Leveraging computer-based simulations and immersive software technologies for enhanced student learning in laboratory...

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students are typically taught content delivered didactically and closely aligned with the laboratory demonstration of concepts, which facilitates the development of experimental skills. Because of the volume of content delivered across multiple courses, student cognitive abilities can be affected, leading to lower student performance. In physiology and related biological sciences, educators have turned to delivering content with virtual teaching technologies, including virtual and augmented reality, simulations, and other immersive platforms. At the University of South Australia, Articulate Storyline, Unity-based simulations, and immersive software platforms have been implemented across the entire Laboratory Medicine program to assist students in learning lecture and laboratory content. The impact of these individual interventions is outlined in this article. In addition, the final year 2024 cohort is the first group who have used simulations throughout their degree program. Evidence of the benefits and impact of the scaffolded implementation of simulations and immersive software was obtained through a Likert-style questionnaire. The deployment of simulations and immersive software across the degree program has significantly enhanced student learning and engagement with the content, effectively bridging the gap between understanding lecture and laboratory content of students in the Laboratory Medicine program. We suggest that a similar approach could readily be embedded within individual courses as well as across science programs to provide the same benefits to student learning.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We cover the effective application of computer-based simulation and immersive software programs throughout a 4-year laboratory medicine degree. We demonstrate that these technologies significantly improved student learning and engagement. Such an approach is applicable to all disciplines.