VIRAL: The Effectiveness of Virtual Lab Teaching in Developing Higher Order Thinking Skills

Virtual Innovation & Research Acceleration Lab (VIRAL) is an ongoing teaching pedagogy project between SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Ramapuram Campus, Chennai and MIT Square, London. In the higher education sector, the year 2020 posed new obstacles. All three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift in the mentality of educators, teachers, and students from all over the world. The concerns and obstacles associated with higher educational institutions’ rapid and abrupt transition from face-to-face learning to technology-assisted virtual learning. This study examines the effectiveness of Virtual Innovation & Research Acceleration Labs (VIRAL) teaching in developing Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) among engineering students. The researchers employed a Quasi-Experimental method. The sample consisted of 98 Engineering students who have regular laboratory classes as part of their curriculum. A group consisting of 49 students was selected as a control group and another group was selected as an experimental group randomly. The result of the study indicates that the experimental group has a greater mean of higher-order thinking skills than the control group. Thus it is concluded that the virtual lab teaching method for research and innovation has a significant positive effect in enhancing higher thinking skills in engineering. The study also has implications for facilitation in the higher order of inquiry processes and improvement of slow learners.