Gen Alpha (people born (or who will be born) between 2010 and 2025) deserves a democratised English literacy in the domain in which they grew up within the metaverse.
English proficiency levels in several Asian countries have declined in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic being a significant contributing factor. According to the English Proficiency Index 2023 by Education First (EF), which evaluated adult English proficiency across 113 non-native English-speaking countries and regions: China’s ranking has continued to decline, dropping from 38th place in 2020 to 62nd in 2022, with its English proficiency slipping from moderate to low level.
- Japan is ranked 87th, compared to 55th in 2020
- South Korea dropped from 32nd to 49th place
- Thailand is ranked 101st worldwide and 8th among ASEAN countries, with a “very low” proficiency level
For developed countries like the United States, 33 per cent of American 4th graders read below the basics level.
Millions of American children struggle to read, with many states implementing phonics-based “science of reading” policies to address the issue, which is directly linked to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic locked down on education. The phonics-based approaches in states like Mississippi and Ohio have seen significant improvements in reading scores.
Experts attribute the decline to several factors, including the impact of the pandemic, which has led to most of Gen Alpha failing in literacy and English proficiency. Gen Alpha, typically defined as those born from 2010 onwards, has been significantly impacted by the lockdown due to school closure and remote learning challenges.
However, the silver lining was that because of the quarantine, the gaming industry boomed, especially with VR and XR applications like Roblox, Minecraft, and Meta Quest. This gives Gen Alpha an unprecedented opportunity to leapfrog its computing experience with the immersive 3D environment as its spatial playground and learning domain through the entirety of the pandemic.
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duPhonics aims to address these challenges by leveraging the power of the metaverse and generative AI. The company’s real-time metaverse Gen AI platform offers an immersive, interactive, and personalised learning experience designed to engage modern learners who are accustomed to digital environments like Roblox, YouTube, and Minecraft.
Enhancing literacy through the metaverse
Literacy is a fundamental skill that underpins all other learning. Poor literacy can lead to poorer mental health, chronic diseases, and shorter life expectancy, according to research by the University of East Anglia in 2023.
duPhonics aims to address this issue by enhancing literacy by integrating educational content with interactive and immersive experiences. The platform provides a real-time VR and XR experience for students to interact with the teachers while the generative AI handles the heavy lifting of content generation based on the proprietary LLMS that is capable of generating images, videos, and audio that can be composed into learning worksheets and curriculum within the metaverse.
Drama therapy and literacy
One of the unique aspects of duPhonics’ approach is the integration of drama therapy into the learning process. Drama therapists from the UK are involved in the teaching process as a telenanny, using generative AI storytelling and role-play to make learning more engaging. This method helps children develop their reading and writing skills in a fun and interactive way.
Overall, the approach is not only looking after the core reading skills but also the mental wellness of the young learners.
Interactive storylines
The platform’s generative AI can create dynamic storylines for interactive storytelling sessions. These storylines can adapt based on the child’s interactions and choices, making the storytelling experience immersive and personalised. This not only keeps children engaged but also enhances their comprehension and critical thinking skills.
The content of images, audio, and videos is generated through customised LLMs, which are based on 16,000 hours of teaching proprietary data. The company envisions a future where autonomous tutor agents within the metaverse will help students with the real-time generation of learning content and curriculum that can be tailored to the young learners’ needs on the fly in real-time within the gaming engine.
The AI-powered tutors provide real-time feedback on children’s reading and writing tasks. By analysing their performance, the AI identifies areas where they need improvement and offers targeted exercises to help them progress. This personalised approach ensures that each child receives the support they need to develop their literacy skills all inside the metaverse just like their accustomed Roblox.
Reducing cognitive load
duPhonics’ immersive metaverse reduces cognitive load by creating a more natural and engaging learning environment. Instead of focusing on non-verbal cues in video calls, children can interact with virtual objects and characters, making the learning experience more intuitive and less mentally taxing.
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The prolonged remote learning experience led to “Zoom fatigue” among children. duPhonics addresses this by offering an environment where children can interact with virtual objects and scenarios, reducing mental stress and making learning more intuitive.
Promoting mental well-being
duPhonics incorporates elements of play and creativity through a human-first approach with drama therapists as in-game avatars, promoting mental well-being. By allowing children to create their own worlds and scenarios, the platform provides an outlet for self-expression and creativity, which can help reduce stress and anxiety in a trusted environment through the telenanny approach.
The global market for online education is projected to reach US$200 billion by 2030. duPhonics is positioned to capture a significant share of this market, thanks to its innovative platform and unique value proposition.
In summary, it’s important to note that English proficiency remains crucial for countries to engage with the global community and tell their stories effectively.
Education in the metaverse content will be the key driver for Gen Alpha. By integrating the Metaverse into literacy education, we’re preparing Gen Alpha for the future. The skills they develop in these virtual environments—creativity, problem-solving, and digital literacy—are critical for success in the 21st century.
duPhonics is currently part of the Techbite 5.0 accelerator program and recently presented on stage at NextRise 2024 in Seoul.
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