Title: Winkyverse: motivation in educational metaverse

Authors: Catherine Lejealle; Eric Dolansky

Addresses: ISC Paris, 22 Boulevard du Fort de Vaux, 75017 Paris, France ' Brock University, Niagara Region, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada

Abstract: In May 2023, Aurore Belle, product marketing director of Mainbot, faced a critical issue: in order to launch Winkyverse, an educational metaverse, she needed to understand users' motivation related to each type of knowledge in order to provide adequate guidelines to partners responsible for creating content. Using self-determination theory (SDT), this case examines the different motivations applicable to each type of knowledge and how inherent characteristics of metaverses create efficient and easy learning through contextual factors such as autonomy, competence, and relatedness. For types of knowledge not related to personal values, intrinsic motivation has been shown to be relevant, and for knowledge in areas which typically had a relation to personal values and self-identity, identified regulation worked more efficiently. For the latter, the driving force of the action was congruence with self-identity rather than pleasure.

Keywords: self-determination theory; SDT; metaverse; educational metaverse; intrinsic motivation; extrinsic motivation; autonomy; competence; relatedness; knowledge; identity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTCS.2025.149405

International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies, 2025 Vol.15 No.4, pp.287 - 303

Received: 13 Jun 2024
Accepted: 24 Jul 2024
Published online: 29 Oct 2025 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article