Exploring Metaverse Learning Knowledge and Acceptance: A Study of Students' Opinions in Higher Education

The Metaverse technology is an innovation that is expected to have far-reaching effects in many areas of life, including education. It could potentially significantly change the way education is provided, by enabling immersive teaching and learning experiences in both virtual and conventional class environments. A key aspect of its potential adoption concerns the extent to which learners consider it useful and easy to use. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of Metaverse utilization through a study of students' opinion in a Cypriot University. The study investigates the level of students' knowledge about the Metaverse, what educational activities they are interested in engaging in and their perceptions of a Metaverse as a Learning Environment ease of use and usefulness. Results suggest that the majority of students are aware of the term Metaverse but do not know much about working in such a learning environment. Moreover, they are interested mainly in doing experiments that are dangerous in real life, learning languages and using it for 3D simulation. At the same time, they have a relatively positive perception of its usefulness and ease of use.