Impact of virtual laboratories on the achievement of learning outcomes in basic engineering courses

Abstract

The expansion of virtual laboratories in engineering education has sparked debate about the extent to which these environments truly contribute to achieving learning outcomes in introductory courses, traditionally based on face-to-face practical experiences. This study analyzes the impact of virtual laboratories in an introductory engineering course using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a non-equivalent comparison group. Two cohorts were compared: one group that worked with traditional laboratories (n = 96) and another that completed all practical experiences using virtual laboratories integrated into the institutional LMS (n = 100), maintaining identical content, learning outcomes, and general assessment framework. Conceptual achievement (pre/post tests), procedural and experimental skills (rubrics applied to laboratory reports), attitudes toward the laboratory experience (Likert scale), and participation in practical activities were assessed. The results show that the group using the virtual laboratory achieved significantly greater normalized conceptual gain and higher scores across all assessed procedural dimensions, with moderate-to-large effect sizes, particularly in data recording and analysis and results interpretation. Furthermore, students in the virtual group reported a greater perceived usefulness of the laboratory for understanding the theory, greater interest in experimentation, and greater confidence in applying concepts in practical contexts. These findings indicate that, when explicitly designed and aligned with course outcomes, virtual laboratories are not only a viable alternative to traditional laboratories in introductory engineering courses, but can also enhance conceptual, experimental, and attitudinal learning, providing a solid framework for hybrid models and future curricular innovations.