PhET

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 �鶹ӰԺ 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 CU �鶹ӰԺ’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 CU �鶹ӰԺ and elsewhere created to help the blind or visually impaired learn geometry. Photo courtesy of Dor Abrahamson. Above: Brett Fiedler is a researcher at CU �鶹ӰԺ’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 CU �鶹ӰԺ in 2017 and spent several years as part of the JILA Physics Frontier Center-funded PISEC program, working with CU �鶹ӰԺ 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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Two science-education experts honored by American Physical Society

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 22:54:25 +0000

Two science-education experts honored by American Physical Society Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/11/2021 - 15:54

CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Katherine K. Perkins and Valerie K. Otero cited for groundbreaking work to understand and improve science education

Two �鶹ӰԺ faculty members who work to improve science education have been designated as 2021 fellows by the American Physical Society (APS), the association has announced.

Katherine Perkins

The APS Fellowship Program recognizes members who have advanced the field of physics through research and publication or have made significant innovative contributions by application of physics to science and technology. Each year, no more than 0.5% of the APS’s non-student membership is recognized for election to the status of Fellow of the APS.

This year’s fellows are Professors Katherine K. Perkins of physics and Valerie K. Otero of education.

Perkins is director of the PhET Interactive Simulations Project. The APS cited her for “profound contributions to physics education through the vision and leadership of the PhET project, resulting in the creation of many high-quality interactive simulations for teaching physics to hundreds of millions of students and teachers globally.”

Perkins, who is also a professor attendant rank in physics and specializes in physics education research, focuses on pedagogically effective design and use of interactive simulations, sustainable course reform, students' beliefs about science and institutional change. Formerly, she served as director of CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Science Education Initiative.

Perkins was trained as experimental physicist and atmospheric scientist at Harvard University, from which she earned her PhD in 2000. She joined the CU �鶹ӰԺ faculty in 2003, working as a postdoctoral researcher with Carl Wieman, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Eric Cornell.

Valerie Otero

Otero is professor of science education and executive director of the Colorado Learning Assistant Program and the International Learning Assistant Alliance. The APS cited her for “the creation and broad dissemination of innovative physics curricular materials, pioneering contributions to physics teacher education and professional development, and for the development, implementation and wide dissemination of the Learning Assistant Model across diverse institutions.”

Otero, who co-founded the Learning Assistant model and International Learning Assistant Alliance, is also the co-founder and co-director of the CU �鶹ӰԺ Center for STEM Learning and the PEER Physics project, which engages high school students and teachers.

Her research explores the dynamic and inclusive nature of the learning environments, focusing on “cultivating expert learners rather than expert knowers,” whether these learners are K–12 or university faculty or students. Otero is a Hispanic, first-generation college student who grew up working at the carnival in New Mexico. She focuses her research and programs on learning environments that promote empowerment, agency and self-love through the disciplines.

Otero earned a master’s in geophysics from the University of California, San Diego, in 1995 and a PhD in mathematics and science education and physics education research from UCSD and San Diego State University in 2001. She joined the CU �鶹ӰԺ faculty in 2001. The APS is a nonprofit organization established in 1899 to expand and promote the understanding of physics through publication of scientific journals, organization of scientific meetings, education, public outreach, advocacy and government affairs and international activities.

It has more than 55,000 members and publishes 14 physical review journals.

CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Katherine K. Perkins and Valerie K. Otero cited for groundbreaking work to understand and improve science education.

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Grad student helps science sims break language barriers

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 00:22:33 +0000

Grad student helps science sims break language barriers Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/27/2018 - 17:22

Kyle Houseworth

Doctoral candidate translates PhET Interactive Simulations into Spanish, making them more accessible to a global audience

Physics is challenging, but learning it in a second language adds an entirely different obstacle, says Diana López, who is doing what she can to make STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering, and math—more accessible to students who speak Spanish.

López, a doctoral candidate studying advanced technology at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (National Polytechnic Institute) in Mexico and currently an exchange student at the �鶹ӰԺ, is spearheading an effort to translate CU’s PhET Interactive Simulations and associated resources from English into Spanish.

Diana López. Photo courtesy of Diana López.

The implications of translating PhET into Spanish extend beyond benefitting her home country.

“There are many English as Second Language students in the U.S. who can benefit from the translations as well, alongside other countries where Spanish is a primary language,” states López. “Teachers appreciate it (if the resources) are in their native language.”

For López, although it’s time-consuming work, translating PhET is personal.

“Translating PhET is a passion project; it’s not for my PhD,” says López.

As a high school science teacher in Mexico, López experienced first-hand the benefits of PhET. López used the offline version, since “there wasn’t any internet connection in my classroom.”

“I taught physics and math to high school juniors and seniors in Mexico before pursuing my PhD, and I used the PhET Interactive Simulations in my classroom to help students visualize the activities they were studying,” states López.

“PhET provides visuals for the students so they can see and comprehend what they’re working on, plus they’re able to explore and make their own questions,” says López. Further, “They can change something and immediately see what happens. That’s not always possible in a lab.”

