Abstract 2353 Using Immersive Technologies to Teach Technical Skills in Biotechnology

This study evaluates the design and use of an interactive 3D immersive simulation geared towards teaching the technical skills necessary for mammalian cell culture. Unique to the virtual lab, users are afforded the ability to make independent decisions. These user decisions drive laboratory outcomes within the virtual environment, thus closely recapitulating the in-person experience while also providing technical feedback. Over two semesters, four sections of an upper-level, dual enrollment undergraduate/graduate course in biotechnology tested the simulation that supplemented existing face-to-face cell culture labs focused on sterile mammalian cell culture techniques.