Dec 03, 2022 (Vehement Media via COMTEX) — London — As the world continues to move online, educators are faced with the challenge of how to best utilise technology in the classroom. As work and life jump further into the digital dimension, the sector is also tasked with the additional challenge of addressing not only what the point of ‘school’ is, but where a ‘classroom’ is based.

According to a recent Morgan Stanley EdTech Europe report, almost 99% of all technology spent in education is still focused on traditional passive methods of teaching in physical classrooms. This suggests that there is still a lot of room for growth when it comes to incorporating technology into the classroom and that the education system as we know it is not operating as effectively or efficiently as it should be.

To understand where we are going as we look towards a new future of education, we must also appreciate where we have come from. The current model of education was shaped over 200 years ago. And despite what many think, it actually isn’t broken. The problem is, it achieves all that it aimed to provide for students, back then.

Today’s education system lacks resilience and has failed to evolve in line with the needs of the modern world. The economy is shifting towards a digital landscape and yet 99% of technologies introduced into the education system are still focused on traditional models of passive learning in the physical classroom.

New technologies have over time been introduced to the classroom. However, they have rarely challenged assumptions regarding how the next generation learns and instead have been developed to address how teachers can teach.

What is missing is tech that has been developed from the bottom up. Tech that addresses what students care about and how to get them excited by learning, tools that build on the experiences today’s students already bring to the classroom and develop models of learning that foster engagement, enable storytelling through immersive learning and are rooted around the enjoyment we get from playing and gamification of learning.

This disconnect is leaving many students unprepared for the jobs of the future. According to a recent report, the metaverse economy is projected to be worth over $5 trillion by 2030. This means that there will be a huge demand for web3-related jobs, yet the current education system is not equipped to prepare students for these positions. To close these skills gaps, it is essential that the education system moves away from a knowledge-based centre and evolves to meet the needs of the digital world and looks to the introduction of new tech education to build skills and capacities for the next generation. Only then will students be able to enter the workforce with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.

In a world where traditional education is increasingly under pressure, the rapid development of immersive technology and the rise of Metaverse Education are making it increasingly clear that education will be forever changed. Through the development of web3 and the metaverse, we are experiencing a shift from traditional learning models to ones that are more interactive and engaging. This will provide opportunities for all children, regardless of location or socio-economic status, to take part in education.

The rise of metaverse experiences for education, both mirror and enhance the physical world, inspires movement, and encourages exploration and acts as a bridge to enable new and emerging possibilities and the discovery of new forms of connected experiences. Interactions have the potential to be augmented with the introduction of adaptive machine learning and AI to not only enhance the learning experiences but provide opportunities for learning not possible in the real world.

Sophia Technologies Ltd, a rising star in the UK Edtech sector, is already offering a unique and innovative solution with its Athenaverse Project; a decentralised, online metaverse that offers educational content mapped to the British Curriculum.

As education partners with the Metaverse Education Council, the Athenaverse experience is based on four key pillars: social, experiential, exploratory and educational. These pillars have been carefully designed to create an immersive and engaging learning environment that will inspire and motivate students to reach their full potential. What’s more, the space will be accessible to anyone, anytime, anywhere, making it possible for students around the globe to access high-quality education.

The Athenaverse Project has recently been chosen as a Creators Fund Winner by VR First Metaverse, Somnium Space, Polygon, Winklevoss Capital & Vinny Lingham. This is a major recognition of Sophia’s innovative and personalised approach to education in the Metaverse, which utilises 3D environments, 3D models and virtual reality. Sophia’s Metaverse solution for Education, allows students to explore and learn in ways that were previously impossible.

As education grapples with the past and comes to terms with the paradigm shift it finds itself in, the development of immersive technologies will allow for a more personalized and tailored learning experience. No longer will students be confined to one-size-fits-all classrooms; instead, they will be able to learn at their own pace and in their own environment. This has the potential to revolutionize education as we know it and provide opportunities for all children to succeed.