Towards Effective Collaborative Learning in Edu-Metaverse: A Study on Learners’ Anxiety, Perception, and Behaviour

• Submitted 15 Aug 2024
• Accepted, 01 Sep 2024

Abstract In the evolving landscape of educational technology, Edu- Metaversepresentsauniquetechnologicalplatformforcollaborativelearn- ing (CL), which can be especially useful in distance learning settings. Re- searchers have taken a keen interest in the potential of Edu-Metaverse for enabling and improving CL; however, the effects of various factors on CL behaviours and performance still need to be fully understood. This study used a within-subjects design involving 32 participants (16 females and 16 males) to investigate how learners’ attributes and envi- ronmental attributes affect CL in Edu-Metaverse. The participants were randomly assigned to groups of four for a CL session in Edu-Metaverse. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that various behavioural met- rics in Edu-Metaverse mediated the effects of trait anxiety and virtual space satisfaction on CL performance; perceived understanding of mes- sages, under the umbrella of social presence, also had a direct effect on CL performance. These insights underscore the importance of optimising interactive,perceptual,andsocialcomponentstomakeCLmoreeffective in Edu-Metaverse.