PhET Interactive Simulations

Researcher recognized for work to help visually impaired people learn geometry

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 21:11:42 +0000

Researcher recognized for work to help visually impaired people learn geometry Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/11/2022 - 14:11

Brett Fiedler and colleagues win 2022 Dr. Arthur I. Karshmer Award for Assistive Technology Research

A physics-education and inclusive-design specialist at the University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder has been recognized for his work to help blind or visually impaired people learn geometry.

With colleagues at other institutions, Brett Fiedler, a researcher at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s PhET Interactive Simulations project, has won the Dr. Arthur I. Karshmer Award for Assistive Technology Research for their submission “A Tangible Manipulative for Inclusive Quadrilateral Learning.”

The prize is awarded annually to the authors of the best submission to the science/research journal track of the California State University Northridge (CSUN) Assistive Technology Conference, which describes itself as the premier event in the field of technology and people with disabilities.

At the top of page: Dor Abrahamson of the University of California at Berkeley demonstrates the use of the Quad, a device he and colleagues at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder and elsewhere created to help the blind or visually impaired learn geometry. Photo courtesy of Dor Abrahamson. Above: Brett Fiedler is a researcher at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s PhET Interactive Simulations project.

Winners are recognized for their exemplary submission and excellence in research and the advancement of assistive technology. The submission is publicly available on the conference website with later publication in the Journal on Technology and Persons with Disabilities in late spring 2022.

Fiedler and his colleagues designed and tested the efficacy of an interactive physical device that can help people explore four-sided shapes non-visually, by touch. The device is called a Tangible Manipulative for Quadrilaterals—which the team also calls the Quad.

The device compares well to existing tools for non-visual shape identification used by the blind and visually impaired community, Fiedler said. “It's the beginning of a line of collaborative work in building inclusive learning experiences that harness the affordances of physical manipulatives coupled to multimodal virtual learning tools and emphasize an oft-overlooked pathway to learning, body movement,” he added.

Fiedler’s collaborators include Scott George Lambert of Saint Louis University, Chloe S. Hershenow of the University of Tulsa, Dor Abrahamson of the University of California Berkeley, and Jenna L. Gorlewicz of Saint Louis University. They will be recognized at the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference next week.

A YouTube video featuring Abrahamson shows the genesis of the Quad device, demonstrates how it works and acknowledges the contribution of each collaborator. See the video here.

As the video’s narrator states, the quadrilateral device can be used by students regardless of how well they see, “whether they have 20/20 vision, 20/50 or 20/200,” adding that “it’s the ultimate in inclusive learning.”

In support of the collaboration, Fiedler helped design the Quad and interpret the findings of the studies with blind and visually impaired participants. He and PhET’s Inclusive Design team (led by PhET Director of Research and Accessibility Emily Moore) continue to work closely with their collaborators in developing the virtual display that will provide multimodal support (e.g., sounds, speech, vibrations, etc.) to the physical Quad device.

Fiedler earned his PhD in physical chemistry from ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder in 2017 and spent several years as part of the JILA Physics Frontier Center-funded PISEC program, working with ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder students and local K-12 students in informal science learning spaces.

Working now for the PhET Interactive Simulations project, Fiedler researches and designs new multimodal features for PhET simulations to provide all learners with access and enjoyable learning experiences with the sims.

Brett Fiedler and colleagues win 2022 Dr. Arthur I. Karshmer Award for Assistive Technology Research.

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Nobel laureate Carl Wieman awarded Yidan Prize for Education Research

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 14:43:45 +0000

Nobel laureate Carl Wieman awarded Yidan Prize for Education Research Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/23/2020 - 08:43

Wieman will use prize and project money to support ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s award-winning PhET Interactive Simulations to advance STEM education globally.

Today, the Yidan Prize Foundation awarded Carl Wieman the prestigious Yidan Prize in Education Research for his “contribution in developing new techniques and tools in STEM education.” The Yidan prizes are the world’s largest international prizes in education, providing honorees with nearly $4 million each.

