The Lancaster mutual teaching model originated in late 18th century England and quickly spread to the American colonies after receiving positive responses in Europe. In the 1820s, renowned Spanish physician, educator, and publisher Manuel Codorniú Ferreras brought it to Mexico, making outstanding contributions to the newly independent nation in educational philosophy, system, and methods. In the mid-19th century, with the absence of a centralized institution for public education in Mexico, the Lancaster Company took on the significant responsibility of guiding the direction of national public education development. Although this function did not persist for too long due to political changes in Mexico, the educational system continued to play an important role in the Mexican education sector. The Lancaster Company and its teaching system exerted a positive and profound influence on the democratization and secularization of education in Mexico, laying important foundations for the modernization and reform of Mexican education.

Art studies and activities for older adults have received significantly less attention as a result of prohibitively expensive materials that are unfit for commercial use, and research utilizing digital technology to investigate artistic activities for older adults is extremely limited. The purpose of this article is to analyze and review recent research in these fields to summarize the current trends. The literature review comprised 108 articles from databases that included Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. The papers were subjected to a thorough examination by the VOSviewer program and researchers, who utilized content analysis to classify them into four themes: 1) inclusive design; 2) accessibility; 3) digital art therapy and 4) digital technology environments. Further investigation and development are necessary to propose a novel approach to instructing senior-level art utilizing cutting-edge technologies, which could be enhanced by the findings of this review article.

This study investigates the impact of the metaverse on English language teaching, focusing on the perspectives of students from the University of Boyacá. The use of the metaverse was compared with the Moodle platform in a virtual educational environment. A mixed-method approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods was employed. The sample consisted of 30 university students enrolled in English courses, randomly assigned to two groups: one using the metaverse and the other using Moodle. Students’ grades on different activities and assessments throughout the course were collected, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore students’ perceptions of the educational platforms. Results revealed that while students recognize the potential of the metaverse to enhance interactivity and learning experience, they also identified technical and accessibility challenges. Although no significant differences in grades were found between the groups, less variability in grades was observed in the metaverse group. The mixed design allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the metaverse on English language teaching, while providing a variety of student perspectives on their experience with educational technology. This research contributes to understanding the role of the metaverse in English language teaching and highlights key areas for future research and developments in the field of virtual education.