The Journal of Studies in Language ISSN:1225-4770(Print) 2671-6151(Online) 언어연구

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the future direction and destination of a metaverse in the online education environment. The term metaverse is a combination of ‘meta’ and ‘universe’ rapidly emerging as a new medium for remote and distance learning in the COVID-19 era. Technically speaking, it refers to a series of techonological breakthroughs that create the shared virtual spaces, as either 3D environments or immersive virtual reality. Based on a review of the exploration stage of what human interaction and exchange may look like in a metaverse, this paper explores the educational potential of a metaverse platform that provides existential encounters and learning immersion. Based on the metaversial exploration and theoretical findings, this paper proposes a blueprint to increase the quality and sense of the reality of distance and online education in the smooth and thoughtful transition to a digital society.