This course is part of the Active Learning in STEM with PhET Interactive Simulations Specialization

Zachariah Mbasu +1 more instructor

Offered By

Active Learning in STEM with PhET Interactive Simulations SpecializationUniversity of Colorado Boulder

About this Course

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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 access and share PhET simulations with your students, and explore the features that make PhET sims a powerful tool for science and mathematics teachers. You will also review strategies for how to use PhET in circumstances where you are presenting a simulation in front of the whole class using a projector, interactive whiteboard, or sharing your screen online.

This course is the first one of the specialization “Active Learning in STEM with PhET Interactive Simulations”, that include 3 courses in total. 

To finish this course, you need to complete two assignments with Peer Review: 1) Selecting PhET sims, 2) Select a strategy for a Whole Class set-up, and design your first activity. 

This course is also available in Spanish as “Introducción a las Simulaciones PhET para la Educación STEM”

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Course 1 of 3 in the

Active Learning in STEM with PhET Interactive Simulations Specialization

Beginner Level

This course is appropriate for pre-service and in-service elementary, secondary, and higher education science and math educators.

Approx. 12 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Learn what makes PhET simulations unique.
Find simulations that are relevant to your classes.
Design your first PhET activity.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 3 in the

Active Learning in STEM with PhET Interactive Simulations Specialization

Beginner Level

This course is appropriate for pre-service and in-service elementary, secondary, and higher education science and math educators.

Approx. 12 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Zachariah Mbasu

PhET Ambassador Africa

447 Learners

3 Courses

Rebecca Vieyra

Associate Director of Global Initiatives

613 Learners

6 Courses

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

5 hours to complete

Introduction to PhET Simulations

5 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 18 min), 13 readings, 1 quiz

6 videos

A Brief Introduction to PhET6mExploring the PhET Sim Design Process4mPhET Website Tour5mPhET Quick Tips: Projector Mode23sPhET Quick Tips: PowerPoint Add-In1mPhET Quick Tips: Customize Screens48s

13 readings

Welcome!5mPhET's Goals for Students and Teachers10mA Brief Introduction to PhET1mExploring the PhET Sim Design Process1mPhET Website Tour1mOffline Access10mPlay with Sims10mActive Learning with PhET35mProjector Mode1mPhET PowerPoint Add-In1mCustomize Simulation Screens1mPhET in OneNote Documents1mSharing Sims10m

Week2

Week 2

8 hours to complete

Whole-Class Strategies

8 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 19 min), 10 readings, 3 quizzes

4 videos

PhET in Whole-Class Presentations6mPhET in Lectures: Predict Experiments4mExample of Whole-Class Inquiry: Friction3mUsing PhET with Concept Questions4m

10 readings

PhET in Whole-Class Presentations1mTips to Get the Most out of PhET Sims in Whole-Class Contexts10mPhET's Three Whole-Class Strategies1mWhole-Class Inquiry1mWhole-Class Inquiry reading10mInteractive Lecture Demonstration (ILD) Guidelines10mConcept Questions5mConcept Questions Guidelines15mSelecting a Strategy to Try1mCombining Strategies5m

About the Active Learning in STEM with PhET Interactive Simulations Specialization

Learn how to engage your students and enhance learning in math and science with free virtual labs and simulations from the University of Colorado Boulder's PhET Interactive Simulations project (https://phet.colorado.edu/en). In this specialization, you will explore active learning strategies that you can incorporate into your own classroom, either online or in person. You will also learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of a learning experience by implementing a simulation-based lesson plan in your own classroom.

Founded in 2002 by Nobel Prize winner in physics Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project creates free simulations for science and mathematics that are based on extensive educational research on the design of virtual tools for education and how to successfully implement them in the classroom. This specialization will take approximately 9 weeks and 45 working hours to complete and includes three courses: (1) Introduction to PhET Simulations for STEM Education (2) Activity Design with PhET simulations for STEM education (3) Implementation of PhET Activities for STEM education This specialization is also available in Spanish under the name "Aprendizaje Activo STEM con Simulaciones Interactivas PhET."

Active Learning in STEM with PhET Interactive Simulations

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Introduction to PhET Simulations for STEM Education

About this Course

What you will learn