Educators' Attitudes Towards Using Virtual Laboratories in Programming Courses in Higher Education in Saudi Arabia

This study explored the attitudes of educators in Saudi universities towards using virtual labs in programming courses. A descriptive analytical approach was used to analyse questionnaires to obtain data. 50 educators participated from five Saudi universities: the Saudi Electronic University, King Saudi University, Prince Sultan University, Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University, and King Khalid University. An online questionnaire form was distributed to them via two official academic WhatsApp groups. The results show that the attitudes of the educators in Saudi universities towards using virtual labs in programming courses are positive. According to the educators, using virtual labs in programming courses improves students critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills. It improves students' searching, observation, and exploration skills. This paper recommends adding virtual lab-related activities to the curricula of programming courses in Saudi universities.