Emerging Trends in Virtual Simulation for Education: A Systematic Review of Technology–Pedagogy Alignment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46328/ijtes.6779Keywords:
Virtual Simulation, Educational Technologies, Instructional DesignAbstract
Virtual simulation has become a transformative approach in education, particularly in contexts that require practical, skill-oriented learning. This systematic review examines emerging trends in virtual simulation for education by synthesizing evidence on educational technologies and instructional design approaches applied in virtual laboratory environments. Guided by the PRISMA protocol and the PSALSAR framework, 20 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2020 and 2024 were systematically selected and analyzed. The results indicate a growing emphasis on virtual laboratories and immersive technologies, especially virtual and augmented reality, to support hands-on learning across science, engineering, medical, and vocational education. These technologies are predominantly implemented through learner-centered instructional designs, including experiential, inquiry-based, and constructivist approaches, which facilitate active engagement, repeated practice, and meaningful knowledge construction. While immersive and simulation-based technologies dominate current implementations, the integration of AI-supported and analytics-driven systems remains limited, suggesting an emerging area for future development. This review contributes a synthesized conceptual framework that illustrates how virtual simulation technologies are pedagogically operationalized through instructional design themes to produce meaningful learning outcomes. By integrating technological and pedagogical perspectives, the findings provide a structured foundation to inform evidence-based instructional design, implementation, and future research on virtual simulation–based education.
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