Arizona State University Sets Eyes on Classes in the Metaverse

Arizona State University (ASU) is looking to hold virtual classes in the metaverse. The institution is among the largest public universities by enrollment in the United States. Earlier last week, the Arizona Board of Regents filed seven applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on behalf of ASU. The applications were for the use of the university’s various handles — ASU, Arizona State, and Arizona State University — in “virtual environments in which users can interact for recreational, leisure or entertainment purposes” as well as instructional objectives.

Other trademark filings also included ASU’s football team, the Sun Devils, along with its pitchfork logo. Trademark attorney Josh Gerben also posted a recent tweet in line with the university’s recent moves. “Arizona State University has big plans for the metaverse and Web3. Per USPTO filings made on June 7th, @ASU plans to offer: 1. NFTs for event tickets and artwork of campus landmarks. 2. NFTs for video of sports highlights. 2. Classes in a ‘virtual environment.'”

Based on ASU’s data, it reported that 77,881 of its students were enrolled at physical campuses in the U.S., while 57,848 people attended through “digital immersion” for its fall of 2021 semester. This accounted for 42% of its students being enrolled in online classes. Casey Evans, ASU senior director of strategic learner and program mobilization, furthered that digital immersion was the “best tool to enable students to continue learning during this time of physical separation.”

Through these developments, ASU appears to be actively examining the possibility of integrating NFTs for the authentication of various documents such as diplomas and tickets for university events. The university has embraced blockchain technology in the past. Earlier in 2019, it employed similar technologies for data sharing for academic records. Later on, in November 2020, it also used a blockchain-based app to track the spread of  COVID-19 across its campuses. Various universities have, likewise, resorted to similar initiatives in an effort to dive into the metaverse in 2022. In May, the University of Sao Paulo announced its plans to study the effectiveness of virtual and augmented reality devices along with their impacts on human behavior.

Source: CoinTelegraph