War in Ukraine highlights importance of digital education solutions
Tribrid learning adds a third dimension to the learning process alongside physical and online components: immersive virtual environments
If it depends on Kateryna Osadcha, postdoctoral researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the metaverse is about to fundamentally redesign higher education. With her new 'tribrid learning' model, she outlines a future in which physical, online and immersive learning environments merge seamlessly. "The campus of the future is simultaneously physical, online and immersive," she says.
The metaverse is a digital world where people meet and do things as if they were physically together. Instead of just looking at a screen, you step into a virtual environment through an avatar (a digital version of yourself), so to speak. You can talk to others, collaborate, learn or even attend events. It is a combination of online platforms, virtual reality and artificial intelligence, making the experience more realistic and interactive than classic websites or video meetings.
While the metaverse is often linked to gaming today, researcher Osadcha sees applications mainly within education. "Virtual environments make it possible to create learning experiences that are difficult to realise in the physical world," she says. "Medical students can practise risky procedures without consequences, engineers learn to operate complex machines in a safe digital setting. Technology also opens new doors in fields such as language teaching and human sciences, by simulating social situations or historical events life-like."
Central to her research is the so-called tribrid learning model, which is the next step after hybrid education. Where hybrid learning combines physical and online components, tribrid learning adds a third dimension: immersive virtual environments. Students thereby switch flexibly between the three, depending on the learning objective. "Today students attend a lecture on campus, tomorrow they complete an assignment in an online learning environment such as Moodle and the day after tomorrow they collaborate in a virtual laboratory in the metaverse."
Her vision was partly shaped by her experiences in Ukraine, where the war sharply exposed the importance of digital education solutions. In situations where physical campuses fall away, virtual alternatives offer essential continuity. At the same time, she believes the physical campus remains irreplaceable as a place for human interaction.
Although the research is still in its early stages, interest is growing rapidly. The next few years will be crucial to test and further develop these concepts in practice. According to Osadcha, the challenge lies not only in technology, but also in didactics, infrastructure and teacher training. According to Osadcha, the benefits are considerable: "Virtual learning environments make education more flexible, personal and accessible. Students can learn at their own pace and get access to interactive simulations that make complex concepts more tangible. Moreover, metaverse lowers barriers to participation. Students who cannot physically come to campus, due to distance, illness or war, get access to a rich learning environment."
Still, Osadcha advocates a balanced approach. According to her, technology is not an end in itself, but a means to be used carefully. She warns against over-reliance on digital tools and the importance of physical interaction. At the same time, she stresses that universities need to develop thoughtful policies around digital inequality and platform dependence.
"With my research, I hope to simplify the work of teachers," concludes Osadcha The future of education, according to her, therefore lies not in replacing teachers, but in enhancing their role within an increasingly rich and multifaceted learning landscape.
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Frans Steenhoudt
