Virtual laboratory as a media to improve the conceptual mastery of molecular biology

Abstract

The development of computer processing capabilities has implications for science learning. Various computer simulations are designed as tools or media to improve the mastery of science concepts. Virtual laboratory is one computer software that contains controlled experimental simulations. This weak experimental research uses one-group pretest-posttest design, which is observation or measurement carried out on one group of subjects before and after a treatment. The research subjects were 28 students of Biology Education at one of the educational institutions in the Kota Pekanbaru who contracted elective course in Molecular Biology in the even semester of Academic Year 2017/2018.The treatment in this study is the use of virtual laboratory integrated in the free inquiry learning strategy. The concept of Molecular Biology assessed was Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The test instrument to assess the mastery of the PCR concept is multiple choice questions with four answer choices. The results showed that the majority of students (82.8%) increased their mastery of the concept with a low criterion (N-gain score = 0.23), and on average 93% of students gave positive responses to learning with the virtual PCR experiment on the PCR concept, and 7% of students gave negative responses.It was concluded that the virtual laboratory can improve the concept mastery of PCR with low criteria.