Computer Science – Learning
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006aas...20924901w&link_type=abstract
2007 AAS/AAPT Joint Meeting, American Astronomical Society Meeting 209, #249.01
Computer Science
Learning
Scientific paper
The interactive online simulation is a new technology for teaching physics. The physics education technology project (phet.colorado.edu) has developed about 50 sophisticated simulations that are run through a regular browser and are available for free. These cover topics ranging in complexity from addition of vectors to challenging ideas in quantum mechanics. We use professional software engineers in the creation of the simulations and physics education researchers in an extensive study of student use and learning from these simulations. Here I will present a number of our simulations and discuss what our research has shown about simulations and their use. We find they can be uniquely powerful learning tools, but only if they adhere to certain guiding principles.1 Our study of student learning from simulations has provided something of a microcosm of the general field of research on student motivation and learning, in that we have seen many elements for effective learning emerging from our research that match closely with what has been seen in other very different contexts. I will show many of our simulations and discuss what and how students learn from them, and what our research has shown is important for creating effective simulations. In the process, I will discuss some lessons this work offers for physics education more generally.
This work has been carried out by the entire PHET team and has been supported by the NSF, the Hewlett Foundation, and the Kavli Operating Institute.
1. Adams, W. K., Reid, S., LeMaster, R., McKagan, S., Perkins, K. and Wieman, C. E., A Study of Interface Design for Engagement and Learning with Educational Simulations. http://phet.colorado.edu/web-pages/research.html
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