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Educational simulations developed at CU spread expert knowledge, understanding

Bryan Long says he is dedicated to pushing forward, to making the world a better and more enduring place. Long, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Colorado and later an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a writer, activist and educator who heads up the web site econosystemics.com.

While reframing economics to better support sustainability is the principal concept behind Econosystemics, it is also a place where Long’s passion for system theory, energy policy, climate change, ecology and economics converge.

With a background like this, the heart of an educator and a non-apologetic “change the world” outlook, it is no surprise that he stands behind, and made a significant donation to, PhET, the University of Colorado-based scientific simulation project.

A good deal of evidence suggests science education in the United States is failing, and PhET aims to improve things by helping students visualize complex scientific concepts.

“Textbooks are not addressing the changing state of the economy and the environment at the speed in which the subject matter is changing,” says Long. This is one of the areas in which PhET hopes to advance science education in America.

PhET, originally called the Physics Education Technology Project, provides Flash and Java-based simulations in a variety of areas, including physics, biology, chemistry, and Earth science. The site, launched and initially funded by CU Nobel Laureaute Carl Wieman, includes specific simulations covering, glaciers, lasers, projectile motion, and quantum tunneling & wave packets, in addition to many more.

“As the user manipulates these interactive tools, responses are immediately animated, thus effectively illustrating cause-and-effect relationships as well as multiple linked representations (motion of the objects, graphs, number readouts, etc.),” according to the PhET web site, ().

The benefits of the PhET simulations are threefold. First, they provide information to students in a way that is engaging and promotes exploration. Many researchers find this to be the most effective avenue for learning, and retaining information.

Second, the information comes from some of the best and brightest minds in the field. While this level of expertise might be too much to ask of your typical elementary- or high-school teacher, it is not too much to ask them to facilitate the discovery of information being provided by the members of PhET.

“That expertise is not something most high school teachers have,” Long says. “Attaching to PhET can help the teacher facilitate the process of learning.”

Finally, the simulations available on the PhET web site are free and can be used in any standard web browser on any platform. This means that anyone with access to a computer and an internet connection can use the simulations in a classroom setting, or to learn on an individual basis.

“What I was really pleased with is that they were making it really available. It can be used by anybody, anywhere in the world. That’s what stimulated me to making the donation. These tools are really significant in what they can do for spreading knowledge worldwide,” says Long.

Long is not alone in his support for PhET. This year, the Hewlett Foundation awarded the project $1.1 million to continue its development. Last year, the project received a $498,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for three years, with $150,000 in matching money from CU. The project also got a $500,000, two-year grant from King Saud University in Saudi Arabia.

Visit the PhET web site and give a few simulations a shot. Who knows? You might learn something. For more information on ways to contribute to PhET, please visit.