication pattern, and conceptual and procedural approaches that were used in this work, and finally demonstrates a few worked examples.