Metaverse Digital Safety for High School Students

The internet and the way we communicate socially online is ever-evolving, and with these changes come new risks when it comes to internet safety and how we can better prepare the younger generation to keep safe while utilizing these new technologies.

The Get Digital: Safety in the Metaverse course focuses on digital safety and wellness in the context of the metaverse and empowers learners to develop responsible habits to navigate the metaverse safely, securely, and beneficially.

The course consists of two online modules, each lasting 15 minutes. The narrative develops throughout the modules, where three primary characters interact with each other while exploring various aspects and issues of the metaverse. One of the characters, Haven, the museum tech, is a voice of authority, and two other characters, Sean and Aanya, the high school students, represent learners—one is a skeptic of the metaverse, and the other is more readily apt to adopt new technologies.

Before we dive into each module, let’s take a look at the general flow of both:

1. Course introduction – learners are introduced to the module topic and how the topic can apply to them personally
2. A Pre-assessment
3. A series of interactive pages and activities that allow learners to explore concepts related to the metaverse, digital safety, and digital responsibility
4. Conclusion and Post-assessment

If the students don’t pass their post-assessment the first time, they have the opportunity to retake it on the course home page.

In the first module, learners are introduced to the metaverse’s current state and future possibilities. They explore the importance of identity and representation in digital platforms and learn how to make good decisions in metaverse experiences. They also review different concepts around their shared responsibility as users/contributors/creators of the metaverse.

The second module focuses on real issues and asks critical questions to learners to help them reflect on their privacy, safety, and mental well-being issues in metaverse experiences. From best practices to helpful strategies, learners are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to make their own choices and navigate the metaverse safely.

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