PhET Blog

Ever wonder how a new simulation is created? In this new video PhET: Research and Development, you can see what’s behind the development of a PhET simulation and how we use research to enhance learning. Learn how we choose what topic to address, all the way through to how we test our simulations.

With the new “Acceleration Lab” tab in the Forces and Motion: Basics simulation, students use an acceleration meter and a bucket of water to explore the concepts of speed, acceleration and net force, and learn how they relate to Newton’s Second Law of Motion: F=ma.

PhET is one of many providers of “Open Educational Resources” (OER) and is a big supporter of the larger open education movement. This week brings many opportunities to learn more about OER projects and the opportunity for OER to impact teaching and learning worldwide. See their list of events here:

http://www.openeducationweek.org/events-webinars/

We’re excited to announce that PhET is now a 100Kin10 Partner. 100Kin10 is a multi-sector partnership addressing the national imperative to train 100,000 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers by 2021. See the press release here.