Access to this full-text is provided by Taylor & Francis.
Content available from Cogent Engineering
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
COMPUTER SCIENCE | RESEARCH ARTICLE
Framework of virtual platforms for learning and
developing competencies
Nicia Guillén-Yparrea
1
*, Felipe Hernández-Rodríguez
1
and María Soledad Ramírez-Montoya
2
Abstract: This work seeks to analyze the scientific evidence of the last five years and
investigate the behavioral trends of virtual platforms and simulations for learning and
skills development. By conducting a systematic literature review, utilizing the SciVal tool,
and assessing statistical findings, we aim to establish a framework for the current status
of the subject and identify the primary trends and applications of the strategies
employed. Among the most relevant findings were the increase in registered users
worldwide in 2021 due to the pandemic and the growth of courses available on virtual
platforms such as Coursera and edEx. The most significant themes, both in indexed
scholarly publications and in recent citations, were in computer science and education,
showing how applications of educational technology have broken the paradigm of
traditional education. Statistical studies also provide information regarding projections
for new users in the next five years, owing to the popularity and effectiveness of these
tools. This article summarizes the most significant information from sources such as
Scopus, Web of Science, SciVal, and Statistical Sources. It presents a clear overview of the
experimentation and use of virtual platforms and simulations for learning and
Nicia Guillén-Yparrea
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicia Guillén-Yparrea is a professor at
Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico, and actual
student of the doctoral program Education in the
Knowledge Society at the University of
Salamanca, Spain. She focuses her research on
educational innovation, technology, intercultur-
ality and international collaboration.
PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT
This study aims to explore and analyze the
scientific evidence from the past five years and
the current trends in virtual platforms for learn-
ing and skills development. The objective is to
provide an overview of the subject status, iden-
tify emerging trends, and examine the applica-
tions of these strategies. The research found (a)
significant increase in global registered users in
2021, driven by the impact of the pandemic,
along with a surge in online courses offered by
different platforms, (b) noticeable popularity and
effectiveness of these tools, and (c) influential
topics in the fields of computer science and
education, indicating a shift towards educational
technology and a departure from traditional
teaching methods. This article synthesizes valu-
able information from different sources, offering
a comprehensive view of the experimentation
and use of virtual platforms for learning in higher
education, and providing key concepts and
guidelines for future applications in this rapidly
evolving field.
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 1 of 17
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribu-
tion, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on
which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in
a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Received: 11 May 2023
Accepted: 27 September 2023
*Corresponding author: Nicia
Guillén-Yparrea, School of
Engineering and Sciences,
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Av.
Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur,
Tecnologico, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
64849, Mexico
E-mail: nicia.gy@tec.mx
Reviewing editor:
Jenhui Chen, Computer Science and
Information Engineering, Chang
Gung University, Taiwan
Additional information is available at
the end of the article
competency development in higher education, highlighting key concepts and providing
guidelines for future applications.
Subjects: Design; Engineering Education; Technology; Education Studies; Higher Education
Keywords: competencies development; simulation for learning; educational innovation;
higher education; virtual learning; reasoning for complexity; virtual environments
1. Introduction
The increasing rapid advancement in communication technologies has forced educational institutions
to seek, use, or create the most attractive and promising tools to serve the various methods and
strategies employed in the classroom. At a time of solid technological presence, the educational field
must promote didactic processes in which technologies become the best allies to face a world in
constant change (Riofrío-Calderón & Ramírez-Montoya, 2022). Introducing new technology-assisted
learning tools, such as mobile devices, smart whiteboards, MOOCs, tablets, laptops, simulations,
dynamic visualizations, and virtual labs, has changed education in schools and institutions (Haleem
et al., 2022). Educators continuously seek technological tools to improve their students’ learning
(Carstens et al., 2021). Since the 2020 pandemic crisis, this intention has increased exponentially as
progress towards virtuality accelerated to meet the need for stay-at-home education so as not to
spread the virus. A traditional classroom environment relies on verbal and nonverbal communication
to create and foster cultural norms, behaviors, practices, and beliefs, but virtual learning disrupts this
process as technology changes the individual’s communicative behaviors (Greenan, 2021). College
students value digital tools for learning and perceive technology as a practical support for their
learning (Dabbagh et al., 2019). The teachers had to prepare in the short term to migrate their classes
from face-to-face to virtual classrooms, and, despite the effort and much achievement, some essential
activities could not occur. For example, carrying out these practices from distance classes was
impossible in chemistry, engineering, medicine, biology, and physics laboratories.
In recent years, virtual learning environments have been a topic of great interest in the scientific,
educational, and technological communities. They offer enormous potential for developing stu-
dents’ skills and improving learning outcomes. However, leveraging virtual learning environments
requires teachers to face new challenges. It requires changing teaching methods, implementing
effective virtual teaching modes, and adopting a learner-centered approach (Tan et al., 2021).
Simulations have become an increasingly popular teaching and learning tool in higher education,
as business simulations focus on specific functional areas specific to a company, such as account-
ing, finance, marketing, and business ethics.
In contrast, others take an enterprise-wide approach emphasizing relationships among an
organization’s various functional areas (Lohmann et al., 2019). The value of virtual reality in
education and learning is partly related to the fact that this technology can enhance and facilitate
learning, increase memory capacity, and help students make better decisions while working under
entertaining and stimulating conditions (Elmqaddem, 2019). The emergence of Industry 4.0 high-
lights the need for people to have the necessary skills to assume new functions, so educational
processes must embrace these new paradigms (Pacheco-Velazquez, 2022). The need to provide
students with tools to practice cases that may arise in their professional work after graduation is
evident. Simulation platforms and virtual laboratories offer a direct approach to a potential
scenario, facilitating the development of professional and transversal skills, such as self-
management of learning, teamwork, reasoning-for-complexity, and organization.
