Implementation of PhET Activities for STEM Education

Overview

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PhET Interactive Simulations ( https://phet.colorado.edu/ ), a project of the University of Colorado Boulder, provides fun, free, interactive, research-based science and mathematics simulations for use across, primary, secondary, and higher education levels. We extensively test and evaluate each simulation to ensure educational effectiveness. All simulations are open source and free to all students and teachers. In this course, you will learn how to effectively design and implement a Teacher Guide that makes use of PhET’s simulations for mathematics and science. To finish this course, you need to complete two assignments with Peer Review: 1) Design a Teacher Guide that integrates an inquiry-based activity with simulations, and 2) Implement your lesson in your class, and reflect on the results. This course is the fourth and final of four courses that make up the specialization “Active Learning in STEM with PhET Interactive Simulations”. This course is also available in Spanish as “Implementación de Actividades PhET para la Educación STEM” and in Portuguese as "Implementação de Atividades PhET para Educação STEM".

Syllabus

Module 1: Planning to Implement a Teacher Guide

In this module, you will learn how to effectively design a Teacher Guide that makes use of PhET’s mathematics and science simulations, and then reflect upon the implementation of a PhET simulation-based lesson.

Module 2: Preparing to Implement a Simulation-Based Teacher Guide

In this module, you will take the Teacher Guide you have already prepared, and consider a number of facilitation strategies. You will then again review your guide and make improvements before submitting it for peer review.

Module 3: Implementation of a Simulation-based Teacher Guide

In this module, you will take the Teacher Guide you have created and implement it in your own classroom. If you aren’t currently teaching, be creative! We invite you to trying it out with an age-appropriate learner or a teaching colleague. However you decide to try your materials, ensure that you capture some evidence of implementation (e.g., completed learner activity sheet, anonymized multimedia showing learners using the simulation, etc.) for inclusion in your assignment submission.