With the ongoing advancement of the “Double Ten Thousand Plan”, China’s domestic virtual simulation experiment teaching system is experiencing high-quality and large-scale development. Currently, research in this field focuses mostly on sharing experiences in constructing and managing specific experimental projects, with limited attention to teaching methods in virtual simulation experiments. Given the evolving landscape, it is necessary to thoroughly review and reflect on the design principles of virtual simulation experiments from a practical perspective to obtain generalizable insights. A key area of interest is integrating appropriate teaching models into virtual simulation courses to foster innovation and challenge.

This study first analyzed common problems in current virtual simulation experiments in nuclear physics, including monotonous teaching content with insufficient scalability, poor integration of experiments with theory and application, and a lack of personalized student development. To address these issues, an emerging ETA education model was considered. Using the ETA cognitive model as a teaching framework, a virtual simulation experiment case titled “radiation material interaction and shielding principle” was constructed.

According to the requirements of the ETA model, the model divides the experimental content into three logical modules: E, T, and A. The E module features low-difficulty, intuitive, and visual experiments, including track measurements and characteristic physical quantity measurements. The T module emphasizes pattern exploration through experiments, requiring students to compare and validate experimental data with physical theories to establish theoretical understanding. The A module presents three practical nuclear physics scenarios: radiation shielding design, CT detection principles, and heavy ion therapy. These comprehensive experiments help students build their own knowledge systems and apply them to real-world contexts. The modules include over 20 experimental sub-questions with increasing difficulty, fostering a step-by-step increase process, with each experimental topic having a logical and correlated progression. This allows students to discover the alignment between experiments and theory, mastering concepts like radiation-matter interaction and the shielding principle. In addition, the virtual simulation experiment introduces innovative features, such as open-ended questions, scientific research methods, and peer learning, which differ from traditional experiment projects in teaching practice.

Teaching evaluations reveal that this course structure has gained widespread recognition among students who find it challenging and innovative and helps them acquire comprehensive knowledge in nuclear physics experiments. Integrating the ETA model into nuclear physics virtual simulation experiment teaching strengthens the connection among experiments, theory, and application in nuclear virtual simulation courses, promoting a constructivist “student-centered learning” approach. Additionally, this structured design paradigm for virtual simulation projects, centered on specific teaching models, should offer valuable insights for constructing and applying other experimental courses.