Event
How versed are you in metaverse?
The UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education jointly with its partner organisations launches the webinar series “Harnessing technology to transform education” aimed to strengthen global and regional partnerships towards the innovative and ethical use of digital technologies in education for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).
The third webinar of the series, “How versed are you in metaverse?”, will be held in partnership with Asia e University (AeU).
Background
Metaverse is a vast digital landscape with multiple advantages, such as enhanced education, augmented reality, and new ways of communication some of which were previously unheard of. Learning about what metaverse is and ways to incorporate it into the teaching process becomes a must for today’s educational systems. At the same time, integration of metaverse into education requires control and a thorough understanding of possible dangers of virtual or online worlds such as excessive screen time, online addiction, cyber harassment, or lack of online privacy protection. Thus, equipping educators with necessary knowledge and developing relevant skills among teachers and students for their safe online performance is of paramount importance.
Objective
The webinar “How versed are you in metaverse?” is intended to foster a discussion of metaverse as an exciting platform that opens up a whole new landscape for education and training which, nonetheless, is not devoid of potential threats. The invited speakers will dwell on the opportunities and challenges associated with the introduction of the metaverse into educational processes, as well as practical examples. Part of the webinar will be devoted to the introduction of an online course about the usage of metaverse in education “The metaverse in education: what, why and how?”.
Agenda
- Opening and welcome remarks
Ms. Natalia Amelina, Chief of Department of Teacher Professional Development and Networking, UNESCO IITE - Speeches by:
- Professor Dato’ Dr. Ansary Ahmed, the Founder President and Director of Asia e University (AeU): The metaverse in education: framework and features, potential applications and challenges;
- Dr. Christina Yan Zhang, “The metaverse Institute” CEO: Should education move to the metaverse: opportunities and challenges?
- Dr. Roushdat Elaheebocus, Senior Lecturer, Department of Digital Technologies, University of Mauritius: Addressing the students’ declining interest in scientific subjects through the metaverse and associated digital technologies
- Panel discussion
Moderators: Mr Oleg Akimov, UNESCO IITE; Ms Tatiana Shutova, UNESCO IITE
