Developing a web-based virtual caring laboratory to enhance nursing students’ caring competence: an ADDIE study

To develop and evaluate a web-based virtual caring laboratory to enhance nursing students’ caring competence in managing patients experiencing depression, anxiety, and stress. This research and development study applied the ADDIE model. A web-based virtual caring laboratory grounded in Swanson’s Caring Theory was developed and piloted among 30 undergraduate nursing students aged 18–22 years, consisting of 22 females (73.3%) and 8 males (26.7%). User needs were assessed using a needs-finding questionnaire. Feasibility was evaluated through expert validation in three domains: content, media/functionality, and language. Learning outcomes were evaluated using pretest and posttest caring competence questionnaires. Scenario performance scores and student response scores were also collected. Data were analyzed descriptively, and pretest–posttest differences were examined using a paired-sample t -test. More than 86% of students indicated a need for a realistic, interactive, scenario-based virtual laboratory, particularly for emotional response simulation and therapeutic communication. Expert validation showed high feasibility for content (90.0%–92.6%) and language (85.0%), while functional suitability achieved full completeness (60/60). Portability testing demonstrated stable performance across 12 configurations with all core features functioning. Usability evaluation showed a mean System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 77.33 (95% CI: 74.2–80.4), indicating good usability and user acceptance. Caring competence increased significantly from pretest to posttest, with mean scores rising from 72.53 (SD = 6.21) to 88.67 (SD = 5.94), t(29) = 11.42, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 2.08. The web-based virtual caring laboratory demonstrated strong feasibility, cross-platform compatibility, and good usability. The platform also produced significant short-term improvements in nursing students’ caring competence, supporting its potential as a flexible simulation-based learning tool in nursing education.