This work primarily aims to offer a comprehensive overview of virtual learning environments in
recent years. The objective is to provide a contextualized understanding of the subject, substanti-
ate its relevance, and establish a solid foundation for analysis, interpretation, and advancement in
this field. Exploring this environment’s current status, this study sheds light on the latest trends,
developments, and challenges, thereby contributing to a deeper awareness of this significant area
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 2 of 17
of research. Ultimately, this examination can facilitate informed decision-making and drive the
progress of virtual learning environments.
2. Method
The methodology to conduct this study and arrive at a precise and complete contextual framework
comprised three strategies:
(1) Systematic literature review (SLR)
(2) Research Performance Information (SciVal)
(3) Statistical data
The following describes the three methods used for the research evidence presented in this study.
2.1. Systematic literature review
The researchers conducted a systematic literature review to identify the different terms, topics,
and trends in theoretical and practical studies related to developing competencies and learning
through virtual platforms. The three stages of a systematic review are planning, reviewing, and
reporting (Kitchenham, 2007). Figure 1 shows the phases determined for this SLR and the actions
carried out in each.
In phase 1, this review’s objective was to identify the main components, variables, themes, and
trends in virtual learning platforms for developing competencies in university students.
The following research questions were defined:
RQ1: What are the most cited articles?
RQ2: What are the issues and trends addressed?
RQ3: What is the keyword that best describes the study?
RQ4: For which area of application was the study conducted?
To choose the articles that comprise the database, we established four inclusion criteria: scientific
articles written in English or Spanish, articles contained in the Scopus and Web of Science data-
bases, articles published from 2017 to January 2023, and articles related to virtual platforms for
learning and developing competencies in higher education.
The second phase entailed extracting articles from Web of Science and Scopus databases. The
search established the main terms: simulation, virtuality, competencies, and higher education. The
search was refined by limiting categories or subject areas by languages, either English or Spanish.
In addition, previously established inclusion criteria were applied. The implemented search strings
were as follows:
Results
Interpretation
Description
Conclusions
Review
Selection of the studies
Evaluation of the studies
Relevant data extraction
Definition
Objectives
Research questions
Inclusion criteria
Figure 1. Review process.
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 3 of 17
2.1.1. Web of Science
(virtual AND learning AND competenc* AND “higher education” AND (simulation OR platform)) and
Article (Document Types) and 2019 or 2020 or 2021 or 2022 or 2023 (Publication Years) and Articles
(Document Types) and English or Spanish (Languages) and Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) or
Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) or Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) or Book
Citation Index—Social Sciences & Humanities (BKCI-SSH) or Arts & Humanities Citation Index
(A&HCI) (Web of Science Index)
2.1.2. Scopus
TITLE-ABS-KEY (virtual AND learning AND competenc* AND “higher education” AND (simulation OR
platform)) AND (LIMIT-TO (PUBYEAR, 2022) OR LIMIT-TO (PUBYEAR, 2021) OR LIMIT-TO (PUBYEAR,
2020) OR LIMIT-TO (PUBYEAR, 2019)) AND (LIMIT-TO (LANGUAGE, “English”) OR LIMIT-TO
(LANGUAGE, “Spanish”)) AND (LIMIT-TO (SRCTYPE, “j”) OR LIMIT-TO (SRCTYPE, “p”))
After extracting the results from the search strings, we exported the articles to Excel for
database cleanup. As shown in Figure 2, the articles found in both databases were first detected
to eliminate duplicates. Then, the articles were analyzed, arriving at 33 articles eligible for review.
Excluded were articles that did not directly relate to the topic of interest, mainly because they only
mentioned one of the keywords but did not research the impact or application of virtual environ-
ments for learning.
In the third phase of the review, we analyzed and described the selected articles, answering each
of the proposed research questions and sharing the conclusions about the most relevant findings.
The database used for this study is available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7683181.
2.2. SciVal
To review the research performance of the topic of interest of this study, we used Elsevier’s SciVal
tool. SciVal allows you to review the research performance evaluation with different types of
analysis. It extracts data from the Scopus database, encompassing more than 78 million records
of scientific papers published since 1996 from more than 24,000 journals and more than 5,000
publishers worldwide.
Similar to the systematic literature review, alluding to the main components of the topic of
interest, we defined a new area of research using the keywords virtual learning, competencies, and
higher education for works published from 2017 to 2023.
This search aimed to assess the global publication performance of virtual learning environments.
It focused on several aspects, including (1) identifying the main areas of study in which the
research was conducted, (2) examining the specific topics addressed by each publication, (3)
analyzing the types of collaboration involved in the research, (4) determining the annual number
of publications, and (5) identifying the critical research concepts explored in these publications.
2.3. Statistics
Painting a good picture of virtual learning platforms’ implementation and use worldwide is
essential. The statistical data were collected mainly from scientific articles and data extracted
from reports generated on platforms such as Statista, Class Central, Coursera, and the World
Economic Forum.
The statistics feeding the reports provided data from a decade, from 2012 to the beginning of
2022, indicating worldwide data and trends. An important concept developed in this section
discusses MOOCS as open educational resources highly popularized by users on university plat-
forms and in non-university companies. In addition, it shows data about global growth in online
learning, the distribution of users worldwide, and the 5-year forecast.
