Virtual lab as distance learning media to enhance student’s science process skill during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The emergence of problems such as the COVID-19 pandemic that currently occurred interfere the implementation of teaching and learning activities in schools. Especially for science learning, it is not only about the content but also the processes to improve student’s skills, such as science process skills. Current technological advances make it possible to conduct distance learning using media such as virtual lab. This study aims to review the comparison of the effectiveness between virtual lab and traditional lab, the use of virtual lab on student’s science process skills, and the use of virtual lab as a medium of distance learning. This study uses a systematic literature review method with 22 selected articles. The results indicate that the use of virtual lab media has the same or even better effectiveness than traditional labs. The use of virtual lab enable to enhance student’s science process skills, especially in predicting and measuring. This is because the virtual lab media able to provide opportunities and flexibilities for students to conduct experiments by the level of ability and pace of learning each student, anytime and anywhere. Thus, the virtual lab media is feasible to be used as an alternative substitute method for distance learning.