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This paper aims to investigate how mixed-reality (MR) can be used to enhance inclusivity in synchronous working activities where groups of people may be present either face-to-face or online – focusing on blended learning in the higher education (HE) context.

In a research methods module, 140 university master’s-level students were given the option to attend and engage in seminars/practical sessions either in a real lecture room or online through a virtual version of an equivalent environment, accessible on everyday devices. The MR platform provided two-way video “windows” enabling all students on the module to freely interact with staff and their peers. Attendance was recorded throughout the semester and survey data was captured after all sessions (33% response rate). In addition, student activity was video recorded within both the real and virtual spaces.

Attendance was high throughout the semester and students were very positive about this novel approach to their education. Students chose to either engage purely in-person, online or as a mixture of the two; performance on the module was not impacted by this decision. The survey highlighted several factors that impacted on students’ choice of learning space, including those related to intrinsic characteristics of individual students (e.g. desire for traditional/novel social interactions) and those related to extrinsic influences (e.g. weather and travel demands). Video analysis revealed numerous differences in the behaviours exhibited across the virtual and real spaces, related to individual versus team mentalities.

Conclusions are drawn regarding how MR can be used in HE and potentially other work-related contexts to enhance engagement, a sense of community and ultimately learning/productivity outcomes.

This study investigated how a large (>100) cohort of students responded to an MR blended learning experience across a whole semester. In this respect, to the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to consider such issues at this scale in a university education setting.

This study examines how users' multidimensional representational fidelity factors affect sociability and cyberself engagement in the Metaverse platform; that is, how they interact with newly defined self-images as their personas in the environments. It investigates how representational fidelity serves platform users to perform social roles and increase their sociability by establishing a new cyberself, thus influencing continuous platform use.

This study surveyed 314 users of the Metaverse platform Horizon, where users can create a virtual agent avatar, meet people in the same online environment in real time, and interact with a sense of three-dimensional immersion. Data were analyzed using partial least squares regression models.

User socialization significantly influenced the intention to use the Metaverse platform. Representational fidelity was a crucial variable for sociability, and activity representational fidelity was the most influential aspect among the four other elements. Platforms should consider how to enable users to create and use activities that faithfully represent their personas.

The novelty of this study is that it introduces representational fidelity based on representation theory into the context of virtual persona in the Metaverse platform. This study extended representational fidelity to the socialization perspective by utilizing the integrated model of user satisfaction and the technology acceptance model. Through the results, this study emphasized that users' sociability significantly influences their intention to use the Metaverse platform. Finally, this study provides a feasible guideline on how practitioners could design and strengthen their platforms so that users can represent their cyberselves faithfully.

The experience of leaving the real world and entering a virtual service environment makes many individuals happy. This study heeds the call by multiple researchers to conceptualize, interpret and illustrate the impact of the perceived service experience in the metaverse in a holistic way. In particular, this study aims to understand how the consumption of experiences is perceived in a metaversal space.

The authors analyze mega virtual live events with famous artists broadcast in virtual worlds. The authors take a big data approach and include two studies to gain insight into the online public audience’s perceptions and experiences in the metaverse. In the first study, the authors analyze text from YouTube with Leximancer. In the second study, the authors go one step further to refine the conceptual model from Study 1. The authors scrutinize additional Facebook comments using seeded Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA).

The findings reveal that the meta service experience (MEX) encompasses four dimensions: immersion, metascape, immediacy and hedonism.

This research provides important guidance not only for consumer behavior scholars but also for service marketers and event planners. The study proposes research opportunities to advance service experience research in the metaverse.

This paper aims to determine the impact of perceived virtuality on team dynamics and outcomes by adopting the Input-Mediators-Outcome (IMO) framework. Further, it also investigates the mediating role of team processes and emergent states.

The authors collected survey data from 315 individuals working in virtual teams (VTs) in the information technology sector in India using both offline and online questionnaires. They performed the analysis using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).

