ArticleScientific reports2026
AI-enhanced virtual laboratories improve learning outcomes and student engagement in food microbiology education.
Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Reforming pedagogy in biotechnology pharmaceutics education: a narrative review of emerging teaching strategies.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Food microbiology education faces significant challenges including prohibitive costs, safety concerns, and limited accessibility, as traditional laboratory-based instruction requires expensive infrastructure, specialized equipment, and stringent biosafety protocols, creating disparities in educational opportunities particularly for resource-constrained institutions. To address these challenges, this study evaluated the effectiveness of AI-enhanced virtual laboratories compared to traditional laboratory instruction in food microbiology education, examining learning outcomes, student engagement patterns, and cost-effectiveness. A convergent mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was employed involving 128 undergraduate students from food science and engineering and food quality and safety programs over 14 weeks. The AI-enhanced platform incorporated intelligent tutoring systems, automated assessment mechanisms, personalized learning pathways, and real-time feedback delivered through machine learning algorithms and natural language processing, with data collection including pre-post knowledge tests, skill evaluations, engagement surveys, and qualitative interviews. The findings revealed that experimental participants achieved significantly higher knowledge acquisition (86.3% vs. 78.6%, P < 0.001, d = 0.80), superior skill development (84.6% vs. 72.8%, P < 0.001, d = 1.17), and enhanced conceptual understanding with 71.6% misconception reduction compared to 36.4% in control groups. Furthermore, three distinct user interaction profiles emerged-systematic explorers (38.5%), targeted users (46.2%), and minimal adopters (15.4%)-with feature utilization patterns strongly predicting learning outcomes (β = 0.68, P < 0.001). Economic analysis demonstrated 80.9% cost reduction while providing unlimited experimental access. These results demonstrate that AI-enhanced virtual laboratories represent transformative educational tools that personalize learning experiences, accelerate skill acquisition, and democratize access to quality food microbiology education, offering viable solutions for resource-constrained institutions while maintaining pedagogical effectiveness.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.