VIRTUAL LABORATORIES IN BIOSCIENCES
POTENTIALITIES, LIMITATIONS, AND CHALLENGES IN DISTANCE EDUCATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19317014Keywords:
Distance education, Biosciences, Virtual laboratories, Digital simulation, Active learning, Pedagogical innovationAbstract
SDG 4: Quality Education (Use of technologies to improve teaching and learning).
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (Digital innovation applied to education).
ABSTRACT: The teaching of Biosciences has traditionally been anchored in experimentation in physical laboratories, understood as a privileged space for the development of technical and investigative skills. However, the expansion of Digital Information and Communication Technologies (DICT) and the consolidation of Distance Education (DE) have driven the emergence of virtual laboratories, interactive environments that simulate experiments, biological processes, and technical procedures on digital platforms. This narrative review article analyzes the role of virtual laboratories in the training of Biosciences students, focusing on their pedagogical potential, limitations, and cognitive impacts. The structured search encompassed publications from 2019 to 2025 in databases such as PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, ERIC, and Web of Science, including empirical studies and reviews on digital simulations, experimentation-based learning, and pedagogical innovation in DE. The findings indicate that virtual laboratories can enhance student engagement, conceptual understanding, and autonomy, achieving learning outcomes equal to or superior to those obtained in traditional laboratories in various contexts, especially when combined with face-to-face activities and formative assessment. However, challenges remain regarding teacher training, technological infrastructure, and the assessment of practical skills. It is concluded that, integrated with active learning strategies and digital inclusion policies, virtual laboratories do not entirely replace physical space, but complement it and reconfigure the scientific learning experience.
Keywords: Distance education, Biosciences, Virtual laboratories, Digital simulation, Active learning, Pedagogical innovation.
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