Metaverse: its concept, advantages, disadvantages, and the possibility of benefiting from it in education

22 Nov 2022 web


Man has always sought to develop and search for the best since the beginning of creation. His father Adam, peace be upon him, did not give up when he descended to earth. Rather, the journey of searching for everything began from there. It is the desire for continuity and life, as it is closely related to human instincts and nature, and therefore they try hard To adapt everything around them in order to survive, even if the facets and names of this survival differ. Whoever looks at history and contemplates stories realizes that evolution is a major feature of human nature, even if the form of this development differs from one era to another and from one environment to anoth... Read More...

Man has always sought to develop and search for the best since the beginning of creation. His father Adam, peace be upon him, did not give up when he descended to earth. Rather, the journey of searching for everything began from there. It is the desire for continuity and life, as it is closely related to human instincts and nature, and therefore they try hard To adapt everything around them in order to survive, even if the facets and names of this survival differ. Whoever looks at history and contemplates stories realizes that evolution is a major feature of human nature, even if the form of this development differs from one era to another and from one environment to another. In the modern era, technology represented the most prominent aspects of human development and its arrival to a place where access to it was not considered. Perhaps the saying of God Almighty describes this in the noble verse: “Oh, jinn and mankind, if you are able to penetrate from the regions of the heavens and the earth, then do so. ), (Surah Rahman). And here I wonder, is modern technology that Sultan? God is the only one who knows this.

But there are other questions that revolve in the mind: Has man developed and developed in the field of technology and what is related to it to the extent that he overstepped and became a threat to him? Have the features of a different reality controlled by technology begin to take shape clearly? Or will technology and the tools it has produced be the magic wand in solving human problems since time immemorial? Will humans live in unreality and infinity, and there will be the beginning of the end? Are we unconsciously following technology or are we forced to? Perhaps I do not have an answer to these vague questions, but perhaps time will answer them, and over time the facts will become clear.

From here we deal with metaverses to learn about this new type of technology. Metaverse is the mysterious word in itself and divided in itself, as it is an illusion of reality and not reality at the same time, truth or reality. In the research, it was mentioned that the term “Metaverse” consists of two parts, “meta” meaning “after” in Greek, and “virs” meaning the universe or the world, meaning that the word means beyond reality if this name is correct (Mystakidis, 2022), and metaverse represents the latest Technology has reached it after decades of development and gradation in the world of the web and the Internet, so let's get to know it more through what was found on its official Meta website and from some of the research that it dealt with.

Metaverse concept
Several researches revolving around metaviruses indicated that there is still ambiguity in defining a complete and clear meaning of metaviruses and what they are, and this may be due to the fact that there is still more work to be done to fully develop this technology (Lee et al, 2021).

الميتافيرس Metaverse

But it can be said that metaverse is a huge social network that includes a mixture of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), 3D environments, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that interact with them in real time and effectively. It is continuous, in which an unlimited number of people participate around the world, and provides an environment of real immersion for users and a real feeling, and virtual real communication in environments that are completely similar to the environments in reality, as well as different types of transactions such as communications, payment and others (Liew, 2021).

Likewise, Mystakidis (Mystakidis, 2022) mentioned that metaverse is a post-reality world, in which physical reality is integrated with virtual environments with a connected network of continuous and multi-person interactions, and contains open play worlds based on virtual reality VR and augmented AR, and users are represented in it With symbolic images that are interacted with in real time and with an immersive feeling that users experience, these symbols are called avatars.

