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Introduction to PhET Interactive Simulations

Rebecca Vieyra

Associate Director of Global Initiatives

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Objectives

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Locate and interact with PhET simulations
Find help and support for using PhET simulations

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Interactive Simulations

To learn science and mathematics

Founded by Carl Wieman in 2002

PhET (Physics Education Technology)

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2001 Nobel Prize in Physics

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Goal: To make STEM learning more:

ENGAGING: Interact & discover key ideas
RELEVANT: Connect to everyday life
ACCESSIBLE: Intuitive and understandable
EFFECTIVE: Use STEM practices and develop understanding
PERSONALIZED: Student agency

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Make learning STEM more like doing STEM

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Today: Over 160 simulations - all free

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Play with the simulation for 5 min

See simulation link in the chat.

What do you notice?

What do you wonder?

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Share a discovery you made with the sim

Write in the chat or raise your hand to share!

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Complete one or more challenges:

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What is the relationship among mass, velocity, and distance between orbiting objects?

How does gravity change throughout a circular/elliptical orbit?

What else can you explore?

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Conclusions

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ESS-Related Simulation Trajectories

Atmospheric interactions with light.

NGSS → ESS: Earth’s Systems

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What questions could you ask students to explore?

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ESS-Related Simulations

Earth’s Place in the Universe

NGSS → ESS: Earth’s Systems

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What questions could you ask students to explore?

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Benefits of Using PhET Simulations

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SELF-ASSESSMENT: Provide real time feedback with minimal explicit guidance.

INTERACTIVE VISUALIZATION: Foster visual, dynamic learning of scientific concepts.

COGNITION: Aids learning through scaffolding, reducing cognitive load.

REINFORCEMENT: Support multiple representations, pacing and self-directed learning.

AGENCY: Guides students without feeling guided.

Sims are specifically designed to support students in constructing a robust conceptual understanding of math and science topics through exploration.

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Evidence of increased learning

A greater percentage of students answer conceptual questions correctly when a sim is used in demos vs. physical equipment.

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Perkins, K., et al. (2006). Physics Teacher, 44(18).

In-Class Questions

Notes on interactive delivery of the slide

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Key points to mention

We know from research on PhET simulations that students who use sims show increased understanding and increased demonstration of learning as compared to using physical manipulatives (at least in some cases). However, PhET does not advocate for “simulation-only” learning. Rather, this study demonstrates the importance of simulations for visualization.

In the Wave on a String sim, you can wiggle the end of the string with the mouse or a piston to create a wave and explore the effects of tension and damping. The sim was used to help students visualize a standing wave then follow with a concept test. Only 27% of students showed the traditional tygon tube demo answered correctly, compared with 71% of the students shown the sim.
When using the sims, the students and the teacher see the same objects and motions, allowing the teacher and students to focus their time on and attention on creating an understanding of the physics rather than on establishing a common picture.

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Evidence of increased learning

A greater percentage of students answer conceptual questions correctly when they do experiments with sim, followed by real equipment, compared with only using physical equipment.

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Finkelstein, N., et al. (2005). Physical Review Special Topics-Physics Education Research, 1(1), 010103.

Notes on interactive delivery of the slide

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Key points to mention

We know from research on PhET simulations that students who use sims show increased understanding and increased demonstration of learning as compared to using physical manipulatives (at least in some cases). However, PhET does not advocate for “simulation-only” learning. Rather, this study demonstrates the importance of simulations for visualization.

Research examined the effects of substituting a computer simulation for real laboratory equipment in the second semester of a large-scale introductory physics course. The direct current circuit laboratory was modified to compare the effects of using computer simulations with the effects of using real light bulbs, meters, and wires. Two groups of students, those who used real equipment and those who used a computer simulation that explicitly modeled electron flow, were compared in terms of their mastery of physics concepts and skills with real equipment. Students who used the simulated equipment outperformed their counterparts both on a conceptual survey of the domain and in the coordinated tasks of assembling a real circuit and describing how it worked.

The graph shows student performance on three final examination dc circuits (q1, q2, q3) and the remaining 26 questions on the exam as control, for each of two conditions: students who had conducted the circuits lab with virtual circuit construction kit or real equipment

Students who used computer simulations in lieu of real equipment performed better on conceptual questions related to simple circuits, and developed a greater facility at manipulating real components.

