Use of virtual learning to increase key laboratory skills and essential non-cognitive characteristics

•Virtual bioprocess engineering laboratory was developed.•Both physical and virtual laboratories were compared.•Virtual laboratory helped with deeper understanding of fermentation principles.•Virtual laboratory provided a safe, affordable and timely experience. Simulation based learning has emerged...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Education for chemical engineers 2020-10, Vol.33, p.66-75
Main Authors: Seifan, Mostafa, Robertson, Nigel, Berenjian, Aydin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bioprocess laboratory
Learning outcome
Non-cognitive skill
Real laboratory
Virtual simulation
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Summary:•Virtual bioprocess engineering laboratory was developed.•Both physical and virtual laboratories were compared.•Virtual laboratory helped with deeper understanding of fermentation principles.•Virtual laboratory provided a safe, affordable and timely experience. Simulation based learning has emerged as a new tool that potentially could replace and amplify the real-world experience in a fully interactive way. This learning technique can play a key role in the classroom setting to provide engineering students with the required knowledge and skills. In order to evaluate the possibility of using virtual bioprocess engineering laboratory as a tool in learning to mitigate practical dilemmas in chemical engineering curriculum, a virtual bioprocess engineering laboratory has been designed and developed at the University of Waikato. The virtual laboratory was made available to the third-year chemical engineering students enrolled in the biotechnology course. Participants were asked to attend both the physical and virtual laboratories and complete a range of questionnaires. It was found that by conducting the virtual bioprocess engineering laboratory, students gained a deeper understanding about fermentation principles, laboratory safety rules, experiment design and analysis of data. Based on the results, virtual reality bioprocess engineering laboratory can also provide a safe, affordable and timely experience to gain the required bioprocess engineering proficiency and skills. More than 90 % of students found the virtual lab to be an essential tool to undertake hands-on experiments effectively.
ISSN:1749-7728
1749-7728
DOI:10.1016/j.ece.2020.07.006