Indonesia is one of the countries affected by changes in the education system and learning activities. Learning media aims at attracting students' interest in improving their cognitive and understanding of learning. The selection of media should be based on the following criteria: effective, useful, flexible, affordably accessible, and most importantly in line with learning objectives. Therefore, Virtual Reality-based learning media is the right technology for building online learning conditions to appear more real and real-time. This study aims to develop a VR-based learning media for welding technology courses. This study employed a Research and Development (R&D) method with a 4D development model consisting of define, design, develop, and disseminate. Stages are carried out in stages with analytical and experimental formulations. The results showed that the total average indicators of the VR learning media material validation witch was 0.87 (valid) and the design validation assessment was 0.88 (valid). It can be concluded that the validation results of the learning media developed are declared valid and have been well tested, and are effective to be applied to welding technology learning.

Aim/Purpose: This study explores the subject structure, social networks, research trends, and issues in the domain that have the potential to derive an overview of the development of virtual reality-based learning media in vocational education. Background: Notwithstanding the increasingly growing interest in the application of virtual reality in vocational learning, the existing research literature may still leave out some issues necessary for a comprehensive understanding. This study will point out such areas that need more exploration and a more comprehensive synthesis of the literature by conducting a bibliometric analysis. It will be interesting to keep track of the changing concepts and methodologies applied in the development of VR-based learning media in vocational education research. Methodology: This review was carried out using bibliometric methodology, which can highlight patterns of publication and research activity in this hitherto little studied area. The results of the study have the potential to lead to evidence-based priority in VR development, which will tailor work for vocational contexts and set the compass against the growing worldwide interest in this area. The study provides a descriptive analysis of publications, citations, and keyword data for 100 documents published between the years 2013 and 2022 from the Scopus database, which is conducted to illustrate the trends in the field. Contribution: This study also counts as a contribution to understanding the research hotspots of VR-based learning media in vocational education. Through bibliometric analysis, this study thoroughly summarized the relevant research and literature laying a knowledge foundation for researchers and policy makers. Additionally, this analysis identified knowledge gaps, recent trends, and directions for future research. Findings: The bibliometric analysis revealed the following key findings: 1. A growing publication trajectory, with output increasing from 7 articles in 2013 to 25 articles in 2022. 2. The United States led the contributions, followed by China, and Germany. 3. The most prominent authors are affiliated with American medical institutions. 4. Lecture proceedings include familiar sources that reflect this nascent domain. 5. Citation analysis identified highly influential work and researchers. 6. Keyword analysis exposed technology-oriented topics rather than learning-oriented terms. These findings present an emerging landscape with opportunities to address geographic and pedagogical research gaps. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study will be beneficial for designers and developers of VR-based learning programs because it aligns with the most discussed and influential VR technologies within the literature. Such an alignment of an approach with relevant research trends and focus can indeed be very useful for the effective application and use of VR-based learning media for quality improvements in vocational students' learning. Recommendation for Researchers: In fact, in this bibliometric review of VR integration within vocational classrooms, a future call for focused research is presented, especially on teaching methods, course design, and learning impact. This is a framework that seeks to establish its full potential with effective and integrated use of VR in the various vocational curricula and settings of learners. Impact on Society: From the findings of the bibliometric analysis, it is evident that virtual reality technologies (VR) have significantly led to transformation within educational media. There is no denying that the growing interest and investment in the integration of virtual reality into vocational education has been well manifested in the substantive increase in publications in the last decade. This shows what the innovation driving factor is in the United States. At the same time the rapid contributions from China signal worldwide recognition of the potential of VR to improve technical skills training. This study points the way for more research to bridge critical gaps, specifically how VR tools can be used in vocational high school classrooms. Furthermore, research should be aligned to meet specific needs of vocational learners and even promote international cross-border partnerships, pointing out the potential of virtual reality to be a universally beneficial tool in vocational education. The examination of highly cited articles provides evidence of the potential of VR to be an impactful pedagogical tool in vocational education. The findings suggest that researchers need to move forward looking at the trajectory of VR in vocational education and how promising it is in defining the future for innovative and effective learning methodologies. Future Research: This study is an exceptionally valuable contribution, a true landmark in the field of dynamic development, and one that denotes very meaningful implications for the future course of research in the dynamically developing field of bibliometric analysis of VR-based learning media for vocational education. The increase in the number of publications emanates from growing interests in the application of virtual reality (VR) technologies in vocational education. The high concentration of authorship from the USA, along with the ever increasing contributions from China, spotlights the increasing worldwide recognition of the impact of immersive technologies in the enhancement of training in technical skills. These are emerging trends that call for research to exemplify the diverse views and global teamwork opportunities presented by VR technologies. The study also highlights critical areas that need focused attention in future research endeavors. The fact that the embedding of VR tools into classrooms in vocational high schools has been poorly researched points to the major gap in pedagogical research within authentic educational settings. Therefore, further investigations should evaluate teaching methods in...