The idea of ​​the metaverse environment and the type of technology used in it
Metaverse is based on complex and overlapping types of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixture (MR), and together they form a mixture that is what is called Extended Reality (XR), and based on 3D technologies to create virtual objects that are closely integrated with physical and human sensibilities, It also interferes with artificial intelligence techniques, the Internet of things, computer vision, sensory sensors, and other technologies such as the blockchain to ensure data storage and handling in a way that ensures protection and privacy for users. Extension, user interaction, robotics, artificial intelligence, and other associated technologies, as illustrated in the following figure:

shape (1)

Web generation supported by Metaverse
As for the web generation supported by Metaverse, it will be an overlap of several generations, but the most prominent of them is (Web 4.0), which is linked to an integrative symbiotic relationship with the Internet of Things and AI, or as it is called the symbiotic web, in which the features of integration and real immersion in the virtual world become clear with the activation of decentralized services that help Users have to navigate and interact extensively, and smart agents, sensors, and language processing services share with them, all together representing a quantum leap in the world of the web and its services, but did Web (4.0) appear out of nowhere or is it data and its stored power since its first introduction into computers? Especially Web (2.0) when companies showed interest in data and collecting it, which formed a huge graphic power as a result of which appeared Web (3.0), where great services and quality for users and a greater role of interaction and harmony for users with Web services (3.0), which still shows us new developments Every day, perhaps the Blockchain and Bitcoin are the most prominent features of Web 3.0. In short, we can say that Metaverse is the product of huge data that has been collected and accumulated over decades, in which Web (2.0), the main producer of data, and Web (3.0) that benefited from and stored this data, and Web (4.0) that actually utilized this data through technologies share more. mentioned previously, and perhaps there will be another generation or generations of

Web Fit New Worlds in Metaverse.

The advantages and disadvantages that can result from the use of social metaverses
Among the most important features that Mark Zuckerberg mentioned when he announced the change of the company's name to Meta, which I think are really amazing features, are:

Interact and share with people and friends and share popular hobbies together in real time, such as video games, and attend their social events without the trouble or incurring travel costs, which are sometimes not available in the physical world.

The important advantage that he also mentioned is to reduce congestion, save times, and avoid problems resulting from the difficulty and complexity of transportation.

– The presence of various spaces that are similar or superior to the real spaces in which virtual life is practiced, there is the home space, the work space, the play space, and spaces to interact with the outside world in Metaverse, which provides many options for users so as not to cause boredom and routine.

In my opinion, I add the following to these features:

Finding appropriate social relationships for certain groups that are often neglected in real life, such as the elderly in homes for the elderly, or people with special needs in their centers who lack the reality of social communication except in a few limits.

Attending football matches in particular has another feeling when it is fully immersed and the atmosphere of the real match, which is not at all like watching the match on TV.

– Finding and choosing partners, such as choosing the right husband or wife in real life via virtual reality may be a real advantage that can be reached through virtual reality through deep knowledge of the personalities and choosing the appropriate criteria for each of them may eventually lead to successful marital relationships.

Another great feature is the Avatar, which allows the user to choose what he wants without certain limits in drawing a character that fully expresses its owner.

On the other hand, concern about the negative effects of metaviruses, the most prominent of which are:

-Privacy is the biggest threat that metaverses can break into. There is nowhere to hide and keep closed walls. People's data is now owned by everyone, whether they like it or not, but privacy laws and strict standards may help companies avoid deep problems at this point.

Isolation, too, may constitute real harm to individuals and societies in the physical reality, as every person may become living in his metaphysical world and forget his real world and may not be able to deal with reality over time.

Likewise, the fear of moral collapse and exposure to high doses of pornography and sex may destroy in the long run the principles and morals of the generation, and thus a generation arises that does not know the difference between relationships and which ones are halal or haram, and here comes the role of every educator in the race towards building a culture, awareness and awareness, as well as building a metaverse that suits Ethics, trends and culture of the nation and the homeland.

How can the Metaverse environment support education?
“Researchers, educators, policy makers and digital designers have an opportunity to lead the way rather than fall, and to harness the potential of the Metaverse as a 3D, global, interconnected and immersive online space in real time, so we need new ways to connect the physical world with augmented and virtual reality experiences” (Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2022)

Some research has suggested that it can be used effectively in the medical field in the future to give users a more comprehensive, interactive and collaborative education in the medical field (Chen et al., n.d.).

