Interaction between cognitive styles and genders when using virtual laboratories and its influence on students of health college’s laboratory skills and cognitive load during the Corona pandemic

• Published in: Heliyon 2022-04, Vol.8 (4), p.e09213-e09213, Article e09213
• Main Authors: Ibrahem, Usama M., Alsaif, Bandar S., Alblaihed, Munthir, Ahmed, Sameh S.I., Alshrif, Haisam A., Abdulkader, Rabab A., Diab, Hanan M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cognitive load; Cognitive style; Gender; General Health Colleges; Laboratory skills; Virtual laboratory
• ISSN: 2405-8440; 2405-8440
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09213

This study examined the interaction between cognitive style–gender within Virtual Laboratories (VL) and its influence on students of health college’s Laboratory Skills (LS) and Cognitive Load (CL) during the Corona pandemic. This research method is a combination of quasi-experimental research and survey research; consisting of two male and two female experimental groups (contemplative and impulsive). Each group had 20 students from General Health colleges. In the third level, with the microbiological course, eight experiments were studied by a Virtual laboratory (Praxilabs) during the eLearning study in 2020’s first semester. Results showed that VL-using Students of General Health colleges studying microbiology had better CL and LS, besides significantly distinguishing between males and females using VLs in CL and LS where males benefited more. Also, a significant difference was established between CS (contemplative/impulsive) VL-using students in CL and LS to the benefit of the contemplative cognitive style. There LS significantly differ due to gender–CS interaction; however, CL does not have any differences because of this interaction. Virtual laboratory; Laboratory skills; Gender; General Health Colleges; Cognitive style; Cognitive load.