Adding value to Physics Education Technology simulations

Abstract

The Physics Education Technology (PhET) group at the University of Colorado, Boulder has created more than 60 open source, research based simulations that cover concepts in basic physics to state of the art research. We have added value to some of the PhET simulations by tinkering with the source code. The modified simulations are easily embedded into collaborative learning environments and online assessment systems. We believe this will lead to enhanced student interaction and learning outcomes. Examples of how we use these simulations in two open source environments will be presented. The first is a MediaWiki (the software that runs Wikipedia) wiki installation and the second is an Online ASsessment and Integrated Study (OASIS) installation.