Veteran Virtual World Educator Reviews <em>Making a Metaverse That Matters</em>!

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Grateful for this book review by veteran virtual world educator Valerie Hill, who pinpoints some themes I've been most hoping that readers catch:

Surprisingly, Au holds the view that interoperability (which has been talked about for years as being essential to the real metaverse) may not be necessary! He argues that it is the communities within virtual environments that need to be able to cross platforms—not the platforms themselves.  He tells us that most virtual world users, my colleagues and myself included, use Discord as the connection between virtual worlds.  The concept of interoperability as a core element of the metaverse is, according to Au, a myth… 

What are the reasons to be in the metaverse?  There are many!  Wagner James Au provides many stories, such as an elderly blues singer, a clothing designer, and a thoughtful artist.  Most virtual environments provide opportunities for gaming and socializing (such as VRChat, Roblox, Fortnight, and many others).  While Au does mention the potential for education in the metaverse, it is not at the top of this list.  This is unsurprising because there is way more money made in the entertainment industry than in the field of education.  

Education is definitely an important use case! I'd just consider it as an optional supplement, since many/most people, including kids, find 3D/immersive experiences difficult. But there are ways around that! 

Speaking of which, join Valerie and me Friday September 22 at 1pm PT for a talk about the topic at The Virtual Worlds Education Consortium in Second Life.

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