Virtual labs combined with at-home kits improved microbiology practical skills in remote students

Integrating at-home lab kits with virtual simulations significantly improved students' hands-on microbiology technical skills: streak-plate proficiency rose from 57.7 to 80.1 (P<0.05), and Gram staining from 55.0 to 80.1 (P<0.001). Quiz and lab report scores did not differ betwe…

• Design: Comparative study of 220 students across 10 microbiology course sections, comparing at-home kits with lab videos (Fall 2020, n=66) versus at-home kits combined with virtual lab simulations (Spring 2021).
• Key secondary outcome: Simple staining proficiency also improved significantly, from 57.3 to 74.4 (P<0.01). No significant differences were observed in pre-lab quizzes, post-lab quizzes, or laboratory reports between semesters.
• Limitation: Single-institution study in an undergraduate microbiology, not radiology, context; limited generalizability to medical imaging education without further validation.

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