Comparing students' social knowledge construction in the Metaverse-based and chat-based collaborative learning

Abstract

This study compares students’ social knowledge construction (SKC) in an immersive Metaverse platform and an asynchronous chat platform within a crosscultural collaborative task on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Guided by social constructivist theory and the Cognitive Affective Model of Immersive Learning (CAMIL), interaction data from 72 undergraduate students were analyzed using a revised Interaction Analysis Model (IAM) and Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA). Results show that Metaverse-based sessions promoted higher frequencies of information sharing (KC1) and socially oriented discourse (KC6), whereas chat-based interactions supported more negotiation of meaning (KC3) and application of knowledge (KC5). ENA visualizations revealed stronger epistemic connectivity among advanced discourse moves in chat-based environments. These findings suggest aligning platform affordances with pedagogical goals, leveraging immersive tools for engagement and rapport, and asynchronous tools for deeper elaboration, while reframing social talk as a relational bridge in cross-cultural collaboration.