Sahmyook University is piloting courses using the metaverse platform Gathertown. Eleven courses are offered across eight departments, including: Theology, Early Childhood Education, Aviation Tourism, Foreign Languages, Physical Therapy, Health & Human Performance, Pharmacy, Nursing, Environmental Design and Horticulture.

The aim of using metaverse is to improve the quality of non-face-to-face classes. Continued ZOOM classes due to the protracted COVID-19 pandemic has increased fatigue in both instructors and students. Therefore, the university has introduced a metaverse-based teaching model to enhance learning effectiveness and class participation.

In the metaverse, instructors and students can use avatars to interact and engage in social and cultural activities that resemble reality. Gathertown, the platform utilized by the university, has a unique, friendly, familiar, and cute interface, as well as the ease of implementing various activities, increasing the level of concentration.

Professor Lee Eun-hye, in her Nursing Management class this semester, uses various maps of Gathertown for activities such as True or False quizzes and the Ideal Type Tournament. Lee said, “While this course deals with dry theories, mostly making you memorize or calculate things, having students gain an understanding of complex theories while playing games seems to please and motivate them.”

Professor Song Chang-ho of the Department of Physical Therapy gave his Neuroscience students a mission in an Escape Room style game in which they participated in teams on the metaverse.

Sahmyook University plans on further utilizing the metaverse in a variety of courses and extracurricular programs. Kim Jung-mi, Director of SU Institute for Innovative Education, said, “We need customized teaching designs and properly designed spaces in the metaverse, which would enable more quality learning and communication.” Kim continued, “We will base the results of this year’s pilot operation to further develop, apply, and share standardized teaching methods.”