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 4 of 17
This section aimed to know the statistics concerning virtual learning environments worldwide.
This search encompassed various facets, such as (1) the distribution of virtual courses and the
number of users in the last decade, (2) countries with more learners and the number of new users,
and (3) the projection of new learners in the next five years.
3. Results
The findings for each of the three strategies employed follow:
3.1. Systematic literature review
Below are the findings answering each research question of this systematic literature review.
RQ1: What are the most cited articles?
Records screened aer
duplicates removed
(n = 72)
Screening
Included
Eligibility
Iden fica on
Records iden!fied
through Scopus
database
(n = 52)
Full-text ar!cles
assessed
for eligibility
(n = 72)
Studies excluded for
not being related to
the subject
(n = 39)
Studies included in this
analysis
(n = 33)
Records iden!fied
through Web of
Science database
(n = 46)
Figure 2. PRISMA flow chart for
this review.
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 5 of 17
Table 1 shows the most cited articles in the database of the studies analyzed, identifying the
authors, the publication year, the publishing journal, and the number of times cited. For the most
part, the journals specialize in the areas of engineering, technology, and education. The most cited
article [15], “The Smart Classroom as a Means to the Development of ESD Methodologies”,
researched Smart Classrooms in 2020. It stood out with a high level of adequacy, describing
problem-based learning methods and projects, case studies, and cooperative inquiry. It reported
technological developments, environmental conditions, and processes. It identified the simulation
of Education for Sustainable Development as the methodology with the least adequacy in a smart
classroom because it was conducted mainly online and not face-to-face (Cebrián et al., 2020).
Knowing the most cited articles allows us to determine which studies have had the most impact
on the scientific community, identify trends, and understand the implications generated by
research into these topics.
Thus, the most cited articles in an area of knowledge provide an overview of the most influential
topics and authors; they can guide a line of research, identify gaps in knowledge, suggest
collaborative networks, and lead to decisions based on scientific evidence.
This information is crucial because it shows the state of the art and serves as a reference for
future research based on the validated results of these works. In addition, the number of citations
helps the authors assess the relevance and impact of their research.
RQ2: What are the issues and trends addressed?
Analyzing the studies to find gaps in the research topic, we identified the articles’ two main themes
and trends. Table 2 shows that the topics and trends most mentioned and explored in the articles
were virtual learning (36%), for example, study [4], which developed a tool to implement the
Erasmus+ project entitled Environmental Learning Innovation for More Knowledge and Better Jobs.
One of its main objectives was to improve students’ knowledge of environmental engineering and
make their skills and competencies more attractive to the labor market (Cocârţă et al., 2019).
Virtual reality (21%), such as article [7], explored the potential interventions of VR and MR in
education and workforce development in the construction sector, improving understanding of the
main differences between novices and experts and explaining how VR and MR can facilitate
acquiring tacit knowledge and expertise to address the current deficit of competencies in the
construction sector (Wu et al., 2019). Competencies development (21%), such as study [8] that
reported an innovative concept of standardized, automated hardware, virtual instrumentation
software, and simulation-based support with an assessment strategy to identify and reflect on
the outcomes of students’ competency learning experiences (Pavlasek et al., 2020).
From the data shown in the table, we can relate virtual learning platforms with virtuality
strategies involving new technologies such as Extended Reality, which includes augmented reality,
virtual reality, and mixed reality. Many applications employ these new technologies, including the
visualization of objects and scenarios, 360°virtual tours with images, and the currently booming
training in specialized equipment and task performance. The immersion these bring to the learning
experiences allows students access to museums, cities, laboratories, industry, and remote spaces
that are difficult to attend in person.
RQ3: What is the keyword that best describes the study?
To identify the most relevant concept explored in each study, we assigned a keyword that best
describes its content based on the interest of this systematic review.
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 6 of 17
Table 1. Most cited articles
Authors Title Year Journal Times Cited
Cebrian, G; Palau,
R; Mogas, J
The Smart
Classroom as
a Means to the
Development of ESD
Methodologies
2020 Sustainability 93
Wu, W; Hartless, J;
Tesei, A; Gunji, V;
Ayer, S; London, J
Design Assessment
in Virtual and Mixed
Reality
Environments:
Comparison of
Novices and Experts
2019 Journal of
Construction
Engineering and
Management
74
Tudon-Martinez,
JC; Hernandez-
Alcantara, D;
Rodriguez-
Villalobos, M;
Aquines-Gutierrez,
O; Vivas-Lopez, CA;
Morales-
Menendez, R
The Effectiveness of
Computer-Based
Simulations for
Numerical Methods
in Engineering
2020 International
Journal of
Interactive Design
and Manufacturing
—IJIDEM
66
Paz-Albo, J;
Jor’Dan, JR;
Hervas-Escobar, A
Promoting Family
Engagement:
Computer-Based
Simulations and
Teacher Preparation
2022 Journal of
Education for
Teaching
54
Rouleau, G;
Pelletier, J; Cote, J;
Gagnon, MP;
Martel-Laferriere,
V; Levesque, R;
Fontaine, G
Codeveloping
a Virtual Patient
Simulation to Foster
Nurses’ Relational
Skills Consistent with
Motivational
Interviewing:
A Situation of
Antiretroviral
Therapy
Nonadherence
2020 Journal of Medical
Internet Research
53
Alvarez-Blanco, L;
Castro-Lopez, A;
Cervero, A
Intelligent Analysis
of the Quality of
Education Through
Teaching Practices
on Virtual Campuses
2022 European Journal of
Psychology of
Education
51
Wach, A; Gawel, A Competencies
Required for
Teachers in Higher
Education to
Conduct Classes
Using a Strategic
Business Game
2020 e-Mentor 49
Terreni, L; Vilanova,
G; Varas, J
Development of
Digital
Competencies in
Pedagogical
Proposals in Mid-
Environments.
