Enhancing 360° virtual laboratory safety training with linear learning pathway design: Insights from student experiences

This paper investigates the role of learning pathway design in a web-based 360° virtual laboratory safety training. A linearly structured virtual laboratory safety training was designed and implemented. Student experiences with the linear learning pathway were compared with a previously implemented non-linear learning pathway. In the linear pathway, students complete the virtual laboratory tour in a predetermined order, while in a non-linear pathway the students can complete the virtual laboratory tour in any order. Student feedback was collected from over 900 students and the experiences from the linearly structured virtual laboratory were highly positive. Compared to the previously implemented non-linear learning pathway, the student feedback related to the learning experience improved significantly. The feedback also showed a difference between preferred learning styles, highlighting the importance of choosing the learning pathway based on the intended learning outcomes and offering different types of learning materials for different learners. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that the linearly structured virtual laboratory offers an effective and motivating learning environment for laboratory safety training.