The Concept of a Metaverse-Based Tribrid Model of Learning: Examples of Successful Use in Higher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28925/2312-5829/2025.1.1Keywords:
virtual technologies, education, MetaverseAbstract
In the study, the authors, based on the progress of virtual reality and Metaverse technologies and the growing interest of scientists in the topic of their implementation in higher education, presented a contemporary understanding of Metaverse, its structure (vendor equipment, software, gaming industry technologies, social networking technologies, Metaverse platforms, financial platforms, asset market for tokens and blockchain platforms, end users) and a description of its four types (augmented reality, virtual reality, mirror world, and lifelike). Based on the analysis of scientific literature, the authors substantiate the emergence of a new post-hybrid learning model - the tribrid model, which, according to the authors, combines traditional face-to-face learning, online learning, and a virtual environment (modelled environment, immersive environment, or Metaverse). Without delving into the theoretical justification, the authors also introduce a new topic - the «quadruple model of learning», meaning that artificial intelligence technologies (intelligent agents, AI chats, AI tutors, etc.) are added to all elements of the tribrid model of learning.
The analysis of systematic reviews of scientific publications on the use of Metaverse technology in higher education shows that Metaverse has significant potential for transforming higher education due to the ability to model immersive and interactive environments, real-life scenarios (e.g., in medicine, architecture, construction), in particular with the help of digital twins, increasing student engagement in the learning process, improving their experience and learning efficiency.
Based on the analysis of scientific publications on the use of Metaverse in higher education, the authors analyse examples of its successful use that can serve as a basis for imitation in Ukrainian universities. In particular, virtual simulations and excursions help students learn complex concepts and real-world situations in a more engaging and interactive way; well-designed learning scenarios allow students to be at the centre of learning, offering opportunities for personalized and adaptive learning; well-designed classroom configurations in the Metaverse, realistic avatars, and the use of virtual characters as co-learners for collaboration and knowledge sharing contribute to a greater immersion effect, which in turn improves the learning experience of the learners. Despite limited evidence of effectiveness, Metaverse is recognized as a promising tool for innovation in higher education. It can become a key element of the education of the future, but its implementation requires overcoming technical, legal, and pedagogical challenges.
Downloads
References
Ak, O., Şen Akbulut, M., Soydan, S., & Yildirim, E. (2024). Designing educational metaverses: a literature review to determine guidelines. Interactive Learning Environments, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2024.2365956 (eng).
Al-Adwan, A.S., Li, N., Al-Adwan, A. et al. (2023). Extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to Predict University Students’ Intentions to Use Metaverse-Based Learning Platforms. Education and Information Technologies, 28, 15381–15413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11816-3 (eng).
Alfiras, M., Bojiah, J., Mohammed, M., Ibrahim, F., Ahmed, H., & Abdullah, O. (2023). Powered education based on Metaverse: Pre- and post-COVID comprehensive review. Open Engineering, 13(1), 20220476. https://doi.org/10.1515/eng-2022-0476 (eng).
Alsop, T. (2024, December 12). Virtual reality (VR) – statistics & facts. Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/2532/virtual-reality-vr (eng).
Asiksoy, G. (2023). Empirical Studies on the Metaverse-Based Education: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP), 13(3), 120–133. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v13i3.36227 (eng).
Balushi J. S. G. A., Jabri M. I. A. A., Palarimath S., Maran P., Thenmozhi K., & Balakumar C. (2024). Incorporating Artificial Intelligence Powered Immersive Realities to Improve Learning using Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Technology. In 3rd International Conference on Applied Artificial Intelligence and Computing (pp. 760-765). https://doi.org/10.1109/ICAAIC60222.2024.10575046 (eng).
Belk, R., et al. (2022). Money, possessions, and ownership in the Metaverse: NFTs, cryptocurrencies, Web3 and Wild Markets. Journal of Business Research, 153, 198–205. (eng).