A Case in Higher
Education Under an
Extended Classroom
Model
2019 Informes Científicos
y Técnicos
40
(Continued)
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 7 of 17
The four categories of keyword grouping were:
●Simulation for learning: 34% (11 studies) investigated different forms of simulation for learning with
students, such as article [14] in which active learning activities developed in virtual learning
environments and supported by computer simulations were designed and implemented to teach
numerical methods. Addressing a real-life engineering problem, students analyzed a vehicle’s sus-
pension system, and simulation-based activity provided an environment to analyze the effect of
numerical method parameters to solve a set of ordinary differential equations (Tudon-Martinez
et al., 2020). Article [20] focused on developing and integrating Virtual Learning Factory (VLF)
tools that can be used in production management and engineering teaching to help students use
simulation and virtual reality in their manufacturing studies and practical projects with industrial
companies (Mahmood et al., 2021).
●AR/VR application: 18% (6 studies) focused on implementing virtual and augmented reality tools.
For example, article [9] presented an approach focused on using virtual reality as an educational
tool to help resolve industrial challenges through interactive education for future engineers (López
Ríos et al., 2020). Article [25] provided a 3D vision of the educational needs to design high-quality
images and animation and then use virtual reality glasses for immersion (Jiang, 2021; Wu et al.,
2019).
●Virtual environments: 24% (8 studies) focused primarily on the research and analysis of virtual
environments, such as article [3], which integrated learning resources related to the Internet of
Table 1. (Continued)
Authors Title Year Journal Times Cited
Rayisyan, MG;
Borodina, MA;
Denisova, OI;
Bogachev, YS;
Sekerin, VD
The Effectiveness of
Using Virtual
Laboratory
Workshops in Online
Education of
Students Studying
the Discipline
“Inorganic
Chemistry”
2020 Periodico Tche
Quimica
40
Bidyuk, NM;
Tserklevych, S;
Tretko, VV
The Virtual Museum
Space as a Platform
for Student Research
Activities in the
History of Economics
2021 Information
Technologies and
Learning Tools
26
Garita-Gonzalez, G;
Gutierrez-Duran,
JE; Godoy-
Sandoval, V
Teaching Perception
on Digital
Competencies and
Pedagogical
Mediation Applied
the Elaboration of
Didactic Material of
The Cátedra de
Administración de la
Universidad Estatal
A Distancia (UNED)
2019 Revista Electrónica
Calidad en la
Educación Superior
25
Zhang, Q; Wang, K;
Zhou, S
Application And
Practice of VR Virtual
Education Platform
in Improving the
Quality and Ability of
College Students
2020 IEEE Access 25
Rajendran, D;
Prasanna, S
Stealth Assessment
Strategy in
Distributed Systems
Using Optimal Deep
Learning with
Game-Based
Learning
2022 Journal of
Supercomputing
25
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 8 of 17
Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 in a remote and virtual laboratory environment for higher education
and research (Cardosa et al., 2019). Article [10] analyzed the feasibility of combining virtual reality
technology with education in first- and second-year college students, who improved their perfor-
mance markedly after using the virtual learning platform (Zhang et al., 2020).
●Distance education: 24% (8 studies) focused on research on distance education. For example, article
[5] examined quantifying the level of development reached by teachers in pedagogical mediation
and digital competencies that allowed them to integrate technological and communicative changes
into distance learning processes (Garita-González et al., 2019). Study [26] occurred at the National
University of Piura in Peru, in which a flipped classroom model was applied through a virtual Moodle
platform to develop research competencies (Benites et al., 2021).
As mentioned in the research question above, the studies reveal great expectations about learning
strategies involving remote education, virtual environments using technology, and accessing
educational resources such as simulators.
RQ4: For which area of application was the study conducted?
The specific application area in which the use of virtual simulation platforms and tools for learning
and skills development was also identified (Table 3). As in the case of “higher education,” study
[19] took place in a Mexican university with 310 professional students from 12 different courses; it
offered an alternative assessment method for a personalized evaluation of competency develop-
ment using gamification in virtual reality (Garcia et al., 2021). “Industrial engineering education,”
such as study [27], presented the conceptual development and testing of a virtual factory learning
toolkit to help students exploit enabling technologies like simulation and virtual reality in their
manufacturing studios and hands-on projects with industrial companies (Mahmood et al., 2021).
In “clinical education,” study [13] described a simulation of a virtual patient having difficulties
adhering to treatment to foster the relational skills that nurses need in such situations (Rouleau
Table 2. Trends and topics of the studies
Trends and topics Number of articles
Virtual learning 12
Virtual reality 7
Competencies development 7
Simulation-based learning 4
Virtual environments 4
Virtual Learning Factory (VLF) 3
Virtual tours 3
Augmented reality 2
Virtual lab-based 2
Virtual work platform 2
Digital competencies 2
Virtual education 2
Smart classrooms 2
AR/VR application 2
Virtual organization 2
Self-learning 2
Artificial intelligence 2
Game-based learning (GBL) 2
Mixed reality 2
Immersive learning 2
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 9 of 17
et al., 2020). In “business education,” study [17] analyzed game-based business simulation as one
of the most important teaching and learning tools in business education (Wach & Gaweł, 2020).
