ABSTRACT
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can support the implementation of a virtual laboratory in chemistry hybrid learning (ViCH-Lab). The use of a ViCH-Lab on the topic of the hydrolysis of salt was studied, by which the improvement of the students’ independent learning was measured and compared to that of students who did not use it. The virtual laboratory was developed in HTML format with animations. The ViCH-Lab mainly contained menus of learning materials, laboratory work topics, and evaluation. The method of research was a mixed method with embedded experimental design. The total number of samples were 68 students from class XI, consisting of 34 students in an experiment group and 34 students in a control group. The students in the experiment group learned chemistry through both regularly scheduled face-to-face sessions and teacher supervised online practices through the ViCH-Lab on a website, while those in the control group were only taught through regularly scheduled face-to-face sessions without the online component. The data regarding the improvement in the students’ independence was collected at the beginning and at the end of the learning activities using a questionnaire, and during the process of learning using an observation checklist. The data was analyzed statistically by an independent sample t-test and descriptive analysis. The results showed that the improvement in students’ independence in the experiment group was significantly higher than that of the control group.
