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More and more colleges are becoming \u201cmetaversities<\/a>,\u201d taking their physical campuses into a virtual online world, often called the \u201cmetaverse.\u201d One initiative has\u00a010 U.S. universities and colleges<\/a>\u00a0working with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and virtual reality company VictoryXR to create 3D online replicas \u2013 sometimes called \u201cdigital twins<\/a>\u201d \u2013 of their campuses that are updated live as people and items move through the real-world spaces.<\/p>\n Some classes are\u00a0already happening in the metaverse<\/a>. And VictoryXR says that by 2023, it plans to\u00a0build and operate 100 digital twin campuses<\/a>, which allow for a group setting with live instructors and real-time class interactions.<\/p>\n One metaversity builder, New Mexico State University, says it wants to offer degrees in which students can take all their classes in virtual reality,\u00a0beginning in 2027<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are many\u00a0benefits to taking college classes in the metaverse<\/a>, such as 3D visual learning, more realistic interactivity and easier access for faraway students. But there are also potential problems. My recent\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0has focused on\u00a0ethical, social and practical<\/a>\u00a0aspects of the metaverse and risks such as\u00a0privacy violations and security breaches<\/a>. I see five challenges:<\/p>\n The metaverse\u00a0provides a low-cost learning alternative in some settings<\/a>. For instance, building a cadaver laboratory costs\u00a0several million dollars and requires a lot of space<\/a>\u00a0and maintenance. A virtual cadaver lab has made scientific\u00a0learning affordable at Fisk University<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, licenses for virtual reality content, construction of digital twin campuses, virtual reality headsets and other investment expenses do\u00a0add costs for universities<\/a>.<\/p>\n A metaverse course license can cost universities\u00a0at least $20,000, and could go as high as $100,000 for a digital twin campus<\/a>. VictoryXR also charges a\u00a0yearly subscription fee of $200<\/a>\u00a0per student to access its metaverse.<\/p>\n Additional costs are incurred for virtual reality headsets. While Meta is providing a\u00a0limited number of its virtual reality headsets \u2013 the Meta Quest 2 \u2013 for free<\/a>\u00a0for metaversities launched by Meta and VictoryXR, that\u2019s only a few of what may be needed. The low-end 128GB version of the Meta Quest 2\u00a0headset costs $399.99<\/a>. Managing and maintaining a large number of headsets,\u00a0including keeping them fully charged<\/a>, involves additional operational costs and time.<\/p>\n Colleges also need to spend significant time and resources to\u00a0provide training to faculty to deliver metaverse courses<\/a>. Even more time will be required to deliver metaverse courses, many of which will need\u00a0all-new digital materials<\/a>.<\/p>\n Most educators don\u2019t have the\u00a0capability to create their own metaverse teaching materials<\/a>, which can involve merging videos, still images and audio with text and interactivity elements into an\u00a0immersive online experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n Business models of companies developing metaverse technologies\u00a0rely on collecting users\u2019 detailed personal data<\/a>. For instance, people who want to use Meta\u2019s Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headsets must have Facebook accounts.<\/p>\n The headsets can collect highly personal and sensitive data\u00a0such as location, students\u2019 physical features and movements, and voice recordings<\/a>. Meta has\u00a0not promised to keep that data private or to limit access<\/a>\u00a0that advertisers might have to it.<\/p>\n Meta is also working on a high-end virtual reality headset called\u00a0Project Cambria<\/a>, with more advanced capabilities. Sensors in the device will allow a virtual avatar to maintain eye contact and make facial expressions that mirror the user\u2019s eye movements and face. That data information\u00a0can help advertisers measure users\u2019 attention<\/a>\u00a0and target them with personalized advertising.<\/p>\n Professors and students may not freely participate in class discussions if they know that all their moves, their speech and even their facial expressions are\u00a0being watched by the university as well as a big technology company<\/a>.<\/p>\n The virtual environment and its equipment can also collect a wide range of user data, such as\u00a0physical movement, heart rate<\/a>,\u00a0pupil size, eye openness<\/a>\u00a0and even signals of emotions.<\/p>\n Cyberattacks in the metaverse could even cause physical harm. Metaverse interfaces\u00a0provide input directly into users\u2019 senses<\/a>, so they effectively trick the user\u2019s brain into believing the user is in a different environment.\u00a0People who attack virtual reality systems<\/a>\u00a0can influence the activities of immersed users, even inducing them to\u00a0physically move into dangerous locations<\/a>, such as to the top of a staircase.<\/p>\n The metaverse can also\u00a0expose students to inappropriate content<\/a>. For instance, Roblox has launched\u00a0Roblox Education<\/a>\u00a0to bring 3D, interactive, virtual environments into physical and online classrooms. Roblox says it has\u00a0strong protections to keep everyone safe<\/a>, but no protections are perfect, and its metaverse involves user-generated content and a chat feature, which could be\u00a0infiltrated by predators<\/a>\u00a0or people\u00a0posting pornography<\/a>\u00a0or other\u00a0illegal material<\/a>.1. Significant costs and time<\/strong><\/h4>\n
2. Data privacy, security and safety concerns<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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