Can Edu-Metaverse Reshape Virtual Teaching Community (VTC) to Promote Educational Equity? An Exploratory Study

Education equity has become a critical sustainable development goal worldwide, and it has aroused significant concern among educators. While virtual teaching communities have emerged as an approach to minimizing educational inequity through resource sharing and information exchange, the achievement of deep collaboration among individuals remains an area that requires further study. Metaverse, with its advanced behavior interaction capabilities, has shown potential in promoting deep collaboration and communication among individuals. However, the pathway towards leveraging Metaverse for enhancing educational equity remains unclear. To address this gap, this study aims to review the concept and educational applications of Metaverse, as well as its evolution to pedagogical interactions within virtual teaching communities. Specifically, this paper proposes the possibility of achieving educational equity by establishing a Metaverse-supported virtual community that leverages immersive environments for behavior interaction, employs diversified avatars for affective communication, and implements equitable mechanisms for knowledge creation. Overall, the present study underscores the importance of constructing a warmer virtual teaching community that promotes deep collaboration and equitable knowledge creation. By leveraging the capabilities of Metaverse, educators and learners can work together to create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.