Beyond Limits
Exploring the Possibilities for Using the Metaverse to Teach Social Work Practice Skills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18060/27053Keywords:
augmented reality, metaverse, social work, virtual reality, social work practiceAbstract
As social work is one of the fastest growing professions, it is crucial to provide future practitioners with the skills and tools needed to address global challenges. As a part of this initiative, social workers must be given the opportunity to take a leading role in the decision-making regarding the use of technologies such as the metaverse in the education of the next generation of social workers. To aid in this process, this article provides an overview of the metaverse and highlights its educational potential. A social work implication for the development of the metaverse can expose students of social work to opportunities to practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities without being limited by time and location.
References
Adeyemo, B. (2022). I’m a Black woman and the metaverse scares me − Here’s how to make the next iteration of the internet inclusive. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/im-a-black-woman-and-the-metaverse-scares-me-heres-how-to-make-the-next-iteration-of-the-internet-inclusive-173310
Agarwal, R. (2000). Individual acceptance of information technologies. Educational Technology Research and Development, 40, 90-102.
Avila, S. (2017). Implementing augmented reality in academic libraries. Public Services Quarterly, 13(3), 190-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228959.2017.1338541
Baker, E., & Jenney, A. (2023). Virtual simulations to train social workers for competency-based learning: A scoping review. Journal of Social Work Education, 59(1), 8-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2022.2039819
Barnes, C. C. (2023). Meet us in the metaverse: College of social work using virtual reality to support foster and adoptive families. University of Kentucky Social of Social Work Centers & Labs, College News. https://socialwork.uky.edu/meet-us-in-the-metaverse-college-of-social-work-using-virtual-reality-to-support-foster-and-adoptive-families/
Basu, T. (2021). The metaverse has a groping problem already. MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/12/16/1042516/the-metaverse-has-a-groping-problem/
Bobrowski, M. (2021, October 26). Mark Zuckerberg sets Facebook on long, costly path to metaverse reality. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/mark-zuckerberg-sets-facebook-on-long-costly-path-to-metaverse-reality-11635252726?mod=article_inline
Bourlakis, M., Papagiannidis, S., & Li, F. (2009). Retail spatial evolution: Paving the way from traditional to metaverse retailing. Electronic Commerce Research, 9(1), 135-148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-009-9030-8
Carlson, S. (2005). The net generation in the classroom. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 52(7), A34-A37.
Choi, H. S., & Kim, S. H. (2017). A content service deployment plan for metaverse museum exhibitions—Centering on the combination of beacons and HMDs. International Journal of Information Management, 37(1), 1519-1527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2016.04.017
Díaz, J., Saldaña, C., & Avila, C. (2020). Virtual world as a resource for hybrid education. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 15(15), 94-109. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i15.13025
Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, L., Baabdullah, A. M., Ribeiro-Navarrete, S., Giannakis, M., Al-Debei, M. M., Dennehy, D., Metri, B., Buhalis, D., Cheung, C. M. K., Conboy, K., Doyle, R., Dubey, R., Dutot, V., Felix, R., Goyal, D. P., Gustafsson, A., Hinsch, C., Jebabli, I.…Wamba, S. F. (2022). Metaverse beyond the hype: Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy. International Journal of Information Management, 66, 1-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102542
Farjami, S., Taguchi, R., Nakahira, K. T., Fukumura, Y., & Kanematsu, H. (2011). W-02 problem-based learning for materials science education in metaverse. In JSEE Annual Conference International Session Proceedings 2011 JSEE Annual Conference (pp. 20-23). Japanese Society for Engineering Education. https://doi.org/10.20549/jseeen.2011.0_20
Gargiulo, R. M., & Metcalf, D. (2022). Teaching in today's inclusive classrooms: A universal design for learning approach. Cengage Learning.
