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Effectiveness of virtual laboratory in engineering education: A meta-analysis
1Philosophy Department, School of Humanities and Social Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Plos One
|January 8, 2025
Summary
Virtual labs significantly boost engineering education outcomes, particularly enhancing student motivation and engagement. While not replacing hands-on labs, they serve as crucial supplementary tools for effective experimental teaching.
Area of Science:
- Engineering Education
- Educational Technology
- Meta-Analysis
Background:
- Virtual laboratories are increasingly prevalent in engineering education due to advancements in network and simulation technologies.
- Systematic analysis of virtual labs' impact on engineering education effectiveness is limited.
- This study addresses this gap by performing a meta-analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically analyze and summarize the impact of virtual laboratories on engineering students' performance.
- To quantify the effect size of virtual labs on engineering education outcomes.
- To identify specific areas where virtual labs demonstrate the most significant impact.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis was conducted on 46 studies from 22 publications, selected from 709 peer-reviewed articles.
- Included studies utilized controlled experiments and pre-post designs with virtual labs as interventions.
- Data from studies reporting mean score comparisons and standard deviations were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Virtual laboratories are a significant predictor of engineering education outcomes, with an overall effect size (Hedges' g) of 0.686.
- The highest effect sizes were observed for "learning motivation" (3.571) and "learning engagement" (2.888).
- Virtual labs significantly enhance motivation and engagement, compensating for traditional lab limitations.
Conclusions:
- Virtual labs are indispensable auxiliary tools in engineering experimental teaching, inspiring student motivation and engagement.
- They cannot completely replace hands-on laboratory experiences but effectively supplement them.
- Integrating virtual labs with physical experiences is a key direction for sustainable engineering education development.
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