Wieman worked as a professor of physics at the University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder for 25 years. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics together with Eric Cornell in 2001, and then directed his considerable energy and intellect toward the challenges in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

“Winning a Nobel Prize is not easy,” said Cornell, a fellow at JILA and adjoint professor of physics at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder. “But going on from there to win another global-standard prize in an entirely different field, that’s truly remarkable.”

“We are thrilled to congratulate Carl on this incredible achievement, recognizing his 20-year dedication to improving science education methods and tools,” said Chancellor Philip DiStefano, “Carl’s work, and that of his amazing team of students and postdoctorals, has been pivotal in establishing ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder as an international leader in science education and science education research.”

Through Carl’s tremendous generosity, PhET will be able to expand its global reach and impact to improve STEM education globally, working with Carl to build on his founding vision."

Wieman, currently a Stanford professor of physics in the School of Humanities and Sciences and in the Graduate School of Education, and the DRC Chair in the School of Engineering, was the founder of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s award-winning PhET Interactive Simulations project and continues to serve as a senior advisor and research collaborator for the project. Working with Kathy Perkins, director of PhET and a faculty member in ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s Department of Physics, Wieman will use the prize money to support PhET’s mission to advance STEM education globally.

“I am thrilled and honored to be the recipient of the 2020 Yidan prize for education research,” said Wieman. “It is wonderful to receive this recognition of my work, although really it is the recognition of the work of my wonderful students and postdocs over the years, and also the work of Kathy Perkins who has done such an outstanding job of directing the PhET project for the past 10 years.”

The Yidan Prize Foundation was founded in 2016 by Charles Chen Yidan, a core founder of the company Tencent. This year’s Yidan Prize in Education Development is being awarded to Lucy Lake and Angeline Murimirwa from CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education) for their contribution to female education.

“Education transformation is more important than ever,” said Chen in a statement. “The outstanding achievements and commitment of this year’s laureates demonstrate that in a post-pandemic world, education continues to be of vital importance to solving future problems and creating positive change in individuals, communities and the environment. Innovative ideas and practices are key to driving progress in education to create a better world.”

Wieman’s STEM education work at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder and beyond has focused on preparing the next generation of students to be more scientifically literate as they tackle the problems of tomorrow. And toward that end, Wieman’s research and work has been necessarily diverse, striving at all levels—in classrooms, departments, universities and across the nation and world—to realize effective, sustainable and scalable improvements in STEM education.

At the top of the page: Carl Wieman teaching at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder. ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder/Casey Cass. Above: Students in Mexico. Photo by Diana Lopez.

Early education research at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder

Making science and scientific ways of thinking both engaging and accessible for all students has long been a top priority and passion for Wieman. As a freshly-minted Nobel Prize winner at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, he fully transformed a course for non-physics majors, called “Physics of Everyday Life,” redefining the learning goals, introducing research-based interactive teaching techniques, creating new teaching tools, developing new measurement instruments and making iterative improvement.

Working with Professor Marty Goldman on the Physics2000 project, Wieman realized the power of interactive simulations to help diverse audiences—from high school students to physics faculty—engage with and understand the fundamental ideas behind the complex physics of his Nobel Prize research. Inspired, he started PhET Interactive Simulations—originally known as the Physics Education Technology (PhET) Project—in 2002 with a grant from the National Science Foundation and his own Nobel Prize money.

Today, the PhET project provides a collection of over 150 interactive simulations, which are translated into 93 languages and used more than 180 million times per year worldwide.

“PhET is a lasting legacy of Carl’s time at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder and the Physics Department, and has had an incredible impact on students of all ages,” said Michael Ritzwoller, chair of physics at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder.

A focus on institutional change

Beyond the classroom, Wieman was a driver of institutional change. He used his standing within the physics community to champion the notion of engaging in research around what and how students learn in science classrooms.

“Carl was a transformative force in our department in those early years, sparking conversations about teaching and raising our awareness of education research,” said Ritzwoller, “He used his influence with colleagues and with the university to help establish ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s Physics Education Research group in 2003. Today, our PER group is a national and international leader in the field.”

Students in Cambodia. Photo by David Dionys.

