Understanding Collaborative Interaction and Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Metaverse Environments for Distance Learning: A Quasi-Experiment and Its Implications for DALverse
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5753/rbie.2025.5140Keywords:
Pandemic, Metaverse, Collaborative and Immersive Learning, Remote Teaching and Learning, People with DisabilitiesAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated significant transformations in education, driving the adoption of digital technologies for remote learning and promoting changes in teaching and learning processes. These changes aimed to enhance student engagement, participation, and the development of critical thinking. In this context, many educators adapted methodologies to intensify student interaction, motivation, and learning. As a result, the metaverse emerged as an innovative alternative to expand student interaction and immersion in virtual learning environments. Thus, this study investigates the use of the metaverse as a collaborative environment for Distance Education (DE), with a special focus on the inclusion of People with Disabilities (PwD). To achieve this, a quasi-experiment was conducted on the DALverse platform, analyzing how individuals with hearing and physical disabilities interact, engage, and assess accessibility within this environment. The research involved 34 participants, including students and tutors, who carried out educational activities in the metaverse using features such as customized avatars, text and voice chat, an interactive digital whiteboard, and screen sharing. Through a mixed-method study (quantitative and qualitative) based on a survey, metrics related to motivation, collaboration, and usability were analyzed, with an emphasis on accessibility for PwD, aiming to understand their challenges and guide strategies to enhance their inclusion and autonomy in using the metaverse for education. The results provided positive evidence from students' perceptions, suggesting that the metaverse can be an innovative approach to distance teaching and learning. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the metaverse can foster more immersive and collaborative learning experiences, although accessibility challenges still need to be addressed. Based on experiences gained from remote teaching during the health crisis, this study contributes to advancing research on digital inclusion in the metaverse, encouraging educators to reflect on more accessible and equitable educational practices in the post-pandemic reality.
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