Graduate School of Social Work University of Denver Communications Team. (2021, December). Technology & social work education. https://socialwork.du.edu/news/technology-social-work-education
Han, H. C. S. (2020). From visual culture in the immersive metaverse to visual cognition in education. In R. Zheng (Ed.), Cognitive and affective perspectives on immersive technology in education (pp. 67-84). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-3250-8.ch004
Haynes, A., & Alsaab, H. (2023). Will the metaverse be accessible? Inside Equal Access. https://www.kent.edu/equalaccess/news/will-metaverse-be-accessible
Heider, D. (2022, January 26). Why metaverse must be open but regulated. Venture Beat. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/media-mentions/stories/why-the-metaverse-must-be-open-but-regulated.html
Hwang, G. J., & Chien, S. Y. (2022). Definition, roles, and potential research issues of the metaverse in education: An artificial intelligence perspective. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3(100082) 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100082
Jensen, M. (2022, August 24). The accessibility and affordability of the metaverse in education right now. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/08/24/the-accessibility-and-affordability-of-the-metaverse-in-education-right-now/?sh=5f8a9f617f8f
Johnson, S. (2022). Gen Z and the Metaverse. Ipsos. https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/gen-z-and-metaverse
Jovanović, A., & Milosavljević, A. (2022). VoRtex Metaverse platform for gamified collaborative learning. Electronics, 11(3), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11030317
Kanematsu, H., Kobayashi, T., Ogawa, N., Barry, D. M., Fukumura, Y., & Nagai, H. (2013). Eco car project for Japan students as a virtual PBL class. Procedia Computer Science, 22, 828-835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2013.09.165
Kang, Y. M. (2021). Metaverse framework and building block. Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering, 25(9), 1263-1266. https://doi.org/10.6109/jkiice.2021.25.9.1263
Kim, H. J., & Hopkins, K. (2017). Child welfare workers’ home visit risks and safety experiences in the USA: A qualitative approach. International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice, 5(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.13189/ijrh.2017.050101
Kocur, M., Graf, S., & Schwind, V. (2020, November). The impact of missing fingers in virtual reality. In Proceedings of the 26th ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology (pp. 1-5). https://doi.org/10.1145/3385956.3418973
Koo, H. (2021). Training in lung cancer surgery through the metaverse, including extended reality, in the smart operating room of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea. Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions, 18, 33. https://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2021.18.33
Kshetri, N. (2022). Six benefits that the metaverse offers to colleges and universities. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/six-benefits-that-the-metaverse-offers-to-colleges-and-universities-188950
Kye, B., Han, N., Kim, E., Park, Y., & Jo, S. (2021). Educational applications of metaverse: Possibilities and limitations. Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions, 18, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2021.18.32
Lanzieri, N., McAlpin, E., Shilane, D., & Samelson, H. (2021). Virtual reality: An immersive tool for social work students to interact with community environments. Clinical Social Work Journal, 49, 207-219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-021-00803-1
Lee, L. H., Braud, T., Zhou, P., Wang, L., Xu, D., Lin, Z., Kumar, A., Bermejo, C., & Hui, P. (2021). All one needs to know about metaverse: A complete survey on technological singularity, virtual ecosystem, and research agenda. Journal of Latex Class Files, 14(8), 1-66. http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11200.05124/8
Lee, Y. H., Hsieh, Y. C., & Hsu, C. N. (2011). Adding innovation diffusion theory to the technology acceptance model: Supporting employees' intentions to use e-learning systems. Educational Technology & Society, 14(4), 124-137. https://www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.14.4.124
Martin, J. (2017). Virtual worlds and social work education. Australian Social Work, 70(2), 197-208. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2016.1238953
Mathiyazhagan, S., Salem, M., Willis, H., & Patton, D. U. (2022). Social work in metaverse: Addressing tech policy gaps for racial and mental health equity. Internet Policy Review. https://policyreview.info/articles/news/social-work-metaverse-addressing-tech-policy-gaps-racial-and-mental-health-equity/1619
Meta. (2022). Consider everyone: Building with accessibility in mind. https://tech.facebook.com/reality-labs/2022/5/consider-everyone-building-with-accessibility-in-mind/
Metaverse data privacy and safety issues will only increase as more people use these platforms. (2022). Database and Network Journal, 52(3), 25. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A710818393/EAIM?u=minn4020&sid=bookmark-EAIM&xid=f6543932
Murphy, D. (2017, November). Building a hybrid virtual agent for testing user empathy and arousal in response to avatar (micro-) expressions. In Proceedings of the 23rd ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology (pp. 1-2). https://doi.org/10.1145/3139131.3141217
Mystakidis, S. (2022). Metaverse. Encyclopedia, 2(1), 486-497. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2010031
National Association of Social Workers, Association of Social Work Boards, Council on Social Work Education & Clinical Social Work Association. (2017). Standards for technology in social work practice. https://www.labswe.org/assets/Docs/NASW_ASWB_Stds_for_Tech_and_SW_Practice.pdf
Nevelsteen, K. J. (2018). Virtual world, defined from a technological perspective and applied to video games, mixed reality, and the Metaverse. Computer animation and virtual worlds, 29(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1002/cav.1752
Ofgang, E. (2022 June). The metaverse: 5 things educators should know. Tech & Learning. https://www.techlearning.com/news/the-metaverse-5-things-educators-should-know
Park, S. M., & Kim, Y. G. (2022). A metaverse: Taxonomy, components, applications, and open challenges. IEEE Access, 10, 4209-4251. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3140175
Parmaxi, A. (2020). Virtual reality in language learning: A systematic review and implications for research and practice. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(1), 172-184. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1765392
Pimentel, D., Fauville, G., Frazier, K., McGivney, E., Rosas, S., & Woolsey, E. (2022). An introduction to learning in the metaverse. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebf125cd7828b7fb425e1d7/t/624dbe595a03ab107733782e/1649268749694/IntroductionLearningMetaverse-April2022-MeridianTreehouse.pdf
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovation theory. The Free Press.