Wieman extended his research and impact from the classroom to the university. In 2006, Wieman established the Science Education Initiative (SEI) at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, a $5 million university-funded initiative to support and transform departments to use a scientific-approach to teaching. Wieman extended this work in establishing the Science Education Initiative at University of British Columbia in 2007, directing both efforts.

The impacts of these institutional efforts created lasting improvements in STEM teaching and learning at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder and UBC, and have led to widespread research-based improvement in university teaching and transformed the way science is taught in major universities. Indeed, the approaches to institutional change pioneered by Wieman’s SEI projects have served as models for others, including national initiatives from the American Association of Universities and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Work at the national and international level

“Carl has been one of the great drivers and advancers of STEM education research internationally,” said Noah Finkelstein, professor of physics and co-director of the Center for STEM Learning at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, “His work has been foundational to what and how people learn, how we might build modern tools such as PhET for learning and how institutions adapt and embrace our educational missions. His work has been taken up by millions and has advanced the capacities of educators, scholars, institutions and policymakers across the globe.”

Over the past 20 years, Wieman has been a tireless advocate for advancing STEM education at the highest levels. From 2004-2009, he served as the founding chair of the National Academy of Sciences’ Board on Science Education, championing one of the most impactful studies of Discipline-Based Education Research to date. And from 2010-2012, he served under President Obama as the Associate Director for Science in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, enacting policies and programs to advance STEM education and education research.

Advancing a legacy in the global impact of PhET Interactive Simulations

In line with the Yidan Prize Foundation’s mission, PhET simulations are transforming the way students learn science and math. Rather than passively listening to lectures or memorizing equations, PhET simulations create an inviting interactive environment where students can actively engage in STEM practices to investigate key concepts. And every simulation is grounded in education research to address known student difficulties.

Students in Indonesia. Photo by Muhammad Zulham.

Whether exploring atoms, electricity or equation equality, students of all ages, all around the world, can use PhET simulations to conduct experiments, discover cause-effect relationships, observe patterns, reflect on results or test their ideas. Like a scientist, they can construct and expand their own knowledge and they can do so with curiosity, creativity and joy.

“The PhET team is extremely proud of Carl and his achievements,” said Perkins. “Through Carl’s tremendous generosity, PhET will be able to expand its reach and impact to improve STEM education globally, working with Carl to build on his founding vision.”

Free and open access to high-quality educational resources has always been a priority for Wieman. Since its founding, PhET has licensed all simulations as open educational resources. This mission has been made possible by the support of PhET’s funders, including the U.S. National Science Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Google.org and ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder.

The need for open, high-quality digital education tools has been greater than ever this year, as teachers around the world had to quickly adopt remote teaching strategies. Usage of PhET simulations surged, with some countries seeing a 500% increase.

“This year has been challenging for many in the education system with COVID-19 causing unprecedented disruption to learning and to schools,” said Chen. “It is therefore crucial that we champion people with the courage to bring educational change and reimagine the future of education.”

“PhET Interactive Simulations is a shining example of the university’s work in STEM education and its impact globally," said DiStefano. "We are absolutely delighted to hear that Carl will use the Yidan prize to further advance PhET’s work. The world needs projects like PhET, especially right now.”

Wieman will use prize and project money to support ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s award-winning PhET Interactive Simulations to advance STEM education globally.

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PhET simulations keep students engaged while learning science remotely

Anonymous — Mon, 04 May 2020 22:04:43 +0000

PhET simulations keep students engaged while learning science remotely Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/04/2020 - 16:04

Cay Leytham-Powell

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s PhET Interactive Simulations are providing critical support to teachers, students and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

As schools adapt to the new normal of teaching remotely, teachers—particularly science teachers—need innovative approaches to keep students engaged. And one way they are finding that is through PhET Interactive Simulations.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began and schools were forced to shift to remote learning, PhET—a University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder STEM (or science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education project—has seen the usage of its free, interactive science simulations increase substantially across the globe, with use in hard-hit countries like Italy and France increasing by 500%.

“As schools around the world switch to remote learning, many teachers, students and parents who might not have used any science or math simulations before are now discovering and using PhET’s library of simulations for the first time,” said Kathy Perkins, director of PhET Interactive Simulations.

