Metaverse for Education: Technical Framework and Design Criteria

As a third-generation Internet form, the Metaverse has received widespread attention for its spatio-temporal expansion, high immersion, sensory extension, and human–computer integration. Considering the prospect of application in the field of education, a series of studies on the design of Education Metaverse frameworks and applications have sprung up. However, there is no consensus on the technical framework of the Education Metaverse, and how to design the key elements is still an outstanding challenge. In this article, we propose a novel five-layer framework for the Education Metaverse guaranteed by management and incentives mechanisms, including physical layer, data layer, computational layer, interaction layer, and application layer. Moreover, the design criteria of three key elements (virtual avatars, virtual learning resources, and virtual teaching scenarios) in the Education Metaverse are presented, as well as interaction modes. Based on this technical framework and design criteria, we develop a prototype system to verify its feasibility and ease of use. This article provides a practical reference for the development and design of Education Metaverse applications, facilitating a step forward in the standardization of Education Metaverse.