Abstract:

Virtual and immersive technologies are transforming higher education. They allow access to specialised resources that are not always available to students due to spatial, temporal or logistical constraints. These tools allow students to explore content interactively and learn on their own. They also let students review complex material as many times as they need. This is especially important in the Psychology programme at the Teruel Campus, where neuroscience courses are demanding and require laboratory-based learning but access to practical facilities is limited.

Accordingly, this study aimed to:
(1) analyse students’ perceptions of how challenging neuroscience subjects are compared with other courses within the degree programme;
(2) identify the main factors contributing to difficulties in learning neuroscience;
(3) examine which teaching resources are perceived as most useful for neuroscience learning;
(4) design and implement Psicobiolab, a 360-degree virtual laboratory integrating key neuroanatomy and microscopy resources; and
(5) evaluate students’ experience and perceived usefulness of Psicobiolab.

95 Psychology students from the University of Zaragoza took part in the study, including both first- and second-year undergraduates. A total of 39% reported that neuroscience subjects were more difficult than others at the same stage of the degree. When exploring specific barriers to learning neuroanatomy, 48.4% highlighted the memorisation of terminology as the most demanding aspect, followed by the overall complexity of the subject (45.3%) and difficulties in visualising spatial relationships (29.5%). Limited access to online information (9.5%), textbooks (6.3%) and plastic models (6.3%) was also mentioned. Regarding the perceived usefulness of learning resources, 88.8% rated practical laboratory sessions as useful or very useful, followed by brain section images (87.3%), plastic anatomical models (85.7%), animations (82.5%) and atlas illustrations (73%).

Psicobiolab was developed using 3DVista Virtual Tour Pro and omnidirectional footage captured with a 360-degree camera in the Psychobiology Laboratory at the University of Zaragoza (Teruel Campus). The virtual environment includes interactive hotspots linking to labelled anatomical structures, guided microscopy content and digital histological images. The tour is accessible through a web interface adapted for smartphones, tablets and desktop devices, allowing students to explore the laboratory anytime and anywhere. Regarding its perceived usefulness, 97.9% of students rated Psicobiolab as useful or very useful, 90.5% would recommend it to peers and 93.7% reported a more positive experience when using it compared with traditional methods.

Immersive virtual laboratory environments offer students preliminary training before entering real laboratory sessions, reducing uncertainty and enhancing familiarity with scientific equipment and visual materials. By providing autonomous access to key learning resources, Psicobiolab helps overcome logistical constraints associated with large class sizes and limited laboratory training. Overall, the tool represents a replicable and scalable innovation to enhance technology-supported neuroscience learning in higher education.

Acknowledgement:
This study was supported by the University of Zaragoza through PIIDUZ_3 “De referencia” grants (2025/5800 and 2025/5794).

Keywords:

Virtual laboratory, neuroscience learning, immersive technology, higher education.