Designed Frictions and Layer Inversion in AI-Augmented Metaverse Classrooms

This page introduces an original concept in metaverse theory: the potential inversion of layers between the physical and virtual worlds. As metaverse technologies become increasingly seamless and interoperable, the virtual world is no longer simply an overlay on the physical but risks becoming the dominant grounding layer of meaning. This shift could erode the material frictions, imperfections, and embodied resistances through which care, attentiveness, and craft are ordinarily learned. To address this, the research proposes that virtual environments should be intentionally designed with “constructed frictions” that echo the ethical and tactile demands of the physical world. By embedding repair, maintenance, vulnerability, and interdependence into digital systems, we can ensure that AI-augmented virtual worlds cultivate the same care-ful attitudes that make learning humane, grounded, and relational.