Smart Learning in Virtual Worlds: A Systematic Literature Review on the Usage and Applications of Metaverse in Education

Abstract

Interactive digital applications have made their way into the educational field. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous countries have resorted to various platforms to reinvent teaching methodology in the digital era. One of these platforms is the metaverse, which presents itself as a resourceful way to teach in the future, with potential applications such as digital interaction among peers. It further offers more dynamic and immersive learning, as students can engage in virtual simulations, role-playing activities, and collaborative projects with other students globally. In an era of constant technological advancement, studying the metaverse and its applications in the educational field seems like a valid starting point to enrich the current teaching methodologies and those of the future. It is an acknowledgement of its impact on education, its usage, challenges and advancements, as well as its influence on the future of education. Therefore, this paper’s objective is to gather and analyse the current literature available relating to the application of the metaverse in the field of education. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted across the journal databases of IEEE Xplore, Scopus, ProQuest, ScienceDirect and ACM Digital Library. A total of 31 articles were reviewed according to criteria. The results of this SLR determined that, while research shows the significant potential regarding the usage of the metaverse in education, a set of concrete applications has yet to be investigated thoroughly in order to exploit this technology’s immense potential fully in the field of education.