This information highlights the diversity of topics addressed with the appropriate use of virtual
learning strategies, finding similarities in the experience one wants to share with students,
whether in industrial, academic, clinical, or business environments. Virtual platforms have become
a learning source for users worldwide to acquire knowledge and skills and develop competencies in
various areas of knowledge.
3.2. SciVal
The SciVal search extracted relevant information from the most significant visualizations of virtual
platforms for learning and skills development in recent years.
Figure 3 displays classification clusters of the different study topics, providing the opportunity to
identify the convergences of the branches of knowledge in which more research has occurred in
recent years: Social Sciences (52%), Computer Science (50%), and Engineering (32%). However, the
overlap between Social Sciences and Computer Science is remarkable. In the area of Social
Sciences, the most outstanding sub-area is Education (48%), and in Computer Science: Computer
networks and communication (26%), and Computer science applications (22%). This analysis rein-
forces the Systematic Review of Literature findings, which emphasized using technologies for
education and their contributions to developing competencies. The undoubted relationship
between education and the development of computational tools puts into perspective the popu-
larity of virtual platforms for learning.
Concerning how these investigations were generated and collaborated, Table 4 reveals that
collaboration was institutional, but there were significant percentages of international and
national collaborations.
Remarkably, just over 50% of publications were by only one author or in collaboration with
colleagues from the same institution, and the others were collaborations of authors at national
and international levels. This shows the growing importance of working together from different
perspectives and scenarios to enrich research and generate meaningful findings.
Table 3. Specific areas of implementation
Specific areas of implementation Number of articles
Higher education 6
Industrial engineering education 4
Clinical education 3
Business education 2
Teacher training 2
Food industry 1
Technical drawing 1
Environmental engineering 1
Management sciences 1
Professional practice 1
Construction industry education 1
Chemistry education 1
Sustainable education 1
Communication sciences education 1
Economics education 1
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 10 of 17
Figure 4 displays the comparative analysis of publications over the last five years; note that
2022–2023 is still incomplete. The growing interest of researchers in the subject is evident, starting
in 2018, but by 2021, there was a notable increase, probably related to the pandemic that began in
2020. Developments in virtual platforms increased, given the need to continue education for the
population worldwide. In turn, interest in the virtual educational offerings on university and non-
university platforms proliferated, as discussed in the next section.
Figure 5 is a word cloud of key phrases of the most recurrent trends in research over the past five
years. It shows that the most popular topics were related to education and computer science and
the relative relationships among these.
Knowing the concepts continuously emerging in research topics can help frame the main
components to consider and investigate from various perspectives necessary for better proposals.
3.3. Statistics
Open educational resources have developed since 1999 when MIT opened a project called
“OpenCourseWare.” Subsequently, many higher education institutions created versions and
released them to the general public. Copyright licenses such as CreativeCommons developed
from the need to share open resources, which allow intellectual property to be preserved by
freeing up resources (Pernías-Peco & Luján-Mora, 2014).
In 2012, the Times published an article called “The Year of the MOOC” (Massive Open Online
Courses) (Pappano, 2012), establishing the official opening of what we know as Online Learning
Platforms. By the end of 2021, close to 20,000 new online courses for learning existed, as shown in
Figure 6 These courses were primarily divided into Business (21%), Technology (20%), Social
Figure 3. Distribution of the
publications shared by subject
area.
Table 4. Types of collaboration reported in the publications
Type of collaboration Percentage
International collaboration 27.1%
Only national collaboration 20.8%
Only institutional collaboration 41.7%
Single authorship (no collaboration) 10.4%
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 11 of 17
Sciences (11%), Sciences (10%), Humanities (9%), Education (7%), and miscellaneous courses
(22%). The results of this study excluded China due to the difficulty in analyzing those studies
(Shah, 2021a).
The first decade of MOOCS saw 220 M users and 19.4K online courses at 950 universities,
according to the Class Central report in “A Decade of MOOCs: A Review of MOOC Stats and
Trends in 2021.” Many of the online courses offered were created by companies such as Google,
Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Coursera, and edX, the latter being the most popular companies in
the market (Shah, 2021b).
According to the World Economic Forum in the “Coursera Impact Report 2021,” the 10 countries
with the most users on the Coursera platform were mainly in Asia Pacific (India, China), followed by
North America (USA, Mexico, Canada), United Kingdom, Latin America (Brazil, Colombia), and Egypt
(Figure 6).
Likewise, Table 5 reports the 10 countries with the highest rate of new users registered on the
platform from emerging economies (Wood, 2022).
0
5
10
15
20
25
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Figure 4. Annual number of
publications.
Figure 5. Key research
concepts.
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 12 of 17
“Online Education—Segment Data Analysis & Forecast”, published by Statista in 2022, identified
three significant trends in its analysis:
●Online University Education includes undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and tertiary learning
platforms like Coursera and edX.
●Online Platform Learning includes courses, badges, and micro-credentials (Coursera, EdX, Udacity,
Duolingo, Babbel, etc.)
●Professional Certificates: certifications by professional institutions (CPA, CFA, PMP)
Figure 7 shows the growth forecast for registered users based on the trends for some regions of
interest. Due to market regulations, China will lose around 60 million platform users (Miller, 2022).
A significant increase in the number of new users in India is expected in the next 5 years.
