{"id":5410,"date":"2018-03-03T14:25:08","date_gmt":"2018-03-03T21:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/?p=5410"},"modified":"2018-03-14T08:00:33","modified_gmt":"2018-03-14T15:00:33","slug":"phet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/2018\/03\/03\/phet\/","title":{"rendered":"PhET"},"content":{"rendered":"

The resource that I would like to share is the interactive simulation called PhET, which stands for Physics Education Technology. This project is through the University of Colorado which was founded in 2002 by Carl Wieman. Phet began with \u201cWieman\u2019s vision to improve the way science is taught and learned and the mission is to advance science and math literacy and education worldwide through free interactive simulations\u201d (https:\/\/serc.carleton.edu\/sp\/library\/phet\/what.html<\/a> ).<\/p>\n

I mentioned this resource briefly in one of my posts for Module B but I was not able to elaborate on it. In math and science, many concepts are much too abstract for learners to grasp and understand with no visualization of the concept. With PhET, the \u201csimulations are animated, interactive, and in a game-like environment where students learn through exploration\u201d and these simulations also \u201chelp to make visual and conceptual models\u201d which helps to make real-world connections. I remember being in science and math classes where I was not able to understand complex concepts and I struggled a lot with those courses. I am a visual and hands-on learner and I had no exposure to such tools. I think my experience with those classes would have been more positive if I was.<\/p>\n

PhET simulations are not just animations, \u201cstudents can interact with simulations by grabbing real and moving objects, such as batteries, bulbs, magnets, handles, and switches\u201d to enhance student learning and students are able to construct their own knowledge through these interactive simulations which can increase scientific literacy and foster student engagement both in and outside of the classroom. Furthermore, there are not just simulations but also graphs and charts to help the learner decipher information and data in the written form; there are different forms of knowledge representation within PhET to increase cognitive functions for the learner.<\/p>\n

Previously, I have used this resource with my students to help them with their multiplication facts. I have been using it for a couple of days now using the \u2018arithmetic\u2019 simulation and I already see a big difference. Not only are my learners having fun but they are also understanding the relationship between concepts that were hard for them to comprehend. I think that this technology could be used in many ways:<\/p>\n