Boutelier S., Leal C., & Ubik N.(L.) (2022). Do Virtual Worklabs Still Work? Utilizing Digital Accountability and Micro Goals in Teacher Education. In Baumgartner, E., Kaplan-Rakowski, R., Ferdig, R. E., Hartshorne, R., & Mouza, C. (Eds). A retrospective of teaching, technology, and teacher education during the COVID-19 pandemic (pp. 87–92). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (eng).
Brawley, S. (2024). What is the metaverse and what impacts will it have for society? Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. 28 p. https://doi.org/10.58248/PB61 (eng).
Camilleri, M. A. (2024). Metaverse applications in education: a systematic review and a cost-benefit analysis. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 21(2). https://doi.org/10.1108/ITSE-01-2023-0017 (eng).
Case, A. N., King, A. P., Evans, R., Arif, S., Rolles, M., Crosby, T., Pothecary, S., Biscoe, C., & Button, M. (2024). 2529: ‘Tribrid’ teaching: The optimal model for 21st century clinical oncology education? Radiotherapy and Oncology, 194, S2707–S2709. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0167-8140(24)02715-4 (eng).
Castro-Lopez, A., Cervero, A. & Alvarez-Blanco, L. (2024). Predictive analysis of Metaverse usage intention in the Spanish University. Journal of Computers in Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-024-00335-w (eng).
Chen, Z. (2022). Exploring the application scenarios and issues facing Metaverse technology in education. Interactive Learning Environments, 32(5), 1975–1987. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2022.2133148 (eng).
European Commission (2023). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on “An EU initiative on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds: a head start in the next technological transition”, SWD(2023) 250 final, Strasbourg, 11 July 2023, part 1, 32 p. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2023:442:FIN (eng).
Floridi, L. (2022) Metaverse: A Matter of eXperience. Philosophy & Technology. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4121411. (eng).
Guo, Y., Yu, T., Wu, J., et al. (2022). Dai Artificial Intelligence for Metaverse: a Framework. CAAI Artif. Intell. Res., 1 (1), 54–67. https://doi.org/10.26599/AIR.2022.9150004 (eng).
He, N., Ding, K., & Zhang J.-B. (2022). Exploration and Research on Digital Education Scenarios from the Perspective of Metaverse. In 2022 10th International Conference on Orange Technology (1–4). https://doi.org/10.1109/ICOT56925.2022.10008167 (eng).
Hernandez, F., Birke, J., & Bullinger, A. C. (2023). The Tribrid-Meeting-Setup – improving hybrid meetings using a telepresence robot. In Streitz, N.A., Konomi, S. (Eds), Lecture notes in computer science (pp. 347–361). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34609-5_26 (eng).
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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100082 (eng).
Islam Mozumder, M. A., Athar, A., Theodore Armand, T. P., Sheeraz, M. M., Imtiyaj Uddin, S. M., & H.-C. Kim, Technological Roadmap of the Future Trend of Metaverse based on IoT, Blockchain, and AI Techniques in Metaverse Education. In 2023 25th International Conference on Advanced Communication Technology (pp. 1414–1423). https://doi.org/10.23919/ICACT56868.2023.10079464 (eng).
Jiao, Y., Dewitt, D., Razak, R.B.A. (2024). Exploring the Potential of Metaverse-Based Platforms for Enhancing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Learning: A Comprehensive Systematic Review. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 14(2), 231-239 (eng).
Latino, M., Chiara De Lorenzi, M., Arcuti, M., & Corallo, A. (2024). Metaverse in Education: What Has Been Done so Far? A Systematic Literature Review to Map Benefits and Limitations and to Set Future Research and Application Directions. In Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (pp. 735–743). SciTePress. https://doi.org/10.5220/0012753300003693 (eng).
Li, X. (2022). Research on the Application and Risk Prevention of Metaverse in Vocational Education. In Zhang, LJ. (Ed.). Metaverse – METAVERSE 2022. METAVERSE 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 13737. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-23518-4_4 (eng).
Liang, J., Li, G., Zhang, F., Fan, D., & Luo, H. (2023). Benefits and challenges of the educational metaverse: Evidence from quantitative and qualitative data. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange, 16(1), 71–91. https://doi.org/10.18785/jetde.1601.04 (eng).
