Enhancing Higher Order Thinking Skills in Anthropology Education: The Development and Impact of a Virtual Laboratory

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_8How to use a DOI?

Keywords

anthropology education; HOTS; virtual laboratory

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of virtual laboratories in enhancing higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) among students of the Anthropology Education Department at Universitas Negeri Medan. The research has two main objectives: first, to design a virtual laboratory tailored to anthropological studies, and second, to evaluate its feasibility and impact on students’ cognitive development. A quantitative descriptive method was utilized, applying the ADDIE model as the structure for creating and evaluating the virtual laboratory instrument and used qualitative feedback through focused group discussions and open-ended surveys to ensure comprehensive evaluation. The study involved 100 students from the class of 2023 in the Anthropology Education program and was conducted between August and December 2024. Findings indicate that the virtual laboratory significantly improved learning outcomes (26,4%), students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, core components of HOTS. The virtual environment facilitated active exploration of anthropological concepts, encouraged collaborative learning, and strengthened autonomy in the learning process. The digital format also enabled the visualization of complex cultural phenomena, which are often challenging to grasp through conventional teaching methods. This research makes a noteworthy contribution to the progression of educational technology within the social sciences and provides valuable insights into the strategic integration of virtual learning environments in anthropology education. The results underscore the potential of virtual laboratories to modernize learning practices while fostering deeper analytical engagement with anthropological subject matter.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Daud Daud
AU  - Rosramadhana Rosramadhana
AU  - Purnama Sari
AU  - Edy Suhartono
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/12
TI  - Enhancing Higher Order Thinking Skills in Anthropology Education: The Development and Impact of a Virtual Laboratory
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies (ICSSIS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 86
EP  - 98
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_8
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_8
ID  - Daud2025
ER  -