The authors investigated two sets of hypotheses – both direct and indirect (or mediation interactions). Results show that psychological empowerment and conflict management are significant in managing VTs. Also, perceived virtuality impacts team outcomes, i.e. perceived team performance, team satisfaction and subjective well-being.

The interplay between the behavioural team process (conflict management) and the emergent state (psychological empowerment) was examined. The study also helps broaden our understanding of the various psychological variables associated with teamwork in the context of VTs.

Findings from this study will aid in assessing the consequences of virtual teamwork at both individual and organisational levels, such as guiding the design and sustainability of VT arrangements, achieving higher productivity in VTs, and designing effective and interactive solutions in the virtual space.

The study examined the interplay between behavioural team processes (such as conflict management) and emergent states (such as psychological empowerment). The study also theorises and empirically tests the relationships between perceived virtuality and team outcomes (i.e. both affective and effectiveness). It may serve as a guide to understanding team dynamics in VTs better.

This exploratory study attempts to enhance the current understanding of the research and practice of VTs within a developing economy.

While there has been a growing interest in the field of Metaverse-related research, its impact on vulnerable segments of the population, particularly those with special needs, is yet to be fully examined. This research develops the underlying scant theoretical knowledge related to the attachment of people with disabilities to the Metaverse and its effects on their need for uniqueness and acceptance of disability, and hence their sense of inclusivity and overall well-being.

The study adopted a quantitative approach using an Internet-based survey. The sample size consisted of 530 Metaverse users with a physical disability in the USA. The proposed model integrates virtual place attachment alongside disabled consumers' need for uniqueness, and acceptance of their physical disability. SPSS and LISREL were utilized for data analysis and SEM.

The study underscores the complexity of the interplay between virtual place attachment, disability acceptance and the need for uniqueness among physically disabled users in the Metaverse. It investigates how the attachment to virtual spaces by people with disability influence their psychological well-being.

This research adds to the interactive marketing and disabled consumer psychology literature exploring the theoretical and practical implications from an attachment and need for uniqueness theory perspectives.

This study aims to identify the status of virtual library system development in university libraries. It also attempted to examine the availability of virtual library services and reveal the challenges being faced by university librarians of Punjab province, Pakistan in providing virtual library services.

The study used a quantitative research method by using a questionnaire to address the study’s objectives. In total, 62 university libraries in Punjab province, Pakistan were the population of the study. A purposive sampling technique was applied to gather the required data from the respondents.

Results showed that most of the study’s respondents are well aware of the potential benefits of virtual library systems in universities for the delivery of innovative smart services to library patrons. The libraries delivered different virtual library services to meet the diverse needs of the library patrons. The respondents faced the challenges of funding, expertise, technical support, leadership, strategic planning and training to adopt virtual library systems and services in university libraries.

The study has provided a framework based on empirical findings of the study to efficiently adopt virtual library systems and services in university libraries for the delivery of smart services to end users. It has provided pertinent theoretical and practical implications.

The paper aims to assess the impact and responses to coronavirus disease 2019 in six European heritage labs (Horizon 2020 Framework Programme) selected for their adaptive heritage re-use practices based on participation, self-organisation and self-management. As they are naturally oriented towards building resilient urban systems, the hypothesis is that the co-production of cultural values and places promoted by these projects could create the conditions for equitable perspectives of resilience in the normality of contemporary urban life.

The paper draws on data collected through a survey of six European Living Labs between January and May 2021. The survey results are framed by a literature review that defines adaptive reuse in terms of resilience. The five resilience characteristics described by Judith Rodin (awareness, diversification, integration, self-regulation and adaptability) are used to navigate the literature and organise the survey results.

Combining survey results and insights from the literature, some modes and elements (territorial, social, financial) are presented that contribute to creating the conditions for resilience through adaptive heritage reuse according to community-based approaches. Without claiming to be exhaustive, this evidence should be considered in the design phase of resilience programmes, policies or projects related to cultural heritage.

