Trends and Impact in Virtual Science Lab: A Bibliometric Analysis

NURSHAZIERA BINTI ISHAK, SITI NUR DIYANA BINTI MAHMUD

Abstract


This paper presents a bibliometric analysis overview of virtual science laboratories, focusing on 1393 articles published between 1990 and 2024 from the SCOPUS database. The main aim of this study was to identify the growth trend, key collaborations between authors, institutions, and countries and identify prominent themes and keyword in the field. Based on the findings, an increasing trend in the number of publications related to virtual science laboratories was found for the last thirty years with Achutan, K. as the most prominent author, and the United States, Germany, and China as leading contributor. In addition, the Amrita University (India), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) and University of Patras (Greece) were among the top universities to have contributed to publications. Furthermore, Computer Science, Social Sciences and Engineering feature most prominently in virtual science laboratories. Four major thematic focus emerge: laboratory, virtual, education, and student. The authors recommend future research exploring artificial intelligence in virtual science labs, enhancing accessibility for students with disabilities, infrastructure and training improvements in school and understanding the impact of digitalization on teachers and student’s well-being. Additionally, they suggest studying ethical issue and gaining qualitative insights into students experiences and satisfaction with virtual science labs are essential.


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