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Created 1/22/14. The most up-to-date version is available online.
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An independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science.

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Research

PhET conducts research on both the design and use of interactive simulations to better understand:
  1. Which characteristics make these tools effective for learning and why
  2. How students engage and interact with these tools to learn, and what influences this process
  3. When, how, and why these tools are effective in a variety of learning environments
The PhET simulation design principles are based on research on how students learn (Bransford et al., 2000) and from our simulation interviews (see PhET Design Process). Between four and six think-aloud style interviews with individual students are done with each simulation. These interviews provide a rich data source for studying interface design and student learning. The PhET Look and Feel briefly describes our interface design principles and a complete discussion is found in the pair of papers by Adams et al., 2008.

Bransford, J.D., Brown, A. L. And Cocking, R. R. (2000). How People Learn, Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press

Research answers to commonly asked questions:

"Can PhET sims replace real lab equipment?"
Our studies have shown that PhET sims are more effective for conceptual understanding; however, there are many goals of hands-on labs that simulations do not address. For example, specific skills relating to the functioning of equipment. Depending on the goals of your laboratory, it may be more effective to use just sims or a combination of sims and real equipment

"Do students learn if I just tell them to go home and play with a sim?"
Most students do not have the necessary drive to spend time playing with a science simulation (they're fun, but not that fun) on their own time unless there is a direct motivation such as their grade. This is one of the reasons we are pursuing the project of how to best integrate sims into homework.

"Where is the best place to use PhET sims in my course?"
We have found PhET sims to be very effective in lecture, in class activities, lab and homework. They are designed with minimal text so that they can easily be integrated into every aspect of a course.

Our immediate interests are:

Use of analogy to construct understanding: Students use analogies in sims to make sense of unfamiliar phenomena. Representations play a key role in student use of analogy.

Simulations as tools for changing classroom norms: Sims are shaped by socio-cultural norms of science, but can also be used to change the traditional norms of how students engage in the classroom.

Specific features of sims that promote learning and engaged exploration: Our design principles identify key characteristics of sims that make them productive tools for student engagement. Now we wish to study in detail how each feature impacts student understanding.

Integrating simulations into homework: Simulations have unique features that are not available in most learning tools (interactivity, animation, dynamic feedback, allow for productive exploration)

Effectiveness of Chemistry simulations: We have just begun investigating the envelope of where and how chemistry simulations can be effective learning tools.

Publications and Presentations

Important features for effective simulation design (predominantly interview data)

Research on in-class use

About PhET sims

Students Perceptions About Learning

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