Louca, S., & Chavan, S. (2024). Pros and Cons of Integrating the Metaverse into Education: A Comprehensive Analysis. In Papadaki, M., Themistocleous, M., Al Marri, K., Al Zarouni, M. (Eds). Information Systems. EMCIS 2023. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing (pp. 3–17), 501. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56478-9_1 (eng).
Ludlow, P., & Wallace, M. (2007). The Second Life Herald: The Virtual Tabloid that Witnessed the Dawn of the Metaverse. MIT Press. 295 p. (eng).
Metaverse Market Size & Share Analysis, Industry Research Report, Growth Trends - 2032. (n.d.-b). MarketsandMarkets. https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/metaverse-market-166893905.html (eng).
Mousa, M., Soha, A. & Khalil A. (2024). Factors impacting users’ willingness to adopt and utilize the metaverse in education: A systematic review. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 15, №100459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100459 (eng).
Mubin, S. A. & Thiruchelvam, V. (2023). Wonders of the World: Metaverse for Education Delivery. In P. Lai (Ed.). Strategies and Opportunities for Technology in the Metaverse World (pp. 114-129). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-5732-0.ch007 (eng).
Ng, P.H.F., et al. (2023). From Classroom to Metaverse: A Study on Gamified Constructivist Teaching in Higher Education. In Xie, H., Lai, CL., Chen, W., Xu, G., Popescu, E. (Eds). Advances in Web-Based Learning – ICWL 2023. ICWL 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (pp. 92–106), 14409. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8385-8_8 (eng).
Onu, P., Pradhan, A. & Mbohwa, C. (2024). Potential to use metaverse for future teaching and learning. Educ Inf Technol, 29, 8893–8924. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12167-9 (eng).
Osadchyi, V. V., & Varina, H. B. (2022). Intehratsiia tekhnolohii dopovnenoi ta virtualnoi realnosti v systemu adaptyvnoho navchannia [Integration of augmented and virtual reality technologies into the adaptive learning system]. Humanitarnyi i innovatsiinyi rakurs profesiinoi maisternosti: poshuky molodykh vchenykh [Humanitarian and innovative perspective of professional skills: the search for young scientists] : Proceedings of the VIII All-Ukrainian scientific and practical conference of students, postgraduates and young scientists, Nowember 18, 2022, Odesa (pp. 376–380). Liha-Pres (ukr).
Oulahyane K., Youssfi M. & Benmoussa N. (2024). Embracing Metaverse Education: Transforming the Landscape of Learning. In 2024 IEEE 12th International Symposium on Signal, Image, Video and Communications (pp. 1-6). https://doi.org/10.1109/ISIVC61350.2024.10577791 (eng).
Pangsapa, P., Yun Wong, P. P., et al. (2023). Enhancing Humanities Learning with Metaverse Technology: A Study on Student Engagement and Performance. In 2023 11th International Conference on Information and Education Technology (pp. 251-255). https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIET56899.2023.10111125 (eng).
Rojas, E., Hülsmann, X., Estriegana, R., Rückert, F., & Garcia-Esteban, S. (2023). Students’ Perception of Metaverses for Online Learning in Higher Education: Hype or Hope? Electronics, 12(8), 1867. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12081867 (eng).
StartUs Insights. (2025, January 29). Metaverse Industry Report 2025: Market Data & Outlook. https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/metaverse-industry-report (eng).
Uribe, V., Figueroa, P., & Gomez, V. (2024) The influence of metaverse environment design on the quality of experience in virtual reality classes: a comparative study. Front. Educ., 9, 1451859. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1451859 (eng).
Yu, J.-E. (2022). Exploration of Educational Possibilities by Four Metaverse Types in Physical Education. Technologies, 10(5), 104. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies10050104 (eng).
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Educological discourse

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Автори зберігають за собою всі авторські права та одночасно надають журналу право першої публікації на умовах лізенції Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, що дозволяє розповсюджувати даний матеріал із зазначенням авторства та первинної публікації в даному журналі.