PhET Interactive Simulations

PhET Interactive Simulations
Name	PhET Interactive Simulations
Developer	University of Colorado Boulder
Released	2002
Programming language	JavaScript, HTML5
Platform	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
License	Freeware / Open educational resources

Contents

PhET Interactive Simulations

PhET Interactive Simulations are a suite of interactive, research-based simulations for science and mathematics education created at the University of Colorado Boulder that support inquiry-based learning in classrooms influenced by curricula from National Science Foundation, National Research Council, and assessment frameworks shaped by Next Generation Science Standards. Developed by teams connected to institutions like Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and partners including Google, Intel, and Microsoft, PhET has intersected with initiatives led by organizations such as American Association of Physics Teachers and endorsements connected to awards like the MacArthur Fellowship and the NSF CAREER Award.

Overview

PhET provides interactive simulations covering themes in Isaac Newton-era mechanics, Albert Einstein-related relativity concepts, James Clerk Maxwell-inspired electromagnetism, Dmitri Mendeleev-style chemistry arrangements, and Leonhard Euler-linked mathematics, aiming to model phenomena used by educators at institutions such as Stanford University, University of Oxford, California Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, and Princeton University. The project distributes resources that align with standards set by Common Core State Standards Initiative and tools used by museums like Smithsonian Institution and science centers such as the Exploratorium and Science Museum, London.

PhET originated at the University of Colorado Boulder under the leadership of faculty connected to grants from the National Science Foundation and collaborations with researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, University of Michigan, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Early versions used technologies present in projects at Sun Microsystems, evolved through platforms advocated by entities like Mozilla Foundation, and migrated from applets influenced by Java (programming language) toward HTML5 owing to shifts involving companies such as Apple Inc., Google, and standards promoted by the World Wide Web Consortium. Its growth paralleled educational technology movements involving groups like ISTE and policy discussions in venues including U.S. Department of Education forums and conferences such as American Educational Research Association meetings.

Design principles draw on research traditions associated with cognitive scientists from Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, building on theories developed by thinkers linked to Jerome Bruner, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and empirical practices pursued at labs like Learning Research and Development Center at University of Pittsburgh. Simulations emphasize visual representations akin to demonstrations curated by museums such as Deutsches Museum and pedagogical approaches advanced in syllabi at Columbia University and Yale University. Features include randomized parameters used in studies by researchers at University of California, Berkeley, scaffolding methods promoted in publications from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and multilingual interfaces reflecting collaborations with institutions including Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and University of São Paulo.

Educators from K–12 systems in districts such as Los Angeles Unified School District and universities like Texas A&M University integrate PhET into lessons alongside curricular models from Carnegie Foundation and assessment strategies from organizations such as ETS (Educational Testing Service). Studies published in journals associated with American Journal of Physics, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, and reports from the National Science Foundation document learning gains similar to interventions studied at University of Washington and University of Colorado Boulder. The project is used in professional development programs run with partners including Teach For America and teacher-education programs at Michigan State University and University of Toronto.

PhET simulations run on browsers influenced by standards from the World Wide Web Consortium and on devices manufactured by companies like Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics, Dell Technologies, Lenovo, and HP Inc., with accessibility features developed in consultation with organizations including W3C Web Accessibility Initiative and disability advocates such as Helen Keller National Center. Distribution channels include learning management systems supported by Canvas (company), Blackboard Inc., and Moodle used by institutions like Arizona State University and University of British Columbia. Mobile deployments reflect app ecosystems curated by Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Content categories mirror curricula in physics modules referencing work by Galileo Galilei and Nicolaus Copernicus, chemistry modules invoking Dmitri Mendeleev and Antoine Lavoisier, biology modules aligned with concepts associated with Charles Darwin and Rosalind Franklin, and math modules touching on ideas from Carl Friedrich Gauss and Euclid. Specific simulation themes are used in coursework at Imperial College London, McGill University, University of Edinburgh, and National University of Singapore, and incorporated into outreach at institutions such as Los Alamos National Laboratory and CERN.

PhET has received recognition and awards from entities including the American Physical Society and coverage in outlets such as Nature (journal), Science (journal), The New York Times, and The Guardian, while critiques have noted limitations echoed in literature from researchers at Princeton University and University of Chicago regarding representational accuracy, assessment alignment with standards like Next Generation Science Standards, and classroom implementation challenges reported in studies associated with RAND Corporation and Brookings Institution. Ongoing debates involve digital equity concerns raised by advocates at Equal Opportunity Project and policy analysts connected to U.S. Department of Education initiatives.

Category:Educational software