A-FRAME AND METAVERSE TRAINING FOR DEVELOPING NEW PROFESSIONAL PROFILES IN COMMUNICATION

The development of the metaverse and immersive technologies requires the training of new professional profiles with specific competences to design and manage interactive virtual environments. These also need to be aligned with specific frameworks such as the Digital Competences Framework for Citizenship (DigComp) and standards such as the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) in order to harmonise training at European level and promote it in a growing market where advanced skills in digital content creation are in demand. Starting from a constructivist and experiential learning approach, this study will design, implement and evaluate training workshops based on project-based learning, using A-Frame as a tool for the development of immersive environments. The study, conducted with university students (n=51), follows a pretest and posttest design to analyse the perception of usefulness, satisfaction and acquisition of digital skills. Participants recognise the potential of A-Frame to integrate it into their future professional practise. The conclusion is that the training of future professionals must include multidisciplinary strategies that combine advanced digital skills and active methods. This is essential to meet the demands of an evolving labour market and to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the metaverse in the field of communication.