Low vs. High Immersion in Metaverse-Based Learning: How Pre-Service Teachers Balanced Between Instruction and Assessment in Learning Design
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58459/icce.2024.4880Abstract
Emerging technology like the Metaverse has shown significant potential in expanding learning opportunities. This includes immersive environments, virtual student-teacher interactions, and diverse locations for learning and teaching. In particular, the Metaverse can enhance different modes of instruction and assessment, a crucial component of effective learning processes. This study explores how pre- service teachers design immersive learning environments through Metaverse-based learning. Eighteen pre-service teachers at a private university in Indonesia participated in a required course and were tasked with Metaverse-based learning projects. They worked in pairs and were divided into two groups. Four pairs designed learning in a low immersion Metaverse environment, while the other four pairs worked on a high immersion Metaverse environment. Their instructional and assessment strategies were graded using rubrics, and their project presentations were recorded for qualitative analysis. The findings revealed that engagement and interactivity, which facilitate understanding and application of learning objectives, were more aligned in the high immersion environment. Additionally, the quality of feedback, a key part of assessment, was rated higher in high immersion environments. From a qualitative perspective about the challenges in designing Metaverse-based learning, while high immersion environments offer advanced features that can enhance learning, they also present complexities that challenge the pre-service teachers' ability to manage and utilize these features effectively. Conversely, low immersion environments, although seemingly less technologically daunting, offer their own key challenges in terms of content integration and platform interconnectedness.