Nassar Farid S, Abbas Ahmed O
Department of Animal and Fish Production, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Animal and Fish Production, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
Poult Sci. 2025 Jun 28;104(10):105497. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.105497.
The integration of advanced technologies in agricultural education is essential to bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Digital twin (DT) technology stands out as a promising tool for simulating complex environments such as poultry farms, offering students immersive opportunities to engage with farm management processes without the need for physical presence in live production settings. This study explores the potential of DT-based virtual simulations to enhance student learning experiences and engagement in poultry farm management within higher education programs, while also examining their role in preparing graduates for the job market and influencing student enrollment in poultry science disciplines. A qualitative descriptive approach was adopted, including a review of relevant literature, to evaluate the impact of DT technology on various aspects of animal production, poultry science, and educational practices in higher education institutions. The findings reveal that incorporating DT into poultry-related academic programs creates interactive, safe environments where students can participate in activities such as ventilation control, feeding, disease monitoring, and performance analysis. These simulations contribute to deeper cognitive understanding, improved decision-making skills, and heightened motivation among current students, while equipping graduates with high-level competencies suited to a competitive labor market. Furthermore, the use of DT technology is expected to have a positive impact on students' perceptions, making poultry science programs more attractive and accessible. Based on these insights, the study recommends the systematic integration of DT technology into poultry science curricula and programs, given its powerful role in enhancing interactive learning, stimulating student interest, bridging the gap between theory and practice, improving graduate readiness for the job market, and increasing student enrollment through an engaging and realistic educational experience.
先进技术在农业教育中的整合对于弥合理论知识与实际应用之间的差距至关重要。数字孪生(DT)技术作为一种有前途的工具脱颖而出,可用于模拟诸如家禽养殖场等复杂环境,为学生提供沉浸式机会,使其无需亲临实际生产现场就能参与农场管理流程。本研究探讨了基于DT的虚拟模拟在高等教育项目中提升学生在家禽养殖场管理方面的学习体验和参与度的潜力,同时还考察了它们在帮助毕业生为就业市场做好准备以及影响学生选择家禽科学学科方面所起的作用。采用了定性描述方法,包括对相关文献的综述,以评估DT技术对高等教育机构中动物生产、家禽科学及教育实践等各个方面的影响。研究结果表明,将DT纳入与家禽相关的学术项目可营造互动、安全的环境,学生能够参与诸如通风控制、喂食、疾病监测和性能分析等活动。这些模拟有助于加深认知理解、提高决策技能并增强当前学生的学习动力,同时使毕业生具备适应竞争激烈的劳动力市场的高水平能力。此外,预计DT技术的使用将对学生的认知产生积极影响,使家禽科学项目更具吸引力且更容易参与。基于这些见解,鉴于DT技术在增强互动学习、激发学生兴趣、弥合理论与实践差距、提高毕业生就业市场准备度以及通过引人入胜且逼真的教育体验增加学生入学率方面所发挥的强大作用,本研究建议将DT技术系统地整合到家禽科学课程和项目中。