Metaverse as an Alternative Tool for Learning Ancient Chinese Architecture (ACA) Course

The effect of multimedia content such as Audio, Images, Videos, Slides, and Field Trips on improving student engagement in ACA courses was insignificant. This research aims to understand student engagement in the Course of Ancient Chinese Architecture (ACA) from the lecturers' perspective and to provide suggestions and directions for improving student engagement in the course in the future. The metaverse-based learning is expected to be an alternative tool to enhance students' engagement in learning ACA. Metaverse-based learning utilises immersive virtual environments to improve educational experiences by developing realistic, engaging, and interactive simulations This research used a qualitative methodology to interview six ACA lecturers from three universities through open-ended interviews, and it found student engagement in ACA courses challenging. The results of the interviews showed that the 6 lecturers had high expectations for applying metaverse technology to the ACA course, and they believed that the virtual learning environment provided by metaverse had a more significant potential to improve student engagement in the course. The research found that metaverse-based learning significantly enhances student engagement in Ancient Chinese Architecture (ACA) courses by providing immersive, interactive, and spatially accurate virtual environments. Also, the implementation of metaverse-based teaching method suffers from challenges with high costs, faculty training gaps, and student access to VR hardware. However, this study only explores and summarises the current situation. It does not propose a specific strategy for applying metaverse technology to the ACA course, highlighting the urgent need for further research that future researchers could carry out.