Research on the Application Innovation of Digital Virtual Simulation Technology in Vocational Education Practical Teaching and the Improvement of Students’ Practical Operation Ability

Practical teaching in vocational education faces major constraints, including limited training venues, high-risk operating environments, expensive consumables, and insufficient personalized guidance. To address these problems, this paper systematically explores the innovative application of digital virtual simulation technology and its mechanism for improving students’ practical operation ability. Based on questionnaire surveys, experiments, and case studies, data from 12 vocational colleges in six provinces are used to analyze current application conditions and key problems. Four training modes are designed, namely contextualized immersive training, modular stepped training, personalized adaptive training, and inter-school collaborative simulation training. Three technical paths are further proposed: digital twin integration, AI-enabled evaluation, and micro-simulation-based fragmented learning. Empirical tests in majors such as mechatronics and nursing verify that the proposed mode significantly improves practical operation ability. The results show that virtual simulation technology can reduce long-term comprehensive training costs by more than 80% in typical high-risk or consumable-intensive scenarios and shorten the training cycle by 50%, providing a feasible technical solution for practical teaching reform in vocational education.