Students' Perceptions of Metaverse-Enhanced Self-Regulated Learning: an AI Virtual Assistant Can Be Key

In the evolving landscape of higher education, metaverse is emerging as a transformative force. This study explores the experiences of 388 university students across two “Soft skills” courses, one using a traditional blended learning model and the other integrating the metaverse platform GatherTown. Results indicate that GatherTown was associated with better Time Management and Task Strategies and provided contextual features that interacted with learners' self-regulated learning to support engagement, rather than directly improving test performance. Qualitative feedback emphasized peer collaboration as a key benefit of the metaverse environment and outlined students' expectations for intuitive, user-friendly AI virtual agents capable of providing personalized feedback and adaptive support. Together, these findings highlight the potential of metaverse platforms in higher education and offer initial insights into designing effective AI agents that effectively enhance self-regulated learning.