Employing Virtual Laboratories in Teaching Programmable Logic Controllers from the Point of Field Experts (Reality, Challenges, Expected effects)

Abstract

This study aimed to reveal the reality of employing virtual laboratories in teaching programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in Palestinian universities, and to investigate the most prominent challenges facing this employment, in addition to analyzing the expected effects of their adoption in the educational process, from the point of view of field experts, in preparation for presenting a proposed vision that contributes to activating their use effectively and efficiently. To achieve the study's objectives, the descriptive-analytical approach utilizing a mixed-methods design (quantitative and qualitative) was adopted. The purposive study sample consisted of (60) experts, including academics and administrators. Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire, complemented by semi-structured interviews with a sub-sample of (46) experts. The findings revealed that the current reality of implementation is "medium," characterized by individual bottom-up initiatives that are constrained by a lack of systematic top-down institutional support. The level of challenges was found to be "high," with the most prominent obstacle identified as a pedagogical one, termed the "sensory gap"—the inability of simulations to build tangible, hands-on skills, particularly in hardware troubleshooting. In contrast, the assessment of expected impacts was "very high." Experts unanimously agreed on the technology's potential to deepen conceptual understanding and bridge the gap with labor market demands. Furthermore, the results showed no statistically significant differences in the perception of the reality of employment based on the variables of job nature or years of experience. Based on these findings, the study concludes that the solution lies not in complete replacement, but in the "Smart Integration" of the virtual and physical worlds. Consequently, the study proposes a proposed framework grounded in the "Smart Integration", which blends virtual and traditional laboratories, philosophy, recommending practical strategies at both the administrative and academic levels to maximize learning outcomes and prepare engineering graduates for the demands of modern industry.