Figure 8 shows and reaffirms that the “Online Learning Platforms” will experience the most
growth.
4. Framework proposal
Based on the results of this research, we propose a framework containing the most relevant features and
information about the virtual platforms for developing competencies in higher education from the last
decade until now (Figure 9). This framework revolves around students as the primary beneficiaries, with
teachers facilitating knowledge transfer, the adoption of virtual platforms to enhance the learning
experience and leveraging virtuality as the medium to achieve educational goals. We define a “virtual
17.3
13.6
4.8
3.7
3.3
2.4
2.4
2.4
2.2
1.6
USA
India
Mexico
Brazil
China
Canada
Russia
UK
Colombia
Egypt
Number of users (Millions)
Figure 6. Top 10 countries with
the most users on Coursera
worldwide (Wood, 2022).
Table 5. Top 10 countries by learner growth
Rank Type of collaboration Percentage
1Paraguay 98%
2Lebanon 97%
3Philippines 85%
4Guyana 74%
5Indonesia 69%
6Kenya 61%
7Ethiopia 60%
8Rwanda 57%
9Vietnam 55%
10 Kazakhstan 54%
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 13 of 17
learning platform” as an ecosystem of educational technology tools that allows self-management and
personalization of learning so that students can develop and reinforce their competencies.
5. Discussion and conclusions
Knowing the contexts of previous studies leads to recognizing their contributions to future research.
One can identify which topics of interest still need to be addressed in different environments to
enrich the findings (Table 3, Figure 3). Virtual education is usually associated with a computer or any
mobile device; however, the goal is to connect any discipline’s contents to these technologies (Lucía
Gonzalez-Carrión et al., 2020). Findings have shown that virtual platforms and tools can be applied in
different knowledge areas, which users accept and favorably adopt.
The three strategies that comprise the methodology provide observations about educational
technology for learning different topics, which suggests that virtual platforms for learning have
been successfully exploited for more than a decade by university and non-university organizations,
for-profit and non-profit, for the training and teaching of different topics worldwide for anyone
interested in learning. Figure 4 shows the growth of interest in publications over the last three
years, opening the way to research to improve existing proposals and adapt them for current
professional preparation. Research, education, and development must be one. We have an excel-
lent opportunity to reduce the educational gap between developed and developing countries and
within developing countries, where the gaps in schools, resources, and content are also consider-
able (Zamora-Antuñano et al., 2022). These findings indicate the opportunity to create virtual
resources to support education, ongoing training, and integral development of students.
Through the bibliographic review in indexed databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, we
identified the most cited articles, the trends they address, the keywords, and the areas of most
interest in virtual learning and skills development, finding relevant information for new lines of
research. The recurring themes were higher education, distance and virtual educational environ-
ments, and competencies development, where the areas of education and computer sciences were
prevalent in the studies and articles developed in the last five years (Table 2, Figures 3 and 5).
Figure 7. 5-year new user fore-
cast (Miller, 2022).
Figure 8. Forecast of new users
worldwide (Miller, 2022).
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 14 of 17
Education faces increasing demands. Spaces and times are changing, the actors involved in the
different training processes have more variants, and the integration of virtual platforms as
a teaching and learning strategy has become crucial in all these processes (Valencia et al., 2017).
Virtual platforms and simulations have become allies to reinforce the content that students analyze
with the teacher within the classroom for the practice and self-management of their learning.
This analysis also shows that, in 2021, publications increased considerably in virtual platforms,
virtual laboratories, simulation for learning, and technology for educational innovation. This phenom-
enon is proven by the statistical analysis that shows the high increase in the offerings of online courses
on the different platforms and the increase in registered users (Figure 7, Table 5). The use of e-learning
platforms should be encouraged, but the transition should be gradual so that agents understand the
new learning strategy and how to maximize its potential (Onyema et al., 2020). An example is the
Coursera platform, where the countries with the most users are the United States, India, and Mexico,
and the countries with the highest growth rates are Paraguay, Lebanon, and the Philippines.
6. Implications
Learning through virtual platforms has become increasingly popular in recent years, espe-
cially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlights the importance of using
educational technology and virtual platforms, their evolution, and the need for further
research to enrich the findings and enhance the quality of education. One of the possible
implications of learning through virtual platforms is that it can increase access to education
and training for people who would not otherwise have access. For example, people living in
remote or rural areas or with disabilities that make it difficult to attend traditional face-to-
face classes can benefit from learning through virtual platforms. Another implication of
learning through virtual platforms is the ability to personalize and individualize education
and training. Virtual platforms can deliver personalized content to learners based on their
needs and interests, enabling a more customized learning experience.
The implications of learning through virtual platforms are complex and diverse. While this approach
to education and training can bring advantages, essential considerations must ensure that learning
through virtual platforms is practical and accessible to all learners. At this point, some developing
countries are already betting that the use of platforms will increase because it has been shown that
they are excellent sources of knowledge and skills development. The proposed framework contains
the most relevant key concepts in learning through virtual platforms, showing the need to facilitate
Figure 9. A framework of virtual
platforms for learning.
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 15 of 17
access, provide flexibility, promote interactivity, leverage virtual and multimedia resources, and
encourage self-learning. These characteristics contribute to an enriching educational experience
adapted to the individual needs of the users.
7. Limitations and recommendations
A study limitation is the consultation with only two databases, Scopus and Web of Science, for the
systematic literature review. The parameters used by the Scival tool came only from the Scopus
database, which could have limited the scientific evidence reviewed. Also, the restriction of the
terms used for the search in each database could be a limitation. Another consideration is that the
authors decided the categories used to group the studies to answer some of the research ques-
tions based on their main topics of interest.
