Virtual pipetting simulation with tutorial and test phases in four condition variants

Design · All designs
Evidence · 2 claims (1 for, 1 mixed) · 2 studies (1 causal, 1 design), q2–q3 · 0 of 2 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description

The learning material was an adapted version of a simulation used by Petersen et al. (2022a), set in a virtual laboratory with a workstation, micropipette, pipette tips, test tubes, and beakers. It "taught students how to use a micropipette" and "how to correctly perform a serial dilution—a scientific procedure in which the concentration of a given substance is reduced through a series of steps." The simulation "consisted of two parts: a tutorial and a test": a virtual agent guided students through pipetting steps, then students performed a serial dilution alone and received feedback on mistakes. Four versions varied immersion (VR vs. PC) and interactivity (congruent gestures vs. laser-pointer pointing).

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

• A HMD with controllers or a Windows laptop with mouse and keyboard to deliver the four condition variants

Constraints

• The narration was in English, so English proficiency was measured in the pre-questionnaire

Target Learners

• first-year high school students aged 16-19

Learning Goals

• procedural skill in micropipette use and serial dilution, plus declarative knowledge of pipetting

Claims

• Performance during the virtual pipetting lesson predicts real-life transfer test performance [+W]
• No significant difference between virtual simulation and authentic video on the basic observation dimension of assignments [~W]

Related Designs

Examples

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Key Sources

• Klingenberg, S., Bosse, R., Mayer, R. E., & Makransky, G. (2024). Does Embodiment in Virtual Reality Boost Learning Transfer? Testing an Immersion-Interactivity Framework. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09956-0

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	design
id	virtual-pipetting-simulation-four-conditions
title	Virtual pipetting simulation with tutorial and test phases in four condition variants
description	The learning material was an adapted version of a simulation used by Petersen et al.
status	review
generated	by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-21
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources	1 — klingenberg-2024

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