“It’s been a challenging time for everyone involved, and we’re happy we can play a part in providing solutions.”

PhET, which originally stood for “Physics Education Technology,” was started in 2002 by Carl Wieman, a former ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder physics professor and one of five Nobel Laureates from the university, when he saw the educational force of physics simulations.

While PhET originally focused solely on physics simulations and education, today it is a pioneering science and math educational resource that seeks to improve STEM literacy and accessibility across the globe by covering topics ranging from atoms to algebra.

Since its launch, PhET’s simulations, which number over 100, have been translated into 90 languages and used in more than 200 countries and territories. PhET has also begun to work with commercial partners like BrainPOP, Nearpod and Pearson to integrate their simulations into more teaching products.

I think one of the simulations’ greatest values during this time is their ability to continue to engage students’ curiosity in science and to enable their exploration of scientific phenomena in ways that are consistent with science practices"

Before the pandemic, Perkins says that teachers would often use a combination of PhET simulations, lab equipment, demonstrations and classroom activities. Without access to their classrooms, though, teachers are turning to PhET or other online simulations as a key resource that can continue to provide opportunities for students to engage in science or math.

And this has translated into an increase in usage. Since the outbreak began, PhET has seen over 4 million uses every week and increases in usage across Europe. While in the United States, where many teachers already used PhET simulations during classroom instruction, the online software has allowed teachers to continue with similar lessons now with students at home.

“The simulations that PhET offers are an excellent way to make sure that students can get the lab hours that they need. If I were to do some other sort of lab that required certain materials, I can’t guarantee that all of the students in their home might have all of those materials. … To have the online simulation with everything they need ready to go is amazing,” said Andrew Wallace, a physics teacher at World View High School in the Bronx, an area hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

“PhET really streamlines everything. Right now, everybody just has such high stress levels, and any way that we can reduce that stress is worth it, so having everything ready to go is great at reducing that stress.”

In response to the immediate needs of teachers and commercial partners since the pandemic began, PhET has expanded their capabilities. They’ve begun creating lessons for remote learning, adding Google Doc capability to their lesson database, sharing teacher tips for using PhET with remote lessons, releasing prototype simulations, and introducing new technology to improve ease of access to their older simulations.

A screenshot of the Projectile Motion simulation depicts a vintage car being shot from a cannon over the likeness of Michelangelo's David.

“I think one of the simulations’ greatest values during this time is their ability to continue to engage students’ curiosity in science and to enable their exploration of scientific phenomena in ways that are consistent with science practices,” said Perkins.

“How do you explore something? What questions do you ask? What evidence do you collect? How do you present that evidence? How do you explain things? Giving them something that provides that hands-on type of experimentation but in a situation where a teacher cannot provide that hands-on experience.”

Jacqui Hayes, an education technology consultant that works with PhET, agrees:

“For many years, PhET has been pushing the boundaries of digital science education. It’s a really tough challenge,” she says.

“All of a sudden, teachers no longer have their classroom and have to rely on digital activities. Through this experience, I think people have realized just how hard it is to create true inquiry activities in the digital environment, and this is part of the reason why even more people are turning to PhET than ever before. This definitely is the best way we know to teach science online.”

And Perkins is hopeful that even beyond the pandemic, the increased demand will continue:

“Once teachers have returned to the classroom, we hope that they continue to use PhET simulations and see the value of incorporating digital science inquiry into their teaching.”

Learn more about online educational resources offered by the University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder to the community, like PhET Interactive Simulations, on the Community Outreach and Engagement Programs website.

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s PhET Interactive Simulations are providing critical support to teachers, students and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Google expands STEM-ed access, reach with $2 million-plus gift

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 21:29:03 +0000

Google expands STEM-ed access, reach with $2 million-plus gift Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/28/2018 - 15:29

Google on Thursday announced a $1.5 million Google.org grant in support of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s global STEM education project, PhET Interactive Simulations, and rent-free space for the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder-founded National Center for Women & Information Technology.