As part of the recommendations for future studies, we point out that this work presents
a conceptual and contextual framework of the research conducted in recent years on virtual
platforms and simulations for learning and skills development. We invite all those interested in
this thematic area to scientific, educational, and practical inquiry into the references and char-
acteristics in this study’s findings.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the technical support of Writing
Lab, Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de
Monterrey, Mexico, in the production of this work.
Funding
The authors appreciate the financial support from
Tecnologico de Monterrey through the “Challenge-Based
Research Funding Program 2022”. Project ID # I005 -
IFE001 - C2-T3 – T.
Author details
Nicia Guillén-Yparrea
1
E-mail: nicia.gy@tec.mx
ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6627-4141
Felipe Hernández-Rodríguez
1
ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7607-7512
María Soledad Ramírez-Montoya
2
ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1274-706X
1
School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de
Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico.
2
Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de
Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico.
Statements and declarations
The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest
concerning this article, research, authorship, and/or
publication.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the
author(s).
Citation information
Cite this article as: Framework of virtual platforms for
learning and developing competencies, Nicia Guillén-
Yparrea, Felipe Hernández-Rodríguez & María Soledad
Ramírez-Montoya, Cogent Engineering (2023), 10:
2265632.
References
Benites, L., Villalba-Condori, K., Arias-Chavez, D., Berrios-
Espezua, M., & Cano, S. (2021). Classroom flipped in
a virtual platform for the development of competen-
cies. Case study: Applied research course. Campus
Virtuales. www.revistacampusvirtuales.es
Cardosa, A., Restivo, M. T., da Madeira, U., & IEEE
Industrial Electronics Society, & Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers. (2019). Proceedings of the
2019 5th Experiment@ International Conference
(exp. at’19): Online Experimentation: date and venue:
12–14 June Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
Carstens, K. J., Mallon, J. M., Bataineh, M., & Al-Bataineh, A.
(2021). Effects of technology on Student learning. The
Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 20(1).
Cebrián, G., Palau, R., & Mogas, J. (2020). The smart
classroom as a means to the development of ESD
methodologies. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(7),
3010. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12073010
Cocârţă, D. M., Lăcrămioara, D. R., & Liviu Andrei, N.
(2019). Virtual education for environmental
engineers. BRAIN Broad Research in Artificial
Intelligence and Neuroscience, 64–72. https://www.
researchgate.net/publication/331651295
Dabbagh, N., Fake, H., & Zhang, Z. (2019). Student per-
spectives of technology use for learning in higher
education. RIED. Revista Iberoamericana de
Educación a Distancia, 22(1), 127. https://doi.org/10.
5944/ried.22.1.22102
Elmqaddem, N. (2019). Augmented reality and virtual
reality in education. Myth or reality?. International
Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 14
(3), 234–242. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v14i03.
9289
Garcia, G. M., Octavio Cabrera Lazarini, J. G., Aviles
Rabanales, E. G., & Gutierrez, A. F. (2021). Are virtual
reality and gamification strategies adaptive for evalua-
tions? 2021 Machine Learning-Driven Digital
Technologies for Educational Innovation Workshop, 1–5.
https://doi.org/10.1109/IEEECONF53024.2021.9733767
Garita-González, G., Gutierrez-Durán, J.-E., & Godoy-
Sandoval, V. (2019). Percepción docente sobre las
competencias digitales y la mediación pedagógica
aplicadas en la elaboración de materiales didácticos
de la Cátedra de Administración de la Universidad
Estatal a Distancia (UNED). Revista Electrónica
Calidad En La Educación Superior, 10(1), 125–159.
https://doi.org/10.22458/caes.v10i1.2181
Greenan, K. A. (2021). The Influence of Virtual Education
on Classroom Culture. In Frontiers in Communication.
(Vol. 6). Frontiers Media S.A.
Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Qadri, M. A., & Suman, R. (2022).
Understanding the role of digital technologies in
education: A review. Sustainable Operations and
Computers, 3, 275–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
susoc.2022.05.004
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 16 of 17
Jiang, L. (2021). Virtual reality action interactive teaching
artificial intelligence education system. Complexity,
2021, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5553211
Kitchenham, B. (2007). Guidelines for performing sys-
tematic literature reviews in software engineering.
https://goo.gl/L1VHcw
Lohmann, G., Pratt, M. A., Benckendorff, P., Strickland, P.,
Reynolds, P., & Whitelaw, P. A. (2019). Online busi-
ness simulations: Authentic teamwork, learning out-
comes, and satisfaction. Higher Education, 77(3),
455–472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-018-0282-x
López Ríos, O., Lechuga López, L. J., & Lechuga López, G.
(2020). A comprehensive statistical assessment fra-
mework to measure the impact of immersive envir-
onments on skills of higher education students:
A case study. International Journal on Interactive
Design & Manufacturing (IJIDeM), 14(4), 1395–1410.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12008-020-00698-1
Lucía Gonzalez-Carrión, E., Lorena Muñoz-Vallejo, M., &
Héctor Sánchez-Landín, J. (2020). The impact of vir-
tual platforms in the field of the knowledge and
information Society as a learning resource. http://
ceur-ws.org
Mahmood, K., Otto, T., Kuts, V., Terkaj, W., Modoni, G.,
Urgo, M., Colombo, G., Haidegger, G., Kovacs, P., &
Stahre, J. (2021). Advancement in production engineer-
ing education through virtual learning factory toolkit
concept. Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of
Sciences, 70(4), 374. https://doi.org/10.3176/proc.2021.
