Learning objective: Explore the metaverse and what effects it will have on social media

The metaverse is a virtual open space that combines digital and physical realities for the enjoyment and education of users. It permits users to work or play alone or in groups to accomplish work tasks or engage in social interactions. Users can build towns, attend concerts, and shop using non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Social media is the current dominant method for communicating among internet users, but the metaverse will force people to rethink their methods for engaging with others. By adding new experiences for users, the metaverse will bring together consumers to interact, collaborate, and socialize in a trusted environment.

At the end of this session, participants will:  

1. Understand what the metaverse is. 
2. Know how the metaverse will change social media. 
   
3. Be aware of the methods used to create communities in the metaverse. 
   
4. Understand how to increase collaboration in the metaverse. 

Learning objective: Examine blockchain technology and its uses in society

Developing technologies, like blockchain, are shepherding in newer internet applications that surpass our current ideologies and allow for a more inclusive society where everyone benefits. We are at the forefront of a major transformation from centralized to decentralized applications, disrupting the way people, businesses, countries, and many other things operate. With its complex, theoretical foundation, blockchain is anticipated to shift paradigms in data structures and application design. In simple terms, a blockchain is a distributed ledger that facilitates the transfer of assets among participating peer-entities.

At the end of this session, participants will:

1. Understand how blockchain evolved.
   
2. Be able to explain what digital assets are.
   
3. Understand how blockchain impacts our major structures.
   
4. Know the difference between centralization and decentralization.
   
5. Understand the future of money in the metaverse.

Learning objective: Examine the limits of virtual reality in college classrooms

Technology is improving our processes and changing the ways we live, work, and play. This can be seen on college campuses as students will soon be able to attend classes in the metaverse. Because we do not live in a perfect world, this move will be advantageous to some students and harmful to others. The concept of a Metacampus allows for students and teachers to gather in a virtual realty classroom, which offers many advantages over current classrooms to increase student engagement and performance. Some governments are using the metaverse as an educational and training platform as an alternative, lower-cost method to achieving goals. The challenge is to distribute the hardware needed to access the platform.

At the end of this session, participants will:

1. Understand why we currently have a digital divide.
2. Know why VR, AR, XR are not the metaverse.
3. Be aware of the resources needed to create VR schooling.

Learning objective: Explore methods for using the metaverse for distributed services

A distributed social network is an internet social networking service that is decentralized and distributed across distinct service providers. It consists of multiple social websites, where users of each site communicate with users of any of the involved sites. From a societal perspective, one may compare this concept to that of social media being a public utility. This makes the metaverse the perfect environment for assisting corporations in finding and recruiting the next great employee or training remote employees who are in another state by their manager. Join us as we address the topics that most companies can’t answer.

At the end of this session, participants will:

1. Understand how to distribute services on the metaverse.
   
2. Know methods for recruiting new and existing employees on the metaverse.
   
3. Be able to explain techniques for building effective training and coaching programs.

Learning objective: Examine methods for creating effective and engaging curriculum in the metaverse

With the inception of the metaverse, learning will change and so will the tolls that students need to be successful after they leave the classroom. School curriculums are now emphasizing project-based learning and STEM to prepare students for their careers and 21st-century jobs. Educators are looking at the metaverse and virtual reality to take kids beyond the classroom. What’s the hype about the metaverse? Why is it relevant in education? Since millions of students are logging onto the metaverse daily, this is creating a challenge to make virtual connections in various ways. We are ushering kids, students, and educators into the future of education, allowing students to access a new world where virtual reality meets a digital world. Here students can immerse themselves in previously inaccessible learning environments at the touch of a button.

At the end of this session, participants will:

1. Understand how STEM organizations are using the metaverse to increase learning.
   
2. Know the types of learning programs that work on the metaverse platform.
   
3. Be aware of the tools needed to create an effective metaverse learning platform.
   
4. Understand the methods for involving students in metaverse skill building.