Conceptualizing the Edu-Metaverse ecosystem based on an analysis of the Edu-Metaverse development in China

The paper reviews the development of the Edu-Metaverse in China from seven aspects as described in a newly published model. While the educational applications of the Metaverse supporting technologies have been widely studied, there are only a few instances of actual Metaverse-based teaching. The paper argues that the Edu-Metaverse is not an isolated, established ecosystem, but is only beginning to take shape as a result of interactions between multiple factors in a broader socio-ecological context. The paper incorporates relevant macro factors and their interactions with the micro-ecosystems of education and technology, envisions a new Edu-Metaverse ecosystem within the socio-ecological context as a three-layered construction—Hardware, Software, and Application—and elaborates on the elements and agents at each layer. In retrospect, the evolution of Metaverse technologies has been primarily driven by the development in the game sector, and the negative value of games constitutes a major limiting factor in the Metaverse ecosystem. Applying Metaverse technologies to education, however, generates a positive value and enables the Edu-Metaverse to grow with a steady inflow of energy from the surrounding environment. The Edu-Metaverse has unlimited potential and opens up new vistas of education beyond our imagination. Copyright © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.