Immersive education in the metaverse: bridging the gap between technology and social collaboration

The educational metaverse has the potential to transform education by integrating technology and social interaction design, generating immersive, collaborative, and emotionally meaningful learning experiences. This approach fosters social interaction, cognitive presence, and personalized learning, with observed benefits in student motivation and engagement, although academic outcomes remain variable. However, ethical and pedagogical challenges arise regarding equity of access, data privacy, and teacher training. For the metaverse to achieve its transformative impact, it is essential to implement it with sound pedagogical approaches, clear ethical frameworks, and inclusive policies, moving toward an educational model that enhances collaboration, student agency, and equity.