The development of digital technology for education is continuously conducted to successfully integrate digital technology with people's lives. This study aimed to develop an Augmented Reality learning media application for the Engineering Mechanics course, which is considered challenging by some students. Engineering mechanics, a discipline that analyzes structural analysis in compensating for the loads that work on a particular machine in scalar quantities, motion forces, vectors, and moments that require physical structural forms to analyze them, is considered challenging by some students. The Augmented Reality application was created using the prototyping method, which consists of three steps: 1) listening to the customer, 2) building/ revising mock-up, and 3) customer test-drivers mock-up. The AR-based learning media application includes usage instructions, developer info, learning videos, 3D AR object animation simulations, and exercise and discussion menus, which were tested as expected. The results of the black box testing indicate that the Augmented Reality-based engineering mechanics learning media application ran successfully as expected. However, users suggested improving the navigation speed by streamlining page transitions. The application provides an accessible solution for students as an alternative to traditional distance education, offering anytime, anywhere access to learning materials with longer duration.

This study analyzes the effectiveness of virtual laboratory-based distance learning as a means of improving the learning outcomes of students’ cognitive abilities and practical skills in the Computer Numerical Control course. This study utilized a pre-experimental design with a onegroup pretest-posttest structure. The research subjects were 31 second-year vocational students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Universitas Negeri Padang who had recently participated in four distance learning sessions. The research instruments included a pre-test, a post-test, and a student perception survey to assess the effectiveness of virtual laboratory treatment. The findings of this study demonstrate that the presence of a virtual laboratory enhances learning outcomes in terms of cognitive abilities. The pre-test value for cognitive abilities was 52.04, which increased to 82.36 in the post-test. Similarly, the pre-test value for practical skills was 56.98, which improved to 83.44 in the post-test. These improvements significantly contribute to the enhancement of learning outcomes, as indicated by an average N-gain value of 0.642 in the medium/effective category. We conclude that the use of virtual laboratory media through the Metaverse platform is effective for distance learning. This method reduces the initial requirement of 24 hours of face-to-face learning to just five hours of more effective self-study.

This research develops learning materials for Computer Numerical Control (CNC) programming courses based on virtual reality technology. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on social activities, one of which is the educational aspect, has changed the learning pattern to a massive one where the learning process that should be carried out face-to-face, but now must carry out distance learning. Therefore, alternative learning media is needed to support the practicum process from a distance by utilizing virtual reality technology that is simulated using digital devices. The Software engineering models, namely: requirements, design, implementation, verification, and maintenance phases are the five primary stages used in this study, which uses the waterfall development model research method. The feasible of the virtual laboratory obtained the results of material validation, learning media, and small group trials of 12 diploma students of Mechanical Engineering at Universitas Negeri Padang. The findings of the study found that small group trials in CNC virtual laboratory can be successfully utilized in CNC programming courses. This research is expected to have implications for improving learning outcomes in CNC programming courses by using virtual laboratory technology in creating a conducive and quality learning atmosphere, so that the learning material provided can be accepted by students.