Yi-Hsuan Liu
Graduate Student, Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education, National
Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
E-mail: evanyi199810@gmail.com
Hi-Lian Jeng
Professor, Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education, National Taiwan
University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
E-mail: JENGHL@mail.ntust.edu.tw
Abstract
This study investigates the effects of synchronous video and avatar-based career counseling on university students’ career decision-making self-efficacy. With the advancement of Web 3.0 technologies and the increased demand for remote counseling due to COVID-19, avatar-based interactions in metaverse environments have emerged as a promising alternative. Avatars enhance immersion and anonymity, and, through AI-based facial expression recognition, may reduce appearance-related anxiety and foster openness during sessions.
A true experimental design was adopted, involving 10 qualified counseling professionals (including licensed counselors, counseling interns, and school counselors) and 40 university students, randomly assigned to either a video or avatar group. Each participant engaged in a 45-minute semi-structured career counseling session via Zoom or the MetaForest metaverse platform. The Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale (CDMSE) was used as the primary instrument, supplemented by qualitative interviews to enrich the quantitative data.
The results of the study indicate that regardless of the type of digital tool used, both interventions significantly enhanced students’ career self-efficacy. Findings are expected to provide empirical support for the integration of digital technologies in remote counseling and offer practical insights for training professionals in avatar-assisted interventions within career counseling and broader metaverse-based guidance practices.
Keywords: metaverse, avatars, online counseling, career self-efficacy