On the Development of Virtual Labs Using Digital Twins and a Proposal for Didactic Optimization Using Design-Based Research

In laboratory practicals (labs), students actively investigate technical and scientific phenomena and thus experience autonomy, competence, and social embedding, factors that promote motivation. However, labs mostly rely on highly structured and instructive concepts and often require costly equipment. Therefore, the research question in this paper is: How can learner-centered teaching methods and learning formats be improved by rethinking the digitization of lab practicals?