國家科學基金會
King Saud 基金會
研究
We direct our research at assessing the effectiveness of our interactive simulations in a variety of educational environments, particularly physics courses, and as stand-alone, informal educational tools.
In addition, we are focusing our efforts to better understand how students learn from the simulations, and what implications this may have for designing effective in-class activities, homework and labs. Please see our PhET Look and Feel guide.
Our immediate interests are:
How the simulations affect the students'...
- ability to solve conceptual and quantitative problems;
- attitudes about learning physics; and
- perceptions of their own learning and of the simulations themselves.
Simulation effectiveness in different environments
- How might these simulations be used in labs? Can they replace traditional hands-on experiments?
- When students use simulations as preparation activities for class, how do they compare to traditional class preparation activities such as reading the text or doing homework problems?
- Are the simulations more effective standalone (as an open play area) or wrapped with a guiding tutorial?
Publications and Presentations
About PhET
- Developing and Researching PhET simulations for Teaching Quantum Mechanics, , American Journal of Physics, 76, 406 , May 2008.
- Oersted Medal Lecture 2007: Interactive simulations for teaching physics: What works, what doesn't, and why, , American Journal of Physics, 76, 393 , May 2008.
- PhET: Interactive Simulations for Teaching and Learning Physics, , The Physics Teacher, 44(1), 18 , 2006.
- Free On-line Resource Connects Real-life Phenomena to Science, , Physics Education, p. 93-95 , January 2005.
- The Physics Education Technology Project: A New Suite of Physics Simulations, , Poster Presented at AAPT Summer Meeting, 2004.
- Should a Fortran-savvy educator learn Java, Flash, both, or neither?, , Talk presented at AAPT Summer Meeting, 2004.
Studies of PhET Effectiveness
- What Levels of Guidance Promote Engaged Exploration with Interactive Simulations?, , PERC Proceedings, in press , 2009.
- How does the type of guidance student use of an interactive simulation?, , Phys. Rev.ST Phys. Educ. Res., submitted , 2009.
- A Research-Based Curriculum for Teaching the Photoelectric Effect, , American Journal of Physics, 77, 87 , January 2009.
- A Study of Educational Simulations Part II - Interface Design, , Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 19(4), 551-577 , October 2008.
- A Study of Educational Simulations Part I - Engagement and Learning, , Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 19(3), 397-419 , July 2008.
- High-Tech Tools for Teaching Physics: the Physics Education Technology Project, , Journal of Online Teaching and Learning, September 2006.
- Assessing the Effectiveness of a Computer Simulation in Introductory Undergraduate Environments, , PERC Proceedings, 2006.
- When learning about the real world is better done virtually: a study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment, , Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 1, 010103, 2005.
- Research-Based Design Features of Web-based Simulations, , Talk presented at AAPT Summer Meeting, 2004.
- Incorporating Simulations in the Classroom - A survey of Research Results from the Physics Education Technology Project, , Talk presented at AAPT Summer Meeting, 2004.
- Can Computer Simulations Replace Real Equipment in Undergraduate Laboratories?, , PERC Proceedings, 2004.
Student Beliefs and Learning
- A deeper look at student learning of quantum mechanics: the case of tunneling, , Physical Review Special Topics: PER, 4, 020103 , October 2008.
- Why we should teach the Bohr model and how to teach it effectively, , Physical Review Special Topics: PER, 4, 010103 , March 2008.
- Reforming a large lecture modern physics course for engineering majors using a PER-based design, , Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference 2006, 2007.
- A new instrument for measuring student beliefs about physics and learning physics: the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey, , Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 2, 010101, 2006.
- Exploring Student Understanding of Energy through the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey, , PERC Proceedings 2005, 2006.
- The surprising impact of seat location on student performance, , The Physics Teacher, 43, p. 30-33 , 2005.
- The Design and Validation of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey, , PERC Proceedings, 2004.
- Correlating Student Beliefs With Student Learning Using The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey, , PERC Proceedings, 2004.