On June 5, a new landmark bridging the real and virtual worlds was unveiled at ECNU Putuo Campus Library—the Metaverse Future Learning Space. This cutting-edge educational environment pioneers a new intelligent learning ecosystem by leveraging virtual simulation, AI-powered digital learning companions, and immersive classrooms to transcend the boundaries of time and space.
“Creating a metaverse-based future learning space is an important initiative taken by the university to advance the development of a future learning center in line with its goal of cultivating excellence. It represents a preliminary practice in deeply integrating smart space construction with a transformation in learning paradigms,” said Lei Qili, Vice President of ECNU, in his speech. He emphasized that from the strategic perspective of innovating the learning ecosystem and reforming talent cultivation models, educational digitalization is a key breakthrough for opening new tracks in educational development and building new competitive advantages.
“The launch of the Metaverse Future Learning Space marks a solid step forward in the integrated development of ‘AI + Education’ and ‘Metaverse + Education’, driving systemic transformation in the education sector.”
As introduced, the space serves a dual purpose for supporting ECNU’s Digital Intelligence Advancement Initiative and the development of its Future Learning Center. As a strategic initiative, it intends to explore the future forms of education, empower teaching and learning reform, and enhance the digital literacy and practical abilities of both teachers and students. Its core value lies in creating an immersive, interactive, and intelligent learning environment that offers innovative educational experiences beyond the limitations of time and space.
The entire design philosophy of the Future Learning Space breaks the model of the traditional classroom because it truly centers on student-driven learning, transforming the teacher’s role from a traditional knowledge transmitter to that of an organizer, facilitator, observer, and evaluator of learning. This shift has redefined the conventional “teacher-student” binary relationship into a “teacher-student-AI” collaborative triangle.
Copy editor: Philip Nash
Editor: Xu Xincheng
