The evolution of European and French regulations regarding animal experimentation in higher education has prompted universities to develop alternative methods to animal testing. The University of Angers (France) has created a web-based virtual lab (VL) called ExAVir (https://labua.univ-angers.fr/Projets/exavir/) designed to simulate practical lab work in animal physiology and pharmacology. In this study, we evaluated the perception of ExAVir among third-year undergraduate physiology students at the University of Lyon, France, as a tool for studying vascular physiology. Students completed the virtual lab activity independently and were then asked to fill out a post-course survey. Of the 268 students enrolled in the course, 197 completed the questionnaire (73.5%). Most students appreciated the virtual lab (65%) and valued the fact that it avoided the use of laboratory animals (90%). A majority (69%) believed that the VL could effectively replace one session of lab work, although 88% stated that it should not replace all hands-on lab activities, as it does not engage the same practical skills. Nevertheless, 71% of students reported a significant improvement in their perceived level of vascular physiology through the use of the VL. We believe that the targeted use of virtual labs such as ExAVir can be a powerful educational tool, particularly when integrated with traditional wet-lab practicals.
Soulage et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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