Applications of virtual laboratories in chemical engineering education

This doctoral thesis explores the use of virtual laboratories in chemical engineering education through various study setups including linearly and nonlinearly progressing virtual laboratories, expert interviews, and virtual laboratory experiences consumed through a VR headset. Results indicate that these virtual environments can enhance immersion and student motivation, yet do not necessarily lead to improved learning outcomes. In addition, students appear to have a faster boredom response towards virtual laboratory experiences when compared to traditional laboratory training. The findings reveal that virtual laboratories are not highly effective in replacing real-life laboratory education or in saving teaching resources but should be viewed as having potential for enhancing and enriching existing teaching practices. Virtual laboratories increase engagement, although the increase of immersion level might serve as a distraction rather than enhance learning outcomes.Furthermore, due to the cross-discipline requirements, financial commitments and sophisticated technical skills required for creating virtual laboratories, major resource challenges exist. The lack of established platforms and technological standards raises the threshold for developing and implementing these virtual labs on a wide scale. Additionally, the thesis identified a disagreement between some experts' views regarding the advantages of saving teaching resources against frequently quoted literature. Experts proposed diverse applications for virtual laboratories, from enhancing existing real-life laboratories to creating novel, otherwise impossible learning experiences. Therefore, it may be concluded that virtual laboratories should be considered not as a substitute, but as a complementary tool to traditional laboratory training. In the longer-term perspective, with rapid technological advancements and further research, virtual laboratories could offer more holistic and immersive virtual experiences, which might significantly contribute to the field of chemical engineering education.