Show me the Facts: What the research says about the "Metaverse"
Today we share a brief snapshot of some research findings we find of interest on the impact of VR on a few areas namely learning, education and avatars.
One of the Qs we hear from companies all the time is: “Do you have data on the metaverse? Research? Numbers? Facts. Use cases”.
The Qs typically come from a C-Suite and their team who are in the depth of undertaking a deep dive on VR platforms and are developing a metaverse strategy for their organization.
They are in short trying to make sense of the mountain of articles, blog posts, insight papers, etc out there that say “the metaverse is a game changer” or “the metaverse is not a game changer”, “the metaverse will transform learning” “the metaverse will not transform learning” “the metaverse will re-invent customer engagement” and of course always the Q of - “what is the most popular use cases?”
So given that at Snobal we are suckers for facts and research and we do share a lot of them on our LinkedIn page as many regular readers might know. We thought we would use today to do a snapshot of some research findings we find of interest on the impact of VR on a few areas namely learning, education and avatars.
Next edition we will look at some research findings on VR for healthcare and VR collaboration.
And it goes without saying that VR and the ‘metaverse’ is a rapidly evolving area in the hardware, software, human technology interaction, and research side so the information below should be understood using this lens.
What does the research say about learning in the Metaverse
2D online learning is great but has limits, which VR learning addresses:
”2D web-based environments have well-documented limitations and inefficiencies including self-perception, presence, and limited interaction. All these limitations can be addressed with immersive virtual environments,” [source].
Technical skills are great to learn in VR:
”Pertaining to Metaverse’s potential for educational radical innovation, laboratory simulations (e.g. safety training), procedural skills development (e.g. surgery) and STEM education are among the first application areas with spectacular results in terms of training speed, performance, and retention with AR and VR-supported instruction,” [source 1, source 2, source 3].
Image: Snobal enterprise VR workplace platform used for technical training skills.
Traditional training methods have problems that need addressing:
A review of traditional training methods used in mining (Churchill & Snowden, 1996, cited by Schofield et al, 2001) suggested a number of potential problems, including:
“...rote learning of information is the most common technique used by trainers with the same sets of training media being used from year to year. Many teaching methods present too much material, too rapidly, with little or no opportunity for worker involvement.”
“Trainees frequently fail to attend to the problem at hand, often dividing their attention between what is going on at the front of the classroom and interpersonal interactions with those around them…” [source]
Its easier to remember safety information in 3D than in print:
Research has found that “the capacity to remember safety information from a three-dimensional computer world is far greater than the ability to translate information from a printed page.” (source).
PwC investigated how VR stacks up as a training tool for soft skills finding it faster, learners more confident and more emotionally connected to content:
”VR can help business leaders upskill their employees faster, even at a time when training budgets may be shrinking and in-person training may be off the table, as people continue to observe social distancing finding VR learners were:
4X faster to train than in the classroom
275% more confident to apply skills learned after learning
3.75% times more emotionally connected to content than classroom learners
4X more focused than their e-learning peers [source].
VR training leads to “enormous time” and cost savings:
VR training can result in "enormous time savings" but what are some other key benefits?
Ria ODonnell (B.Ed. M.Ed) explores this in her new book finding:
Using VR risks are minimized or eliminated. Great for a high consequence or expensive to replicate training environments;
Using VR there are cost savings ie reduced employee time spent training, hiring instructors, facilities, and physical equipment. [source].
What does the research say about Avatars in the Metaverse?
Don’t get caught up in having photo-realistic avatars as it might just get in the way of the actual purpose of the VR experience:
The level of detail that is needed in avatars is interesting. “When the robot almost looks like a human but does not quite make it, it makes the users feel uncomfortable”.
Research has found “that when an avatar looks like a real human but was not quite good enough it was referred to as a zombie”. The research concluded that this was because:
“…the looks set the expectation level for the avatar’s performance high but in the end, it failed to fulfill these expectations”.
Other research has found that an “animation character does not need to be realistic to convey an image of a feeling and thinking being” and that “game avatars that are too realistic can actually limit the experimentation (experience) since they leave less room for imagination,” [source].
Image; A full-length avatar in a Snobal VR learning experience.
Virtual avatars can have a profound impact on people’s self-perception and learning:
”The identification with one’s avatar in a virtual environment can have a profound psychological impact on behavior and learning; embodied experiences as avatars in virtual reality spaces have a direct influence on human behavior and transfer to the physical world. This phenomenon is called the Proteus effect.” [source ]
The feeling of “being there” is essential for education and VR enables this:
”Meeting synchronously in the same 3D virtual space with other avatars and acknowledging the persons behind them leads to experiencing a prevalent power of co-presence. Co-presence is essential for education and the construction of virtual communities of practice and inquiry” [source].
Read more about the psychology of avatars here.
What does the research say about VR in Education?
VR has five distinct elements making it great for learning:
“VR integrates five essential components: 3D perspective, dynamic rendering, closed-loop interaction, ego-referenced perspective, and enhanced sensory feedback,” [source]
Learning topics like physics in VR shows better retention:
Students who learned physics through a virtual laboratory revealed “better retention than those from the lecture-based learning group.”[source]
Learning via spatial-graphical form (3D) improves comprehension:
“Offering learners instructional material in spatial-graphical format, instead of verbal words, improve their immediate comprehension of the material.” [source]
So there you have it. Some facts and research findings on VR and its impact. And if you’re a researcher working in the field of VR and have more interesting research to share we would love to know.
And check back next week when we look at some research findings on VR for healthcare and VR collaboration.
In case you missed it
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What business leaders should know about the metaverse: A conversation with Matthew Ball, CEO of Epyllion and the former global head of strategy for Amazon Studios, about developing strategies around the future of the digital world. More>
SaaS is critical to immersive metaverse experiences writes Jean Lawrence, VP of Marketing & Communications at Nokia Cloud & Network Services ensuring a highly reliable and scalable service. More>