Present and Future Trends of Virtual Simulation in Education: A Bibliometric Analysis

Virtual simulation is a system that integrates multi-source information, interactive three-dimensional dynamic visualization, and entity behavior. It has introduced innovations in educational concepts and revolutionized teaching methods, technology, content, as well as spatial and temporal dynamics. This research presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the literature on virtual simulation in education. The primary aim is to provide a detailed overview of the current state and future prospects of this field. To achieve this, the study examines existing research trends and anticipates future directions using a bibliometric approach. A dataset comprising 982 journal articles was extracted from the Web of Science database for analysis. Through co-citation and keyword co-occurrence analyses, the study identifies influential publications, outlines the knowledge structure, and forecasts future trends. The co-citation analysis revealed five distinct clusters, while the keyword co-occurrence analysis identified four clusters. Despite the increasing importance of virtual simulation research, further scholarly efforts are required to comprehensively understand the research landscape in education. This article offers significant insights into the burgeoning field of virtual simulation in education and provides a thorough exploration of its potential for continued development in educational contexts.