Development of a Metaverse Platform for Immersive Virtual Learning-Oriented Education: From Design Thinking to Teaching and Learning Applications

Abstract

The COVID-19 epidemic has accelerated the popularization of distance learning, but at the same time reveals the limitations of the current digital learning environment in terms of sense of presence creation, interactive participation, and learning guidance. With the rapid development of meta-universe technology, the education field is actively exploring the possibility of its application in immersive learning, in the hope of combining emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to construct a digital learning field with immersive experience and social interactivity. In this study, we responded to the practical needs of teachers in the teaching field, integrated design thinking and learning theories, and developed an educational meta-universe platform based on the EWOVA (Engagement, Wondering, Organization, Validation, Application) learning behavioral process. Based on the case studies, we illustrate how the EWOVA model facilitates the complete learning process from motivation to application. This study also proposes a modular and behavior-oriented platform architecture as a reference blueprint for the future development of the educational meta-universe, in the hope of leading digital teaching towards a new paradigm of greater flexibility, autonomy, and literacy orientation.