Signé, L., & Dooley, H. (2022). A proactive approach toward addressing the challenges of metaverse. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/techstream/a-proactive-approach-toward-addressing-the-challenges-of-the-metaverse/
Siyaev, A., & Jo, G. S. (2021). Neuro-symbolic speech understanding in aircraft maintenance metaverse. IEEE Access, 9, 154484-154499. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3128616
Smith, V. (2022). Metaverse vs. virtual reality: A detailed comparison. https://www.blockchain-council.org/metaverse/metaverse-vs-virtual-reality/
Tasa, U. B., & Görgülü, T. (2010). Meta-art: Art of the 3-D user-created virtual worlds. Digital Creativity, 21(2), 100-111. https://doi.org/10.1080/14626261003786251
Taylor, S., & Soneji, S. (2022). Bioinformatics and the Metaverse: Are we ready? Frontiers in Bioinformatics, 2, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbinf.2022.863676
Tlili, A., Huang, R., Shehata, B., Liu, D., Zhao, J., Metwally, A. H. S., Wang, H., Denden, M., Bozkurt, A., Lee, L.-H., Beyoglu, D., Altinay, F., Sharma, R. C., Altinay, Z., Li, Z., Liu, J., Ahmad, F., Hu, Y., Soheil Salha, S., Abed, M., & Burgos, D. (2022). Is metaverse in education a blessing or a curse: A combined content and bibliometric analysis. Smart Learning Environments, 9(1), 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00205-x
University of Montana. (2024). EITA Policies and Procedures. https://www.umt.edu/accessibility/implementation/policy/default.php
Wei, X., Yin, L., Zhu, Z., & Ji, Q. (2004, October). Avatar-mediated face tracking and lip reading for human computer interaction. In Proceedings of the 12th annual ACM international conference on Multimedia (pp. 500-503). https://doi.org/10.1145/1027527.1027648
Wheeler, T. (2021, September 30). The metachallenges of the metaverse. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2021/09/30/the-metachallenges-of-the-metaverse/
Xie, H., Wang, L., Pang, Z., Chen, S., Xu, G., & Wang, S. (2022). Application of problem-based learning combined with a virtual simulation training platform in clinical biochemistry teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Medicine, 9, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.985128
Yang, Q., Zhao, Y., Huang, H., Xiong, Z., Kang, J., & Zheng, Z. (2022). Fusing blockchain and AI with metaverse: A survey. IEEE Open Journal of the Computer Society, 3, 122-136. https://doi.org/10.1109/OJCS.2022.3188249
Zallio, M., & Clarkson, J. (2022). Designing the metaverse: A study on inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and safety for digital immersive environments. Telematics and Informatics, 75(101909), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2022.101909
Zhang, X., Chen, Y., Hu, L., & Wang, Y. (2022). The metaverse in education: Definition, framework, features, potential applications, challenges, and future research topics. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1016300
Zhang, C., Feng, S., He, R., Fang, Y., & Zhang, S. (2022). Gastroenterology in the Metaverse: The dawn of a new era? Frontiers in Medicine, 9, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.904566
Zhang, X., Yu, P., Yan, J., & Spil, T. A. (2015). Using diffusion of innovation theory to understand the factors impacting patient acceptance and use of consumer e-health innovations: A case study in a primary care clinic. BMC Health Services Research, 15(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-015-0726-2
Zhao, Y., Jiang, J., Chen, Y., Liu, R., Yang, Y., Xue, X., & Chen, S. (2022). Metaverse: perspectives from graphics, interactions and visualization. Visual Informat. 6, 56-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visinf.2022.03.002
Zuckerberg, M. (2021). Connect 2021: Our vision for the metaverse. Facebook. https://tech.fb.com/ar-vr/2021/10/connect-2021-our-vision-for-the-metaverse/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Alex D. Colvin, Angela N. Bullock, M. Sebrena Jackson
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
