A decade of simulation-based learning in higher Education: Bibliometric mapping of thematic trends, disciplinary adoption, and future directions

Simulation-based learning (SBL) has evolved into a widely adopted instructional approach in higher education. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of 145 Scopus-indexed publications (2015–2025) using PRISMA protocols and science-mapping techniques in VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. The results indicate a significant increase in research output after 2020, with nursing and health sciences as the dominant contributors to SBL development and empirical research. Two interpretive frameworks are proposed based on the observed bibliometric patterns: the Disciplinary Adoption Cascade , which conceptualizes disciplinary diffusion as a staged maturation process across knowledge systems, and the Global Equity–Innovation Paradox , which highlights the relationship between geographic disparities in publication output and uneven access to simulation technologies. These frameworks build on conventional bibliometric analysis by introducing a structured interpretive layer to explain field development. The thematic analysis identifies ‘simulation-based learning’ and ‘human-centered simulation’ as mature motor themes, while ‘virtual reality’ and ‘AI-driven feedback’ emerge as developing research fronts. Overall, the findings highlight the need for stronger alignment between technological innovation and pedagogical design. Future progress in the field may depend on cross-disciplinary alignment of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) and longitudinal studies examining the transfer of simulation-acquired competencies to real-world practice.