'Hacking the Anthropocene Metaverse' for Innovative Dissemination of Educational Research MERI Education Research: Adapting to a Changing Landscape

MERI Research Conference paper presented in 26 October, 2023

Education Research: Adapting to a Changing Landscape 

Title: Exploring the "Hacking the Anthropocene Metaverse" for Innovative Dissemination of Educational Research 

Abstract

Educational research has undergone a transformative shift in dissemination practices due to the influence of virtual and immersive technologies. One of the catalysts for creative researchers was the extended pandemic lockdown which prompted many to explore other avenues for scholarly publication beyond traditional academic channels. The phenomenon of "data creativities," emerged as a response to the limitations of physical spaces (Spreadborough et al., 2022) and reified the interplay of data as practice and practice as data. 

Our paper will explore this intersection of creative research and the evolving landscape of virtual worlds, focusing on the concept of the metaverse as an innovative platform for scholarly engagement and educational research. We will trace the origins of the metaverse concept to Neal Stephenson's cyberpunk novel "Snow Crash" (1992) and its subsequent cultural representations.  Building upon this legacy, we introduce the "Hacking the Anthropocene Metaverse," an integral facet of the global project by SWISP Lab.

Drawing on our experience as artist-academics immersed in digital realms, this paper examines the potential of the metaverse as a dynamic site for educational research. We will pose speculative metaverse-thinking as having the potential to reshape the boundaries of data, practice, academic research, and creative scholarly publication. 

References: 

• Spreadborough, K., et al. (2022). Redefining Data Creativities in the Arts and Humanities. Melbourne University Press. 
• Stephenson, N. (1992). Snow Crash. Bantam Books.