“…The simulation programmes that exist in medical science (eg, Muscarella, 2007) or flight simulators (eg, Jinkun, Peng & Lianjie [2006], who are pioneers in this work) have been known for years. In terms of education in science, engineering and architecture schools, VLEs are becoming increasingly used as a working tool (eg, Connolly, Stansfield & Hainey, 2007; Croft & Ward, 2001; Edward, 2003; Ellis & Hafner, 2003; Gomez, Caja, Barajas, Berzal & Maresca, 2008a, Gomez, Caja, Barajas, Maresca & Berzal, 2008b, Gomez, Caja, Maresca, Barajas & Berzal, 2010; Hadshemi, Austin‐Stalcup, Anderson & Chandrashekar, 2005; Kocaturk, 2010; Krivickas, 2005; Martín‐Blas & Serrano‐Fernández, 2009; Yang & Chein, 2006; Yao et al ., 2005). University studies in the humanities and social sciences have also been using VLEs extensively for more than a decade (eg, Harper, Chen & Yen, 2004; Nakanishi, 2004; Schroeder, Huxor & Smith, 2001).…”