Simulating realities on screens and tablets is nothing new. From flight test platforms, through amusement park and zoo simulators to more sophisticated programs in which the user could create his own family and live adventures with that avatar, they were part of the great 2000s and stimulated a new era of possibilities for learning. and play without leaving home.
For a few years now, new 100% digital experiences have bet on the differential of interaction with other users. From the pioneering Second Life to games aimed at children — Fortnite, Roblox and Minecraft, to name a few —, this second phase was marked by the use of game resources such as maps, tools and the logic itself within the platform and its combination with the communication of players, who were increasingly inverse and connected in the universe.
More recently, Meta (the company that owns WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram) launched its own metaverse environment, Horizon Worlds, which was soon called the Facebook Metaverse. In it, in addition to the game experience, users can create businesses, give lectures, take courses and even open schools the currency of the universe, SAND. Despite the hype of the novelty, the official launch of the platform last August left a number of disappointed people on the internet. Among the criticisms, users criticized the cartoonish aesthetic, the priority use of Virtual Reality (VR) glasses to access and the great similarity to the dated Second Life.
Last year, octaEra also launched its own metaverse. Gathering more than 200 hours of recordings and a hundred more for editing and building the digital universe, the platform offers visits to indigenous villages and biomes that are difficult for city dwellers to access. Available in desktop (computer), mobile formats and through the experience of VR glasses, the visitor has an immersive experience of the sounds, colors and mysteries of nature and the ancestral knowledge of the original peoples.
For the project's creators, the platform presents itself as an important tool for young people and children to learn about the traditions and customs of ancestral nations and to connect with the landscapes of our Brazil. For Michel B. Horn, writer of several works on innovation in education, spaces that allow more real and authentic interactions with knowledge produce engaged students and increase student learning.
Enjoyed learning about the metaverse and the octaEra? To find out more about the initiative and take a look at the walks through our nature and the traditional knowledge of the land, look for Metaverso in our bio!
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