Virtual Laboratory in Engineering Education: Investigating Its Impact on Students’ Engagement and Learning Outcomes

Integrating Virtual Laboratory (VL) technology into engineering education is increasingly adopted to complement hands-on laboratory learning. However, comprehensive studies and empirical analyses are still required to understand its impact on students’ Learning Engagement (LE) and Learning Outcomes (LO). This study investigates the effects of Virtual Laboratory Use (VLU) on students’ LE and LO in an electrical machine course within the Industrial Electrical Engineering program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia. A quantitative, survey-based approach was employed, involving 117 second-year university students. Data were analyzed using Variance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (VB-SEM). The results indicated that the VLU had a positive and significant effect on students’ LE across behavioral, cognitive, and emotional dimensions. Furthermore, VLU positively and significantly influenced students’ perceived LO directly and indirectly through LE as a mediating variable. LO were simultaneously and significantly influenced by the variables of VLU, Cognitive Engagement (CE), Behavioral Engagement (BE), and Emotional Engagement (EE), with a strong effect size. These findings underscore the pedagogical value of the VL in enhancing the learning experience in engineering education.