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Evidence of increased engagement

The power of 10 min of free exploration: Molecular Polarity

Analysis of 80 students working in groups:

Explore 80% of all sim features across 3 screens
Majority of talk about polarity

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Topic	% of Utterances
Group Arrangement (Pre-Sim Use)	6%
Chemistry Concept - polarity	62%
Instructor-Student - polarity	2%
School - homework, lab	10%
Off-topic	20%

Moore et al. (2013). Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 14(3), 257-268, 2013.

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Evidence of new classroom norms

Atabas, S. et al. (2020). A tale of two sets of norms: Comparing opportunities for student agency in mathematics lessons with and without interactive simulations. The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 58, 100761.

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Flexible

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Activity/Lab

Lecture

Pre-Lab

Distance Learning

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Integrating PhET in Earth and Space Science

What other simulations might you link in a learning progression that uses My Solar System?

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ESS-Related Simulations

Gravity and its effects at the systemic scale.

NGSS → ESS: Earth’s Place in the Universe

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What is gravity? What affects its strength?

How does gravity influence orbital motion?

How do the planets influence one another?

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What other ESS-related content do you see?

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What other ESS-related content do you see?

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Find one simulation you think you could use in the next 30 days!

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Find Teaching Resources

General tips for using PhET

Remote learning tips

Sim-specific resources

Standards alignment
Learning goals
Teacher tips document
Lessons and activity sheets
Translated sims

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Teacher Resources

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Translations

Accessibility Features

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Notes on interactive delivery of the slide

Share the PhET Translations page: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/translated

Encourage participants to consider contributing as a translator: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/for-translators

Share the PhET Accessible Simulations page: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/accessibility/prototypes

Encourage participants to explore the accessible features of at least one simulation.
Demonstrate how to filter simulations by accessibility features: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/filter?a11yFeatures=accessibility&sort=alpha&view=grid

Key points to mention

PhET is available in 97+ languages, and growing. Anyone can volunteer to translate PhET simulations, Teacher Tips, and the PhET website.
PhET’s accessibility features are helpful for all students, including those with special learning needs.

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Prototypes

Offline Access

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PhET Workshop

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Q&A

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Thank you!

FIND PHET Website: https://phet.colorado.edu

PhET iOS and Android Apps ($0.99):

USE SIMS In classroom, teacher PD, or curriculum

CONTRIBUTE Become a supporter: https://phet.colorado.edu/mr/donate

Contribute lessons and activities

CONNECT @PhETsims /PhETsims

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Sim-based Learning

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Promoting Engaging and Inquiry

Top Tip #1:

Start with an “open explore” question.

Play with this simulation and develop your own ideas.
Record a few discoveries you make here.

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Promoting Engaging and Inquiry

Top Tip #2:

�Use challenge prompts rather than direct specific instruction.

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Promoting Engaging and Inquiry

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Before: Direct Instruction

Set the canon angle to 45 degrees.
Measure distance for speeds of 5, 10, 15 m/s.
Graph launch speed vs distance traveled

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Challenge Prompts

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Before: Direct Instruction

Set the canon angle to 45 degrees.
Measure distance for speeds of 5, 10, 15 m/s.
Graph launch speed vs distance traveled

Rewrite as: Challenge Prompt:

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Challenge Prompts

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Before: Direct Instruction

Set the canon angle to 45 degrees.
Measure distance for speeds of 5, 10, 15 m/s.
Graph launch speed vs distance traveled

Rewrite as: Challenge Prompt: �

What are all the ways to affect projectile’s horizontal landing distance?

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Challenge Prompts

Find all the ways to... increase the force of gravity.

What’s the largest... dipole moment you can make?

Create… an atom with a net charge of zero.

How can increase/decrease… the current?

Develop a procedure for... measuring the speed of the wave.

How do you know… if the spring constant is the same?

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Additional Slides

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Balloons and Buttons Spectroscopy

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Promoting Student Engagement and Inquiry

Top Tip #1:

Start with an “open explore” question.

Play with this simulation and develop your own ideas.
Record a few discoveries you make here.

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Promoting Student Engagement and Inquiry

Top Tip #2:

�Use challenge prompts rather than direct specific instruction.

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Learn more!

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