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High-school student helps science-ed team update its simulations

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 23:45:05 +0000

High-school student helps science-ed team update its simulations Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 10/20/2017 - 17:45

Lauren Massie

'Even students studying degrees in computer programming have difficulty doing this from scratch,' PhET Interactive Simulations team member says

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) literacy is difficult for college students, so you would not expect a high school student to master these concepts and also convey them via computer code. Working with a team at the University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, a student at Fairview High School in Boulder, Colo., has done just that.

Fairview senior Andrea Lin has interned during the last two years with PhET Interactive Simulations, a non-profit science and math educational resource based at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder. Lin, who is the group’s first high school programmer, rewrote one of PhET's most popular simulations and even added new features.

Ariel Paul, PhET’s director of development, describes Lin as a “prodigy as a developer” and an “extraordinary” young woman. “Despite her youth, she has excelled with our project and exceeded all expectations. I will quickly exhaust superlatives to describe her performance, but stated simply, she is outstanding.”

Andrea Lin. Photo by Sophie Chen. At top of the page, a screenshot of the Projectile Motion simulation depicts a vintage car being shot from a cannon over the likeness of Michelangelo's David.

Although she is in her senior year at Fairview, Lin has an impressive resume in both mathematics and computer science. Lin, whose father has a career in computer programming, was long intrigued by the possibilities of coding.

As she got older, Lin’s interest in STEM grew, and she strove to increase her computer-programming and math abilities. With experience ranging from creating a hearing-aid algorithm to competing and volunteering with ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Math Circle, Lin has integrated herself into the local STEM community.

Through a series of connections stemming from her debate coach, Lin met Paul. From there, Lin’s self-motivation and perseverance led to her biggest project to date: producing the first HTML5 version of the highly popular Projectile Motion simulation.

That simulation, which teaches concepts including kinematics and air resistance, is run more than 1 million times annually. It is pedagogically powerful yet whimsical, allowing students to test varying trajectories of, say, a pumpkin vs. a car shot from a cannon.

Carl Weiman, a Nobel laureate, founded PhET at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder in 2002 to improve science education. PhET—which originally stood for Physics Education Technology—develops simulations to better teach students scientific concepts. By creating these simulations not only in physics but also biology, chemistry, earth science and math, PhET has become an important teaching aid for science students.

In utilizing technology to create an interactive and visual-learning platform, students can see on their computer screens the models and examples from class come to life. Especially in the Boulder high schools, students, including Lin, use PhET to further their understanding of important conceptual models.

PhET is also one of the most popular programs at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, totaling nearly 10 percent of the university’s website traffic.

As PhET expanded, so have the platforms on which their resources run. Originally, the programming language Java was used to run the simulations due to its compatibility on devices of the time (Macintosh and PC). However, Java has become harder to work with, needing constant updates and being outdated by newer systems and technologies.

“We were seeing that access to PhET was going to take a real hit,” explains Paul. After some deliberation, the organization decided to move all its current and future development to HTML5.

Not only has this system helped to maintain the program’s fidelity, but it has also increased accessibility. Rewriting simulations onto HTML5 is challenging and tedious; to transition its systems, PhET hires talented undergraduate and graduate programmers.

“Even students studying degrees in computer programming have difficulty doing this from scratch,” explains Paul.

While Lin was given small projects in the beginning, she proved herself to be a diligent self-learner with an aptitude for programming. Eager for a harder project, Lin was given the Projectile Motion simulation to take on as her own.

Not only did she convert the simulation onto HTML5, but she also worked with the design team and developers to rewrite and add several new features. She worked as an intern in summer 2016 and returned in 2017 to finish her work, which had taken so long to perfect.

The computer-science industry employs more men than women, and fewer women than men pursue careers in STEM. Paul says students like Lin help counter the stereotypes that contribute to the gender inequity.

Paul says PhET also supports diversity and inclusion by “introducing STEM literacy to everyone” and striving to make the simulations gender- and culturally neutral.

Lin is an advocate for students interested in joining Boulder’s STEM community. She wants other students who are interested in pursuing computer science and math to “just start”—much like she did when she learned a middle school teacher was offering a class in computer programming.

