Exploring Student Learning Experiences in a PowerPoint-Based Open-Ended Virtual Laboratory for Environmental Engineering Education

Abstract

Virtual laboratory technology can provide students with the same learning outcome through a simulated experiment without accessing a physical laboratory. It can also be designed to be open-ended, allowing students to develop the methodology to solve a given problem. This is in-line with Outcomes-Based Education as required by the Engineering Accreditation Council of Malaysia. Therefore, the development of an open-ended virtual laboratory and understanding of how it impacts learning outcomes and student engagement are important.  This study developed an interactive, animated, open-ended virtual laboratory for an undergraduate environmental engineering water treatment course using the PowerPoint platform, and its effectiveness in delivering hands-on laboratory instruction was measured from students’ perspectives. Students’ attainment of the learning outcome was analysed through their laboratory assessment, and their engagement with the virtual laboratory was measured using a survey. The results showed that students successfully navigated the open-ended laboratory assessment and achieved the intended learning outcome. In terms of learning engagement, 90% of students agreed that the virtual laboratory was easy to operate and understand, flexible, stimulating, satisfying, and good for distance learning. However, only 20% of students agreed that they learned and understood more in a virtual laboratory than in a physical one, and only 10% reported gaining hands-on skills through the virtual laboratory.