Geotechnology and innovation course IN the METAVERSE

Every year I introduce new topics in my Geotechnology and Innovation course describing emerging technologies. Following last year’s Xreality, Artificial intelligence, … this is the year of Metaverse. Metaverse is a persistent virtual 3D environment in which, represented by an avatar reproducing one's digital person/personality we are inside virtual and persistent 3D reconstructions of real places or completely "invented" environments. We started with an introductory lecture describing the technology, the functions, the applications with a focus on business and the professional opportunities. Then we had a very short Onboarding session in the metaverse to explain how to create own’s avatar, to move within virtual environments and interact with other avatars and digital twins. Last the real lesson in the metaverse with the student’s avatar sitting in the virtual classroom, and with the avatar of the professor speaking, projecting slides, videos, … We then moved to another space where lounges, totally acoustically isolated, with sofas, armchairs and blackboard where students working groups could work/interact without disturbing each other. Outcomes: • It is a technology that will pervade our lives in the coming years • It is a much more engaging experience than a two-dimensional lesson on Teams/Zoom/… • It is a virtual but persistent place, the working groups can organize themselves at any time to meet in those spaces, regardless of my presence, and continue working • The professor can enter the classrooms to interact and support the working groups that I will eventually be in the Metaspace • At the end of the lessons and meetings a dashboard, built with advanced Artificial Intelligence techniques, is available with a series of information that is impossible to collect in frontal lessons or online with traditional tools • Level of attention in the various moments of the lesson to understanding slide by slide, video by video or according to the individual topics covered how engaging the lesson was • who is the leader of the group, which were the main topics of discussion, ... • Complete tracking of students' movements in the MetaSpace • Several students have been asking to develop their thesis on the theme of the Metaverse • The University has organized a transversal introduction course to Metaverse • In Udine 2 companies with more than 100 employees working in the Metaverse started up