Paul says Lin's internship is a "great example how a university project can partner locally and have a personal, local and global impact."

And working with PhET was a “great opportunity for me to explore coding in the real world,” Lin says, adding: “I am excited that my creation is helpful to so many students and teachers each year.”

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PhET Interactive Simulations recognized for innovation in STEM education

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 21:30:24 +0000

PhET Interactive Simulations recognized for innovation in STEM education Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 06/27/2017 - 15:30

Cay Leytham-Powell

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s PhET Interactive Simulations is one of 15 finalists for the prestigious WISE Award from the WISE Initiative.

A STEM-education project at the University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder is one step closer today to adding another notch to its accolade belt.

The PhET Interactive Simulations project, a nonprofit science and math educational resource based at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, is one of 15 finalists for the WISE Initiative’s 2017 WISE Award. The prestigious international award, which is given to six organizations annually, recognizes innovative educational projects that address challenges and bring transformative societal change.

Kathy Perkins, the director of PhET Interactive Simulations, began researching science education while working with Carl Wieman, one of five Nobel laureates at the University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ.

For PhET, this change comes in the form of improving STEM (or science, technology, engineering and mathematics) literacy and accessibility across the globe through free, open-source educational software that is utilized more than 80 million times a year by students and teachers across the educational spectrum.

This award by the WISE Initiative, which is supported by the Qatar Foundation, would expand the program’s ability to reach new audiences and form new partnerships.

“The WISE Award would be a great opportunity to bring the PhET simulations to more teachers and students around the world, helping them advance science and math learning in their local communities,” said Kathy Perkins, director of PhET Interactive Simulations.

PhET, which originally stood for “Physics Education Technology,” was started by Carl Wieman, a former physics professor and one of only five Nobel Laureates from the university, when he saw the educational force that physics simulations provided to his audiences.

Using part of his Nobel Prize winnings and a grant from the National Science Foundation Distinguished Teaching Scholars program, Wieman founded the PhET project at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder in 2002 to encourage scientific literacy through interactive, research-based learning.

While PhET originally focused solely on physics simulations and education, today it addresses a global need to improve science and math education with more than 130 simulations in topics ranging from plate tectonics to calculus to natural selection.

These simulations are all designed using the same principles: they need to be interactive and flexible, to make the invisible visible, to encourage scientific inquiry, to create real-world connections for users, and to include multiple representations of the problem in question (i.e., using numbers along with graphs or object motion). Altogether, these create an environment for productive exploration.

Over the years, PhET’s reach has expanded across disciplines and around the globe, getting translated into 90 languages, and used in more than 200 countries and territories.

“What’s unique about science and math is that the language is really universal,” remarked Perkins.

“The concepts are universal, so when we build a simulation and we use particular representations, or a particular model behind the simulation, that’s the same in the U.S. as it is in Africa as it is in Singapore as it is in Europe.”

What’s unique about science and math is that the language is really universal."

The universal nature of PhET’s simulations, as well as their widespread adoption across the K-12 and university education spectrum, have contributed to the program’s success and consideration for the WISE award, which evaluates projects on three criteria: they need to be successful, innovative education projects that have already demonstrated their reach and transformative impact, they need to be financially stable and sustainable, and they need to be replicable and scalable.

The World Innovation Summit for Education (or, WISE) initiative, supported by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, bestows this international award each year. Some of the 48 projects that have previously won have supported girls’ education, distance and rural learning, STEM initiatives and providing open-resource educational resources.

“We congratulate the Speed School Project, OPENPediactrics and PhET Interactive Simulations for making it to the finalist stage,” said Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, in a press release from the initiative.

The six final winners of the 2017 WISE award will be announced in September.

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s PhET Interactive Simulations is one of 15 finalists for the prestigious WISE Award, which recognizes innovative educational projects that address challenges and bring transformative societal change.

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PhET Interactive Simulations

Researcher recognized for work to help visually impaired people learn geometry

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Wieman will use prize and project money to support ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s award-winning PhET Interactive Simulations to advance STEM education globally.

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s PhET Interactive Simulations are providing critical support to teachers, students and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic