Charting the Metaverse Frontier and Beyond: Investigating the Synergy of AI, VR,AR and GenAI

Charting the Metaverse Frontier and Beyond: Investigating the Synergy of AI, VR,AR and GenAI

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In the evolving landscape of technologies and computing, the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) presents both exciting opportunities and complex challenges for educators across different educational levels. Our panel,titled "Charting the Metaverse Frontier: Investigating the Synergy of AI,VR, AR and Beyond," serves as a platform for scholarly discussion on metaverse in language education. In this panel, through rigorous examination of research and innovative applications from four panelists covering key themes about metaverse such as intelligent virtual agents, immersive virtual realities (iVR), and ethical considerations within both AI and Gen AI applications, we aim to explore the full potential of metaverse in shaping the future of language education.

 

1) Professor Steven L. Thorne will trace a multiyear arc of scholarly inquiry that has involved creating and researching mobile augmented reality (AR) projects for language learning, which provide learners with opportunities for location-situated social and collaborative interaction. Our development of mobile AR games was inspired by research on learning and intercultural engagement “in the wild” (Hutchins, 1995), which emphasizes situated and distributed cognition and studies of digitally mediated language use outside classroom settings. He will describe a number of recent studies, informed by a “rewilding” pedagogical approach (Thorne et al., 2021), that illustrate ways that AR interventions in language education contexts create affordances for language use and learning.

 

 2) Professor Sangmin Michelle Lee will discuss how the integration of the metaverse and generative AI chatbots can enhance students’ language learning. On the one hand, the metaverse provides contextualized learning experiences through visual representations of everyday situations, increasing student immersion and motivation while reducing cognitive load. On the other hand, generative AI chatbots provide students with opportunities to practice the target language and improve oral proficiency, while reducing language anxiety. She will illustrate how AI chatbots, through human-like embodiment (non-player characters), can provide more authentic interaction with students, increase students' sociality and effectance (Jeon et al., 2023), and thus promote language learning in the metaverse.

3) Professor Howard Hao-Jan Chen will introduce three types of tools developed in Taiwan designed to enhance second language learning. First, Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) technology with feedback on mispronunciation stands out as an innovative tool for L2 learners, enabling them to build confidence through precise corrections and guidance. This technology allows learners to practice and refine their pronunciation in a supportive and less intimidating environment. Secondly, AI-based chatbots, utilizing ASR and Text-to-Speech (TTS), provide a secure environment for L2 learners to develop their communicative skills through simulated conversations, thus improving their language understanding and application in real-world scenarios. Lastly, AI-enhanced writing assistants offer immediate feedback and detailed explanations on writing mistakes, helping L2 learners improve their writing skills. These AI tools are widely accessible through a website named Cool English (coolenglish.edu.tw), which is supported by the Ministry of Education.

4) Professor Chen-Yu Hsieh will focus particularly on how LLMs can empower language learners to develop higher-order thinking and academic literacy skills. I will discuss relevant research and showcase powerful LLMs beyond ChatGPT, such as Claude, Gemini and Perplexity. Finally, I will demonstrate a number of LLM-powered tasks that encourage students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize academic English discourse, enhancing their learning experience and outcomes.