From Metastudies to Metaverse

Abstract

The authors believe that the Metaverse is a paradigm shift infrastructure technology that may make 60% of universities irrelevant in the next 20 years if they don’t move away from the meta-studies model. Meta-studies refers to an archival, largely paper-based process of “teaching” what other people have written about, focused on the past, and supported by the “publish or perish” imperative. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced universities into adopting technologies that form a part of the Metaverse, but for the most part they have used these technologies to perpetuate the status quo. If universities cannot change their practices to become more agile, adopting design thinking, inquiring minds, and critical thinking not only for students but also for themselves as institutions, it will be commercial entities such as Meta and Microsoft who will decide what education will take place in the Metaverse, and students will go there whether universities are present or not. It is therefore important that universities change their own paradigms, and engage with this technology to discover how it can be used effectively in education, so as to foster principles and values for building knowledge and cementing ethical, sustainable practices.