2024-03-13 17:39:52
AGI – Alec (which stands for Augmented Learning Companion), the 3D virtual agent in augmented reality, with the appearance of Einstein, responds in a flash to all the questions of the students, who question him wearing a special visor. The demonstration took place on the occasion of the presentation of the Metaversity project of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, which explores the potential of virtual technologies for the teaching of the future, in response to the challenges of learning in the digital age.
Alec, was developed by the technical partner Magnetic Media Network (MMN)supports both Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3. Metaversity is an initiative of the Teaching and Learning Lab (TeleLab), the University Laboratory directed by Giovanni Marseguerra, Pro-Rector for Coordination of Educational Offer. The project is carried out in collaboration with the Communication Psychology Study and Research Center (PsiCom) of the Catholic University and with Humane Technology Lab (HTLab), the University Laboratory that investigates the relationship between human experience and technology, directed by Giuseppe Riva, Full Professor of General Psychology. As Marseguerra observed, teaching has changed over the years, “it is no longer just desks and desks. We used to study from books. Now students have everything on PCs and mobile phones, there are many ways of learning. A great deal of training needs to be done with the teachers, especially the younger ones, who we are having to take courses. But in-person teaching remains fundamental but only new methods are needed.”
The results obtained in the first phase of the Metaversity project, which began in 2023, have made it possible to develop a new virtual teaching model, the MetaLabsimmersive learning experiences in which the teacher is supported by a new professional figure, theImmersive Learning Designer. This is a sort of “director”, a consultant who integrates skills from different disciplines and supports the teacher in evaluating the teaching effectiveness of immersive experiences. The first two MetaLabs have already been activated in the Milan branch of the Catholic University. The first in the teaching of Psychotechnologies for Wellbeing, in the Faculty of Psychology, the second in the teaching of Theory and Techniques of Media Communication, in the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy.
“We are at the first milestone of the first year, it will continue in ’24 and ’25 – explained Andrea Gaggioli, project coordinator and director of PsiCom -. The objective is to explore the potential of these tools with an approach centered on the experience of students and teachers, because educational objectives must be achieved. During the first year we held experiential workshops that involved Cattolica teachers, over 80 from different faculties, who tried the experience and developed knowledge of the limits and advantages of this technology”. Of these 80, around twenty are ready to continue the experience. The students involved so far have been a few dozen, divided into two laboratories. After this first year, the advantages and critical issues are clear.
“With the metaverse – explained Gaggioli – you gain experiences that are difficult to achieve in the classroomAnd. For example, in scientific and technological subjects I can transform abstract knowledge into something that I can also manipulate and touch with my hand: an equation, a molecule, a cell I can visualize and interact with and if I manipulate I learn more. The other advantage is the possibility of creating content that stimulates children’s involvement and emotion. So the emotional and involvement dimension, and then the social dimension, because in this shared space multiple people including the teacher can access it, this shared space can be explored within the metaverse. And it can be done ad libitum: for example I could go to Kathmandu if it’s a geography lesson, or to ancient Rome if it’s a history lesson, or to a museum if it’s an art history lesson, and so on. . These advantages also emerged from the discussion with the teachers.”
The potential limitations concern primarily ergonomic aspects. The devices can still improve from the point of view of their usability, their weight. “And there are also aspects related to accessibility and inclusiveness – added Gaggioli – The potential cost is the contents, and we are working to create personalized contents for the course and the teacher. This is a big challenge, because developing content is expensive. And one of the ideas we’re exploring is using generative artificial intelligence. That in theory it is possible to build content on the basis of a text which is then imported into the virtual classroom and used in a personalized way by the teacher”. The objective is to create a model, the Metaversity model which is exportable, which can be replicated in any training context, also because there are similar problems in “university, high school and middle school education, the recipient, the languages and the sophistication of content”
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