Metaverse also promises great benefits in the field of aviation in particular, as it gives enormous opportunities to interact with aircraft and provides almost real flight experiences, as well as in the field of maintenance and engineering by means of smart glasses enhanced with virtual objects and units that process speech and different languages ​​for travelers and smart plans to control the skies in the sky and dominate On the flight path in constant interaction and minute details that raise astonishment and invite the use of Metaverse in the best ways in the field of aviation and its education (Siyaev & Jo, 2021).

In the field of science, metavirs can be used and used, for example, in the field of chemistry in the following:

Conducting chemical reactions and dealing with them in an almost real and realistic way, whether the elements used are radioactive or contain a high percentage of uranium and radium, there will be a possibility to achieve this before the eyes of the learners without fear of any damage that these materials may cause in the real laboratories in the physical reality.

Transforming abstract concepts that have long been elusive to students’ minds and making them embodied in front of them. In the metaphysical world, they can see carbon atoms scattered around them or form symmetrical or asymmetric arrays in various compounds and molecules, accumulating or scattering before their eyes, and this enables them to see the structures of things And its invisible forms in the physical reality, so they know how many carbon atoms surround them in everything, and what is the safe percentage of its different structures, such as Co2, that they deal with on an ongoing basis. The ozone hole and the emission of harmful gases in changing the Earth’s climate and nature, and here in particular, a real metaverse can be formed about the shape of the Earth, with these real threats and how this can be observed with a realistic vision that draws the devastating effects of climate change on humans and living creatures in general, and then helping students to make the effort In the short term to conserve their immediate environment, and in the long term to conserve the planet as a whole.

– As well as employing it in the exact sciences, studying living organisms, diving into the human body, and knowing accurate details that are impossible to access in the real human body, and perhaps revealing relationships and interactions that were not previously disclosed, and it may be possible to reach further, such as:

 

Ruling on human genes and genetic diseases and controlling these genes, thus preventing the gradual emergence of these diseases. But it may be misused in this field, as manipulation of genes, human production, abortion of unwanted embryos, preference of one sex over another, or even interference in the numbers of humans, and other frightening scenarios if they are not controlled and subjecting the worlds of metaphysics to strict laws that ensure that they are taken advantage of without threat to humanity.

In history, it can be greatly benefited from in presenting history and past cultures, exploring the secrets of history and the strangeness of the past, searching for the stories of bygone nations and previous civilizations, and representing them in a realistic way that suggests human coexistence and contemporaneity for all different eras.

In art, metaverse represents a fertile artistic environment for teaching and learning art in its forms, colors and interpretations, and perhaps the inhabitants of the metaverse will one day be able to solve the mysterious puzzles in Pablo Picasso’s famous paintings, and write a new page in art by means of metaverses, and the unlimited artistic imagination it supports that allows everyone to contribute to it And participate in drawing it and creating what he wants without restrictions.

the reviewer:

Chen, Y., Lin, W., & Chen, G. (n.d.). On application of metaverse in medical education via platform of medical electronic journals: a case study of Journal of Trauma and Emergency Electronic Version. 5.
Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Hadani, H. S., Golinkoff, R. M., & … (2022). A whole new world: Education meets the metaverse. Policy, February. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/A-whole-new-world_Education-meets-the-metaverse-FINAL-021422.pdf
Lee, L.-H., Braud, T., Zhou, P., Wang, L., Xu, D., Lin, Z., Kumar, A., Bermejo, C., & Hui, P. (2021 ). All One Needs to Know about Metaverse: A Complete Survey on Technological Singularity, Virtual Ecosystem, and Research Agenda. 14(8), 1–66. http://arxiv.org/abs/2110.05352
Mystakidis, S. (2022). Metaverse. Encyclopedia, 2(1), 486–497. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia20100031
Siyaev, A., & Jo, G. S. (2021). Towards aircraft maintenance metaverse using speech interactions with virtual objects in mixed reality. Sensors, 21(6), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21062066

Sources reviewed:

Meta. (2021, Oct 28). “The Metaverse and How We'll Build It Together”, Connect 2021(Video), YouTube, Retrieved from
https://youtu.be/Uvufun6xer8
Meta. (2021, Oct 28). “Welcome to Meta”, Retrieved from
https://about.facebook.com/meta/

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