This study investigates the emergence of virtual collective consciousness (VCC) during symbolic social rituals in metaverse environments. Drawing on Durkheim's theory of collective effervescence and Castells' concept of networked sociality, the study examines how co-performed activities relate to shared identity and group affiliation in digital spaces. A ritualized beach gathering was staged in a university-hosted metaverse platform, where 68 students recruited through targeted outreach participated in synchronized symbolic actions, including countdowns, avatar emotes, and the communal observation of a virtual sunset. Designed to simulate digitally mediated ritual, the event provided a context for examining affective engagement, social connection, and symbolic participation. Findings showed that emotional engagement and ritual participation were positively related to collective identity, whereas behavioral indicators such as avatar synchrony and spatial proximity were not significant predictors. Prior metaverse experience was linked to greater emotional engagement but showed no significant relationship with identity formation. Collective identity was also statistically implicated in an indirect association between emotional engagement and reported intentions to reconnect with the virtual community. Exploratory factor analysis suggested an indicative two-dimensional structure of VCC, comprising socio-emotional immersion and symbolic participation. These results suggest that meaningful group connection in virtual settings may depend more on shared emotional symbolism than on visible coordination alone. Overall, the findings provide associational evidence on how virtual rituals may relate to perceived social bonds, with implications for sociological theory and the design of collective experiences in digital environments.

School events are disrupted by natural disasters, health crises, or other unforeseen circumstances. When physical gatherings become impossible but cancellation is undesirable, institutions often shift events to virtual platforms. However, studies have identified limitations of virtual events, including reduced spontaneity, limited interpersonal interaction, and weaker feelings of presence and connection. Recent research suggests that virtual environments capable of simulating shared spaces may help overcome these limitations. This study investigates the metaverse as an alternative venue for school events. Guided by the Social Presence–Virtuality of Environment–Location Cube, Ecological Systems Theory, and the Metaverse Experience and Technology Acceptance model, a quasi-experimental design with constrained group-based allocation compared experiences across physical, videoconferencing, and metaverse-based events. Physical venues produced the highest ratings for environmental support and satisfaction. Nevertheless, metaverse-based events generated higher engagement than videoconferencing and were perceived as similarly engaging to students’ prior in-person event experiences. Participants also reported stronger social presence in the metaverse than in videoconferencing environments, indicating that immersive virtual spaces better support shared experiences. Students preferred physical and metaverse formats over videoconferencing for school events. Overall, the findings suggest that the metaverse is a promising alternative for sustaining student interaction and engagement when physical venues are unavailable.

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools into academic research and writing has introduced new challenges related to transparency, accountability, and reproducibility. While publishers increasingly permit AI use with disclosure, there is currently no standardized reporting framework guiding how such use should be documented. This study introduces PETMALU-AI (Principles for Ensuring Transparency in Machine-assisted Authorship, Logging, and Use of Artificial Intelligence), a reporting checklist designed to support more consistent disclosure and documentation of AI-assisted research practices. The development of PETMALU-AI followed a multi-phase design framework, including (1) a narrative synthesis of existing AI policies and reporting guidelines, (2) item generation grounded in methodological transparency principles, and (3) modified Delphi-based expert validation involving an interdisciplinary panel. The Delphi process produced a 33-item checklist organized across nine domains: disclosure, human accountability, system transparency, prompting and interaction processes, data provenance, validation, ethics, limitations, and reproducibility. All retained items achieved expert consensus, with item-level content validity indices ranging from 0.85 to 1.00 and final agreement rates ranging from 85% to 100%. Reliability analyses further supported the stability of expert judgments, with Fleiss’ kappa and the intraclass correlation coefficient indicating strong agreement and high consistency. The checklist emphasizes proportional reporting, human accountability, and transparent documentation of AI-assisted research practices. PETMALU-AI offers a framework for documenting AI involvement in ways that are visible, assessable, and accountable, providing a foundation for more transparent research reporting as scholarly writing becomes increasingly shaped by human–AI collaboration.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs require reliable methods to teach and assess performance-based skills in authentic contexts. Immersive platforms such as the metaverse offer promising environments for simulating real-world tasks and providing scalable training opportunities. In these technology-rich settings, stealth assessment is recognized as a psychometrically sound and theoretically grounded approach. However, its application has been largely confined to video games and primarily in contexts emphasizing creativity and collaboration. This study broadens that scope by embedding stealth assessment within a metaverse environment to develop and evaluate technical competencies in PC building. Guided by evidence-centered design, a two-part investigation examined (1) the suitability of stealth assessment in a metaverse context and (2) the effectiveness of metaverse-based training in improving learning outcomes and facilitating skill transfer. Undergraduate students from computing and engineering programs engaged in structured PC-building scenarios within the metaverse, where their performance was tracked through automated event logs, validated against expert evaluations, and analyzed using inferential statistical methods. Results indicate that embedding stealth assessment in the metaverse enabled reliable and unobtrusive evaluation of learners’ technical competencies. Metaverse-based PC-building training yielded higher learning gains than traditional methods, and learners demonstrated the ability to transfer skills from virtual tasks to physical PC-building. Overall, these findings offer evidence-informed insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers on integrating immersive technologies and embedded assessments in technical education and vocational training.

Many educational institutes adopt immersive learning environments (ILEs) for their positive contribution to learning outcomes. However, challenges reflecting a wide range of serious ethical issues and concerns also evoke a degree of apprehension in its integration by educators and researchers. This study identifies the ethical issues and risks associated with integrating Metaverse technologies into educational settings. It also focuses on the voices of Metaverse experts with the idea of a safe and educationally immersive environment. A qualitative approach was used in which in-depth interviews of the experts on ethical issues were conducted. According to the experts’ perspectives, key ethical issues and risks are highlighted, such as data privacy, security, policies, hyperreality, loss of social skills, and negligence of physical health. The findings also emphasize the importance of the Metaverse-related considerations, including design, policies, universities’ roles, and safety concerns for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Based on the findings, we recommend enhancing the Metaverse design environments by integrating ethical frameworks and policies to ensure safe and inclusive environments for teachers and students.