Abstract
With the prevalence of virtual and remote laboratories (VRLs) in higher education and the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increasing demand for stringent evidence of their collaborative design. It explores the key success factors determining virtual teams’ effectiveness amongst 363 undergraduate students from the University of Sousse, Tunisia, who participated in VRL-based coursework through their pandemic-implemented remote learning experience. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey study and multiple regression, we reveal communication quality (β = 0.47, p < .001) and digital tool integration (β = 0.31, p < .001) as the biggest predictors of virtual team effectiveness, accounting for 58.3% of outcome variance (R2 = .583, F(4,358) = 124.7, p < .001). However, neither task allocation nor collaboration had independent significant impact on multivariate models, which implies a mediation between communicative and technological infrastructure. Embedded into Industry 4.0 requirements and the current Metaverse-Enhanced Learning Ecosystem (MELE) framework, our results provide recommendations and specific design points for next-generation VRL platforms that focus on synchronous co-experimentation, adaptive AI-driven guidance, and communicative scaffolding. This study advances the empirical literature on virtual teamwork in STEM education and proposes a design approach grounded in evidence for collaborative remote laboratory environments.