I have looked at a few virtual labs and they were rather dull. The concept of a virtual lab is in itself interesting. Perhaps the implementation of the concept is not all that great. There may be two kinds of users -

a. A student who is trying to learn how to use a tool and conduct experiments

b. Someone who knows the tools and is trying to get their work done

Virtual labs in universities address (a) and force the students to go through some experiments that they have designed. There may not be much variation possible in the experiments. As a result, the virtual labs appear dull.

Thank you, Dr. Majida, for raising this essential question—especially relevant in the current hybrid research and learning landscape.

In my view, virtual laboratories play a critical role in building conceptual understanding, experimental design thinking, and procedural familiarity.

They are particularly effective in:

• Simulating hazardous or resource-intensive experiments safely
• Allowing repeatable trial-and-error learning without material constraints
• Enabling learners to build confidence before transitioning to physical setups

However, when it comes to developing fine motor skills, equipment calibration techniques, or real-world troubleshooting—the kinds of manual skills essential in wet labs or engineering workshops—virtual labs still fall short.

Therefore, I believe the best model is complementary:

• Use virtual labs to prepare the mind
• Use physical labs to train the hands

For researchers, this dual approach not only strengthens competence but also improves efficiency and resource utilization.

That said, as haptic technologies, VR/AR, and IoT-integrated simulations mature, we may see a narrowing of this gap in the coming decade.

Warm regards