Let’s assume a scenario of a medical student dreaming of operating a complicated surgery all alone with no seniors around? Obviously, at least in dream none of us wants to have failure!! 

What if this conversation with his loved one of last night’s dream comes true the very next MORNING? 

That’s exactly what Metaverse does for a Medico, his dream into virtuality the very next morning!!!! 

 What’s Metaverse then? 

At its simplest, the Metaverse describes a not-so-distant future version of the internet, where human beings will use immersive technology to go beyond their physical environment.

The term metaverse was coined in Neal Stephenson’s 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash, where humans, as programmable avatars, interact with each other and software agents, in a three-dimensional virtual space that uses the metaphor of the real world. 

To summarize, it will take us into a virtual world where we can feel reality. It’s an interface of realizing the feel of complicated unreality into simpler virtuality!! 

The most widely used definition today is from venture capitalist Matthew Ball, who has boiled it down to seven elements. 

In this understanding, the metaverse: 

• Is always present and has no ending 
•  Can be experienced synchronously by multiple people 
• Does not have a population cap and can be shared by everyone, while each individual retains their agency 
• Can offer a fully functioning economy 
• Can span both the digital and physical worlds, as well as open and closed platforms 
• Is interoperable, so digital tools and assets from one app can be used in other content and experiences created by a range of contributors.

The Metaverse is an evolution of the internet that spans VR, AR, online and physical words, creating a new layer of the economy with rich experiences, many of which were not previously possible  

It includes 

• Always-on, a real time world in which an infinite number of players can participate simultaneously 
• Fully functioning economy  
• Span the physical and digital worlds: a sort of Phygital world  
• Data, digital items, content and IP will work across the metaverse 
• Many people and companies will create content and experiences 

Metaverse will be a massively participatory medium of a type that we really haven’t seen yet, with a fair economy in which all creators can participate, make money and get rewarded. 

During the initial period, right after its outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic may have briefly threatened to ground various academic activities all over the world. While it had a fair amount of success for a short duration, various educational institutions and entities across the country had begun to leverage technologies that enable online classes, which helped sustain the ever-so-critical education system. 

How can working professionals potentially benefit from the Metaverse?  

Professionals from several industries and sectors stand to benefit in various ways — configure embedded devices, set up complex network topologies, create virtual economies, and operate sophisticated automotive equipment — all remotely, without dislocation of people or damage to the resources.   

The Metaverse and work integrated learning programmes    

 Given the nature of modern professions, and the acquired reputation of Indian professionals in their respective roles, continual learning and higher educational qualifications are necessary tools for the nation to succeed within and compete globally. With the Metaverse, mature learners in corporate learning and work integrated learning programmes will be able to manage their own learning experiences in an effective manner, and further excel in their contributions and thereby their careers.  

Metaverse in India  

Talking about India, it has a large and qualified professional workforce, which must and will continue to grow in size, complexity, and quality. With a large spectrum of industry sectors and an even larger spectrum of diversity in human resources, the Metaverse has the potential to not only enable equity and accessibility of upskilling and higher education programs for working professionals, but also help democratize knowledge dissemination. 

Importance of Metaverse 

The main reason the Metaverse is important is due to its industry and process-agnostic nature. Like the internet, one could apply it to virtually any use case – from gaming to work, and socialization to research. It has the potential to transform every aspect of our lives, both in our professional and personal sphere.  

“When new things emerge in our world, it’s best to put some time into researching them and trying to gain an understanding. With that understanding, you’re then able to think about and plan for the new business applications for those things and the new ways in which your business may profit from them.” –  

Metaverse in Education    

The existing technologies and constantly-evolving online practices have managed to fill the gap to the extent that they could; however, the lack of optimal interaction and collaboration during the classroom sessions has continued to affect the efficiency of those sessions, and thereby the education system.  

A study conducted by UNICEF revealed that the pandemic had disrupted the education of 91% of students worldwide. Students and teachers worldwide had to adapt to remote learning. Technology has been a crucial factor in continuing education. With the advent of Metaverse, technology can be used to the fullest to deliver real-time experiences to students. 

Educators and education-minded companies are already carving out a space in the metaverse and calling it the “Eduverse”. 

As prime facilitators of education, many of us were exposed to the unforeseen limitations of a fully online education system, and consequently of the holy grail of technology in education. The gaps between the virtual world and the real world in the education system gradually became more discernible for us — and this is one of the critical issues that the Metaverse aims to address, as it promises to provide us with a rich ecosystem to connect, collaborate, and communicate in virtual classrooms. 

The Metaverse — virtual avatars, immersive video, spatial audio, and more. The substantial multimodal interaction that the Metaverse will aim to enable through virtual avatars, immersive video, and spatial audio can help augment one’s learning experience. 

Metaverse mania in education will have the following advantages to cater the prime requisite of enhanced learning  

• Interactive curriculum and practical application of concepts 
• Explore different worlds through visualization with virtuality 
• Better learning and understanding for kids through Gamification 
• Immersive virtual reality learning is a viable alternative for educational storytelling. 
• Enhance real-world skilling in Hybrid environment 
• Improve accessibility for people even with disabilities 
• Build human capabilities in interpersonal or even in difficult situations 
• Learn and connect in an immersive virtual campus 
• Gains insight into learner behavior to track progress, identify gaps, and continuously improve the learning experience. 

 With the Buzz of Metaverse around, which is still in its infancy. Through this technology there are boundless opportunities to reimagine and democratize education in novel ways. The Metaverse has the power to break barriers in encouraging information sharing across organizations and sectors through virtual breakout rooms, more accessible tech expos and always-on demo stalls. 

Today, the software world boasts of and promotes a rich open source community through collaboration of code and simulations; however, this has not evolved much in other sectors.