What is the Metaverse? (Coursera)

Offered by Meta,
What is the Metaverse? (Coursera)

The metaverse isn’t just for gamers or developers, it will be for everyone. In this free course from the experts at Meta, you’ll learn what the metaverse is, what it means for our world today and into the future, and the opportunities it presents for both professionals and businesses. Understand the metaverse fundamentals.
Experts will guide you through a broad range of topics spanning the metaverse ecosystem, from communication and collaboration to NFTs and cryptocurrency, from avatars and devices to platforms and game engines. You’ll learn about augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), extended reality, NFTs, blockchain, web3, cryptocurrency, and more.

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Discover new ways to connect, learn, and work
The metaverse provides new ways to connect people, websites, platforms and realities. You’ll explore how it will enhance online social experiences, the future of work and learning.
Opportunities for professionals and businesses
The metaverse will be built by everyone, with creative and practical applications being developed every day by imaginative people. Learn how the metaverse will be applied in areas like healthcare, education, city planning, art, and more—and how you can start creating these experiences today. You’ll also learn how the metaverse can make the world a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive place.
By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped with the fundamental knowledge of the metaverse to determine future areas of interest, learning, or professional growth.

What You Will Learn

  • Access and engage with the metaverse and discuss the potential impact of the metaverse
  • Explore the importance of creating a metaverse that is ethical, safe, inclusive, and accessible.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
What is the metaverse?
In this module, you will take your first steps into the metaverse, exploring what it is, how to interact with it, and how to communicate and connect with others within it. You'll also examine the ecological ramifications of the metaverse, and the role of decentralization in making the metaverse more ethical, inclusive, and accessible.

WEEK 2
Who is creating the metaverse?
In this module, you will explore how the metaverse will be made by identifying the architects of the metaverse, as well as the devices, platforms, and game engines they will use to build it and you will use to interact with it. You will also explore how extended reality (XR) is used in the metaverse, and the role of the creator economy.

WEEK 3
Metaverse verticals
In this module, you will explore how the metaverse will impact various verticals, including education, healthcare, city planning, and civic engagement. You will also examine what communication, marketing, and design will look like in the metaverse, and what it will mean to engage with art, entertainment, and sports in the metaverse.

WEEK 4
Money in the metaverse
In this module, you will define blockchain and crypotcurrency as you examine how commerce will work in the metaverse, explore the implications of a decentralized metaverse economy, and discuss economic trends and opportunities in the metaverse.

WEEK 5
Metaverse responsibility
In this module, you will explore the ways in which the metaverse can—and must—be built with diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind, how to build a safe and secure metaverse, and protecting intellectual property in the metaverse. You will also discuss the importance of centering ethics when building the multiverse.

WEEK 6
How will we build the metaverse?
In this module, you will explore the possibilities of the metaverse, focusing on research and development opportunities, how university and enterprise partnerships will help the metaverse evolve, and the infrastructure changes needed to support the growth and development of the metaverse.

Go to Class
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