{"id":{"repo_id":"sdstate","oai_identifier":"oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-2575"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/sdstate/oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-2575","repository":{"repo_id":"sdstate","name":"South Dakota State University","base_url":"https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"The Effectiveness of Virtual Simulations Impacting Conceptual Knowledge and Proficiency of Laboratory Techniques in an Undergraduate Microbiology Laboratory Course","abstract":"<p>Middle school, high school, and undergraduate students are failing to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) due to lack of interest, parental guidance, exposure and unpreparedness. Virtual labs were designed to enhance users’ knowledge on basic scientific techniques and promote career awareness in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics related to food safety. An insufficient amount of research has studied the effects of virtual simulation on users’ conceptual knowledge and laboratory proficiency. This study investigated the effect of Food Safety Scientist Virtual Laboratories on users’ knowledge and capabilities when conducting hands-on lab activities using an oil immersion microscope and conducting a Gram stain. Undergraduate students (n=280) enrolled in a general microbiology laboratory course at South Dakota State University were investigated regarding effectiveness of virtual labs impacting conceptual knowledge and lab technique proficiency. The two virtual labs studied included the use of an Oil Immersion Microscope and Gram Staining Virtual Lab and compared with a control group. Conceptual knowledge was studied though pre and posttest assessment and observational research identified proficiency in laboratory technique. The virtual lab users scored higher on the pretest compared to a control group (p</p>","abstract_html":"&lt;p&gt;Middle school, high school, and undergraduate students are failing to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) due to lack of interest, parental guidance, exposure and unpreparedness. Virtual labs were designed to enhance users’ knowledge on basic scientific techniques and promote career awareness in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics related to food safety. An insufficient amount of research has studied the effects of virtual simulation on users’ conceptual knowledge and laboratory proficiency. This study investigated the effect of Food Safety Scientist Virtual Laboratories on users’ knowledge and capabilities when conducting hands-on lab activities using an oil immersion microscope and conducting a Gram stain. Undergraduate students (n=280) enrolled in a general microbiology laboratory course at South Dakota State University were investigated regarding effectiveness of virtual labs impacting conceptual knowledge and lab technique proficiency. The two virtual labs studied included the use of an Oil Immersion Microscope and Gram Staining Virtual Lab and compared with a control group. Conceptual knowledge was studied though pre and posttest assessment and observational research identified proficiency in laboratory technique. The virtual lab users scored higher on the pretest compared to a control group (p&lt;/p&gt;","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Peterson, Lisa A."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis - University Access Only","degree_discipline":"Health and Nutritional Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Basil Dalaly"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:29:15Z","subjects":["Food Microbiology","Food Science"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["<p>In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted<br /><a href=\"http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/\">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/</a></p>"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/1573","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Basil Dalaly"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Peterson, Lisa A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-08-15T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Health and Nutritional Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - University Access Only"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Food Microbiology","Food Science"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["<p>In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted<br /><a href=\"http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/\">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/</a></p>"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/1573"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["<p>Middle school, high school, and undergraduate students are failing to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) due to lack of interest, parental guidance, exposure and unpreparedness. Virtual labs were designed to enhance users’ knowledge on basic scientific techniques and promote career awareness in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics related to food safety. An insufficient amount of research has studied the effects of virtual simulation on users’ conceptual knowledge and laboratory proficiency. This study investigated the effect of Food Safety Scientist Virtual Laboratories on users’ knowledge and capabilities when conducting hands-on lab activities using an oil immersion microscope and conducting a Gram stain. Undergraduate students (n=280) enrolled in a general microbiology laboratory course at South Dakota State University were investigated regarding effectiveness of virtual labs impacting conceptual knowledge and lab technique proficiency. The two virtual labs studied included the use of an Oil Immersion Microscope and Gram Staining Virtual Lab and compared with a control group. Conceptual knowledge was studied though pre and posttest assessment and observational research identified proficiency in laboratory technique. The virtual lab users scored higher on the pretest compared to a control group (p</p>"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Effectiveness of Virtual Simulations Impacting Conceptual Knowledge and Proficiency of Laboratory Techniques in an Undergraduate Microbiology Laboratory Course"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Basil Dalaly"],"dc:creator":["Peterson, Lisa A."],"dc:date.available":["2017-08-15T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["<p>Middle school, high school, and undergraduate students are failing to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) due to lack of interest, parental guidance, exposure and unpreparedness. Virtual labs were designed to enhance users’ knowledge on basic scientific techniques and promote career awareness in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics related to food safety. An insufficient amount of research has studied the effects of virtual simulation on users’ conceptual knowledge and laboratory proficiency. This study investigated the effect of Food Safety Scientist Virtual Laboratories on users’ knowledge and capabilities when conducting hands-on lab activities using an oil immersion microscope and conducting a Gram stain. Undergraduate students (n=280) enrolled in a general microbiology laboratory course at South Dakota State University were investigated regarding effectiveness of virtual labs impacting conceptual knowledge and lab technique proficiency. The two virtual labs studied included the use of an Oil Immersion Microscope and Gram Staining Virtual Lab and compared with a control group. Conceptual knowledge was studied though pre and posttest assessment and observational research identified proficiency in laboratory technique. The virtual lab users scored higher on the pretest compared to a control group (p</p>"],"dc:identifier":["https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/1573"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["<p>In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted<br /><a href=\"http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/\">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/</a></p>"],"dc:subject":["Food Microbiology","Food Science"],"dc:title":["The Effectiveness of Virtual Simulations Impacting Conceptual Knowledge and Proficiency of Laboratory Techniques in an Undergraduate Microbiology Laboratory Course"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Health and Nutritional Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - University Access Only"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:29:15Z"}