Augmented Reality

 Metaverse Augmented Reality App

This week led me into a search for an augmented reality program to use with my students.  I admit this is not my thing. I don’t like goggles, I stay away from gaming stations, 3D rides and movies make me nauseous, and I can get a little claustrophobic in a confined space.  That might be a little too much info but with that said, I previously attributed AR and VR with these situations.  I was so happy to learn that AR can include simple items like an app and a phone and that it can even be free.  Yes I said it, Free.  This amazed me as another reason I have not looked into AR/VR before is because I have associated it with large dollar signs which our school library does not have. I was happy to learn about the Metaverse Augmented Reality available for Android and iPhone.  It is Free, Easy to learn, Fun, and Simple for students to access.

What exactly is Metaverse?

Metaverse is an augmented reality experience that is a free platform available online that inspires creativity and excites students with an alternative learning experience. It requires that an account be set up via Metaverse Studio online and then the story/activity is accessed via the Metaverse app on a mobile device.

Why use it?

What inspired me to dig deeper into this program was the following quote I read by Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney “Metaverse is a new medium, potentially the invention of a new genre of interactive storytelling...The opportunities that exist for storytellers large and small are staggering” (Go Meta, 2018) For a Disney CEO to make that statement it has to be something special and so I investigated it. Upon learning more about Metaverse, I found it to be a fun interactive approach to teaching and learning, a relatively simple program for teachers to learn, easy for students to access, and it's FREE.

Steps to create an experience

Step #1 Go to the Metaverse Studio

Step #2 Set up an account

Step #3 Start building your story 

Step #4 Test your story

Step #5 Publish your story

Building your story takes the most time and I would recommend watching the overview provided to you once you set up your account to get a basic idea of how to use the application.  You can make start off simple and then get more creative as you become familiar with the design elements and options. How you design your activity is up to you.  The program uses scenes with characters.  Each scene can include unique text, images, directions, special effects, etc.  Participants can be asked to take specific pictures, do an action, answer polls, watch a youtube clip, type answers, and scan QR codes. The program offers hundreds of component options to include in your design. You build up a storyboard by connecting scenes to produce your desired result. Once you have completed your story you can publish it for public view or viewable only to those with the link/QR code. It is available in seconds. But it takes more than seconds to design your experience. While the program mentions that it can be done in minutes, I would say that it depends on your level of expertise with the program and how long you want your experience to be. Teachers can create educational activities to align with a lesson or a just for fun activity such as an adventurous scavenger hunt.  I chose to design an interactive activity to help my students learn where to locate items within the library. Check out my Eye of The Tiger Library Tour. 

How students access and use it 

Download the FREE  Metaverse app from their app store on their mobile device

Open the app and then scan the QR code that you provide them

They then enter the experience and follow the directions 

How teachers can use it 

Create interactive activities

Create scavenger hunts

Create quizzes

Design educational games

Set up a geocaching experience

Assign students to create interactive stories

What Educators Have to Say About Metaverse

My next Metaverse creation

Next on my list is to create an interactive reading experience with many of our books.  I would like to include QR codes with various books to generate excitement and enhance learning. For example the QR code could connect the student to a book trailer, survey, and information on the story location and the author.

For more information check out

Metaverse Teachers Webinar

Meta for the Classroom 

Tell Interactive Stories with Augmented Reality