4.02
Mahmood, K., Otto, T., Kuts, V., Terkaj, W., Urgo, M., &
Haidegger, G. (2021). Development of virtual learning
Factory toolkit for production engineering education.
Proceedings of the International Conference of
DAAAM Baltic, 2019 April. https://doi.org/10.1088/
1757-899X/1140/1/012039
Miller, M. (2022). Online education –segment data analysis
& forecast. Statista.com. Retrieved March 5, 2023,
from https://0.www.statista.com/study/116028/eser
vices-report-online-education/?locale=en
Onyema, E. M., Nkiruka, P., Chika Eucheria, N.,
Uchenna, E. C., & Ukamaka Eucheria, A. (2020).
Teacher impact of E-learning platforms on students’
interest and academic achievement in data structure
course. CCU Journal of Science, 1(1). https://www.
researchgate.net/publication/343933988
Pacheco-Velazquez, E. (2022). Effects of the use of simu-
lators and an online platform in logistics education.
International Journal on Interactive Design &
Manufacturing (IJIDeM), 16(2), 439–457. https://doi.
org/10.1007/s12008-021-00791-z
Pappano, L. (2012, November 2). The year of the MOOC.
The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/
11/04/education/edlife/massive-open-online-courses
-are-multiplying-at-a-rapid-pace.html
Pavlasek, P., Hargas, L., Koniar, D., Simonova, A.,
Pavlaskova, V., Spanik, P., Urica, T., & Prandova, A.
(2020). Flexible engineering educational concept:
Insight into students’ competencies growth in crea-
tivity, activity, and cooperation. 13th International
Conference ELEKTRO 2020, ELEKTRO 2020 -
Proceedings, 2020–May. https://doi.org/10.1109/
ELEKTRO49696.2020.9130196
Pernías-Peco, P., & Luján-Mora, S. (2014, January 3). Los
MOOC: orígenes, historia y tipos. Centro de
Comunicación y Pedagogía. http://www.centrocp.
com/los-mooc-origenes-historia-y-tipos/
Riofrío-Calderón, G., & Ramírez-Montoya, M. S. (2022).
Mediation and Online Learning: Systematic Literature
Mapping (2015–2020). In Sustainability (Switzerland)
(Vol. 14). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052951
Rouleau, G., Pelletier, J., Côté, J., Gagnon, M.-P., Martel-
Laferrière, V., Lévesque, R., & Fontaine, G. (2020).
Codeveloping a virtual patient simulation to foster
Nurses’ relational skills consistent with motivational
interviewing: A situation of antiretroviral therapy
nonadherence. Journal of Medical Internet Research,
22(7), e18225. https://doi.org/10.2196/18225
Shah, D. (2021a, December 1). By the numbers: MOOCs in
2021 — class central. The Report by Class Central.
https://www.classcentral.com/report/mooc-stats
-2021/
Shah, D. (2021b, December 14). A decade of MOOCs:
A review of MOOC stats and trends in 2021 — class
central. The Report by Class Central. https://www.class
central.com/report/moocs-stats-and-trends-2021/
Tan, K. H., Chan, P., & Said, N. S. M. (2021). Higher
education students’ online instruction perceptions:
A quality virtual learning environment.
Sustainability, 13(19), 10840. https://doi.org/10.
3390/su131910840
Tudon-Martinez, J. C., Hernandez-Alcantara, D.,
Rodriguez-Villalobos, M., Aquines-Gutierrez, O., Vivas-
Lopez, C. A., & Morales-Menendez, R. (2020). The
effectiveness of computer-based simulations for
numerical methods in engineering. International
Journal on Interactive Design & Manufacturing
(IJIDeM), 14(3), 833–846. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s12008-020-00673-w
Valencia, H. G., Enriquez, J. A. V., & Agredo, P. M. (2017).
Strategies used by professors through virtual edu-
cational platforms in face-to-face classes: A view
from the chamilo platform. English Language
Teaching, 10(8), 1. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.
v10n8p1
Wach, A., & Gaweł, A. (2020). Competencies required for
teachers in higher education to conduct classes
using a strategic business game. E-Mentor, 84(2),
13–21. https://doi.org/10.15219/em84.1460
Wood, J. (2022). These 3 charts show the global growth in
online learning. Centre for the New Economy and
Society.
Wu, W., Hartless, J., Tesei, A., Gunji, V., Ayer, S., &
London, J. (2019). Design assessment in virtual and
mixed reality environments: Comparison of novices
and experts. Journal of Construction Engineering and
Management, 145(9). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)
co.1943-7862.0001683
Zamora-Antuñano, M. A., Rodríguez-Reséndiz, J., Cruz-
Pérez, M. A., Reséndíz, H. R., Paredes-García, W. J., &
Díaz, J. A. G. (2022). Teachers’ perception in selecting
virtual learning platforms: A case of Mexican higher
education during the COVID-19 crisis. Sustainability
(Switzerland), 14(1), 195. https://doi.org/10.3390/
su14010195
Zhang, Q., Wang, K., & Zhou, S. (2020). Application and
practice of VR virtual education platform in improv-
ing the quality and ability of college students. IEEE
Access, 8, 162830–162837. https://doi.org/10.1109/
ACCESS.2020.3019262
Guillén-Yparrea et al., Cogent Engineering (2023), 10: 2265632
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2265632
Page 17 of 17
