Problem based learning (PBL) method as a synchronization approach of chromatography course and chromatography laboratory work

There are several challenges arose in the conduct of subjects which are supported with the laboratory (lab) works as it was found in the course of Chromatography in the Study Program of Chemistry, Universitas Islam Indonesia. Firstly, the theoretical aspects in this course which are delivered in the class lecture were considered very broad and including various types of chromatography, in which not all of these could be applied for the lab work materials. Secondly, the chromatography lab work was conducted in the same semester with the course and the lab work series which was usually finished earlier than the class lecture. Lastly, the greatest difficulty faced by the students when they obtained data from the lab activities and they had to perform interpretation and analysis based on the results of the chromatography analysis to be written into the final lab report. Therefore in order to solve these problems, a new method containing learning activities in class which was designed in this research to synchronize the chromatographic course and the lab work was applied. The activity designed for the synchronization process in this research involved the application of problem based learning (PBL) method based on learning scenarios. Students were guided to extract some problems from the experiment performed in the lab especially those related to the analysis and interpretation of the data resulted followed by group discussion. After completing the task, on each schedule of class activity material related to the lab work material, some of the groups who had obtained the related topic in the lab work explained the problems they dealt with as well as the solutions they obtained to interpret the results of their analysis. At the end of the class activity, lecturer confirmed what the presenters in each group were delivered. Afterwards, the lecturer should explain the chromatographic material in accordance with the course outline.