The concepts of community and resilience are becoming increasingly important in the field of cultural heritage. This paper makes a creative contribution to the ongoing debate by presenting and evaluating the contribution of adaptive reuse practices to resilience building.

As the lines between physical and virtual worlds blur, this chapter delves into the transformative potential of the smart technology of Metaverse for people's mobility. Through a literature review, the concepts of smart city and Metaverse are revealed, and a comparison between urban mobility and virtual mobility is conducted, looking for a seamless blend of virtual and physical realms. This chapter paves the way for exciting possibilities, from enhanced travel experiences to environmental and societal benefits. However, cautiously, acknowledging the potential downsides of relying on the virtual realm in mobility, this chapter advocates for a balanced approach. Ultimately, this chapter seeks to ignite a conversation about reimagining our cities with Metaverse-driven mobility as a guiding force, where people and places harmoniously converge with Metaverse technology. By combining real-time information, virtual platforms, shared mobility services, efficient urban design and supportive policies, people can make smarter mobility choices that reduce environmental impact and enhance the overall travel experience.

The study explores the transformative potential of the metaverse in libraries, highlighting opportunities for innovative patron engagement and challenges such as digital equity, privacy concerns, and accessibility barriers.

This study employed an interpretive content/document analysis approach, drawing insights from diverse literature sources including Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.

The findings indicate that through the integration of immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), libraries can enrich their offerings and reach a broader audience. However, addressing challenges in libraries requires proactive measures, including bridging the digital divide and implementing inclusive design practices. Furthermore, cultivating metaliteracy skills among librarians and information users is essential to navigating the complexities of the metaverse responsibly.

The study’s originality lies in its comprehensive exploration of the implications of the metaverse for libraries and information users. Thus, exploring the nexus of immersive technologies, digital equity, and the evolving role of libraries, the research provides a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by the metaverse. The value outlines the key strategies for libraries to thrive in the metaverse by emphasizing the integration of immersive technologies, enhancing digital literacy, fostering collaborative partnerships, prioritizing accessible design, investing in research and innovation, and advocating for inclusive policies, the study equips libraries with a roadmap to fulfill their mission of providing equitable access to information and fostering lifelong learning in the digital age. The insights from the study will inform the strategic planning and decision-making of library administrators, policymakers, and information professionals as they navigate the transformative potential of the metaverse.

In this study, students’ perceptions of the effective practices of their research mentors were examined. The research mentors implemented the practices informed by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) mentorship competencies to mentor underrepresented students in engineering education research in a virtual environment.

This research experience for undergraduates (REU) program, situated in the United States of America, consisted of undergraduate students (i.e. mentees), graduate students and faculty mentors who all had at least one underrepresented identity in engineering (i.e. Black, Latiné/x, and/or women). Using qualitative methods, we used data from reflection surveys and follow-up interviews with REU mentees to understand the outcomes of the mentorship strategies employed by the mentors in the program. The data were analyzed thematically using CIMER model constructs and social capital theory as guiding frameworks.

The results indicated the identified strategies students perceived as the most impactful for mentorship throughout the program. Students in the REU gained knowledge on how to activate social capital in mentorship relationships and how to better mentor others.

The findings provide insight on how to operationalize the CIMER mentorship competencies to skillfully mentor underrepresented students in engineering. Given the size of the REU and the nature of qualitative research, the sample size was limited.

The results help inform mentorship practices for underrepresented individuals in engineering education and the workforce. Further, they add to the practical knowledge of implementing CIMER best practices virtually, at a time when the world has transitioned to more hybrid and virtual working and learning environments.

This study identifies impactful strategies for operationalizing mentorship strategies informed by theory- and evidence-based CIMER mentorship competencies. In addition, this study extends knowledge about how to implement mentoring best practices and engage mentorship in a virtual environment.