Aoike Distance Education High School: Learning on Metaverse

MetaversePlanet August 18, 2022

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A high school specializing in distance education in Obama has begun conducting classes within the Metaverse, a virtual space that allows users from various locations to interact.

Starting this spring, students at Aoike High School are engaging with their teachers and peers in the form of avatars on a Metaverse platform. This innovative approach to education leverages the capabilities of virtual environments to facilitate interaction and learning, despite physical distances.

Aoike Students Study in the Metaverse World!

Since spring, students at Aoike High School have been communicating with their teachers and classmates via avatars in the Metaverse.

These digital representations, appearing as disembodied heads, have been utilized on the school’s chosen Metaverse platform. On July 21, for example, first-year students participated in a math class within a virtual classroom.

Each user’s name is displayed above their avatar’s head. In the physical world, teachers and some students control their avatars from a classroom on Aoike High’s Toyama campus, exploring virtual reality. According to the school officials, around 30 students are enrolled in these classes. The school offers Metaverse classes up to three times a week, including subjects like math and biology.

Ruiji Takashima, an 18-year-old student, noted that the Metaverse makes participants feel closer and aids in visualizing three-dimensional shapes more effectively than in traditional face-to-face settings.

Previously, Aoike High’s catchment area was limited to six prefectures in the Hokuriku region. However, since April, the school has expanded its reach to accept students from across Japan, facilitated by the Metaverse.

One objective is to make classes accessible nationwide in Japan. Another aim is to provide a comfortable environment for students who have previously struggled with regular school attendance. Approximately half of the students at Aoike High have faced such challenges in the past. The school believes that Metaverse classes enhance the educational experience for these students.

Avatars are designed based on passport photos taken at the school, but students have the option to customize their avatars with different hairstyles and accessories, such as glasses. Naoki Yamagishi, the school’s director, mentioned that students can also interact with each other in the Metaverse outside of class hours. Fuji, an analyst at the Economic Research Institute, believes that Metaverse education will transform future student communication.

Metaverse platforms enable users to create personalized avatars and offer virtual spaces for socializing, studying, working, and potentially shopping. This technology also supports various applications, including concerts, museums, and tourist attractions, highlighting its diverse potential.