Altogether, “PhET gives students ownership over their learning,” continues López. “It’s a tool that they can use to construct their own understanding,” she says.

In Mexico, López would love to see technology utilized more in classrooms, but “it’s currently a dream in most schools.” She adds that “most of the schools don’t have the resources and teachers don’t know how to integrate it into their students’ learning process.”

López’s PhD project is developing a dashboard for PhET simulations, which aims to help show teachers if their students are engaged. Currently, the simulations themselves do not easily show teachers which tools are being used or ignored. The dashboard aims to make that information more accessible.

For López, “good questions aren’t a cookbook.” PhET “shows teachers what tools students use and don’t use.” This is helpful, because every student uses the simulations differently.

“If a teacher sees that a student didn’t use a specific tool, but they know that it’s useful, the teacher can then show them how to use that specific tool to enhance the lesson.”

So far, about 20 percent of the teacher tips and 10 percent of the activities have been translated into Spanish. López notes that Spanish is PhET’s second most-used language.

PhET, which initially stood for Physics, Education and Technology, now broadly covers most STEM-related subjects.

Especially when dealing with STEM subjects, comprehending minuscule details can be a challenge. “PhET makes the invisible visible,” states López.

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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 �鶹ӰԺ, a student at Fairview High School in �鶹ӰԺ, 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 CU �鶹ӰԺ. 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 Colorado 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 CU �鶹ӰԺ 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 �鶹ӰԺ 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 CU �鶹ӰԺ, 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 �鶹ӰԺ’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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CU students enhance global STEM learning with new iPad App

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 23:30:42 +0000

CU students enhance global STEM learning with new iPad App Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/10/2016 - 17:30

Jeff Thomas

Students who developed the first PhET simulation app for iPad include, (back row, from left to right) Andrew Arnopoulos, Luis Olivas, Eric Rudat, (front row from left to right) Ellie Daw and Sheefali Tewari. Photo by Ellie Daw.

Thanks to a team of undergraduate students, the �鶹ӰԺ now has an innovative new iPad app for kids, extending the international educational footprint of the PhET Interactive Simulations project and its award-winning collection of science and math simulations.

“The undergraduate team did an incredible job,” said Ariel Paul, PhET’s director of development. “Their dedication and professionalism allowed us to give them creative control over the project. They ran with it and completely excelled.”

As part of the computer science Capstone Senior Project, five students — Andrew Arnopoulos, Ellie Daw, Luis Olivas, Eric Rudat, Sheefali Tewari — spent two semesters working on the PhET app, the first in design and the second in coding. Capstone seeks to integrate computer-science majors into commercial projects and provide them real-world experience.

In this case, they applied their design and coding skills to advance the reach and sustainability of the PhET project. Although the PhET simulations have massive use in schools — downloaded more than 100 million times per year worldwide, with some of the popular simulations translated into over 70 different languages — the app opens exciting new opportunities for adoption and use.

Koji Dennis (left) and Niko Dennis are engrossed in a PhET simulation for iPad. Photo by Kathy Perkins.

“We want to connect more directly with parents seeking educational tools, and provide kids with an easy way to access PhET simulations at home, on a road trip or anywhere” said PhET Director Kathy Perkins, who is also an associate professor of physics and the mother of twin 8-year-old boys. “As a parent, I often turn to the App Store to look for educational content for my kids. If it’s 99 cents, I really don’t think twice about buying it, if I think it’s helpful."

While the PhET simulations can be accessed for free at their website, the 99 cents App will help fund its simulation-development efforts. The mobile environment of the last five years has created some new challenges for the PhET project, initially founded by CU Nobel Laureate and current PhET Senior Advisor Carl Wieman. Increasingly, schools are turning to iPads or Chromebooks, rather than desktop computers, and Paul said 10 percent of the PhET downloads are in mobile iOS — 7 percent of those coming from iPads.

However, the original simulation software was written in Flash or Java and will not run on the new mobile iOS platforms, creating a growing barrier classroom use. The solution is a complete redesign and redevelop into HTML5. �鶹ӰԺ 40 of the 134 simulations have been redone, but each requires significant funding.

�鶹ӰԺ PhET

PhET Interactive Simulations, a project of the �鶹ӰԺ, was founded by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman in 2002. The project is known for its collection of over 130 innovative interactive simulations for STEM education, which are freely available as open educational resources from http://phet.colorado.edu. These powerful educational tools are based on extensive education research, and are used worldwide over 100 million times per year in K-12 and college settings.

The 99-cent-per-download sales proceeds from the app will go directly into accelerating this upgrade process, making the sims available on more devices. “We really want it to be a one-step experience for students and teachers on iPads — you push a button and the sims run,” Perkins said.

The project is also breaking new ground as the University’s first paid app and required contributions from numerous campus stakeholders. Perkins said everyone involved — including the Technology Transfer Office, the Office of the Chancellor and the Office of Information Technology — were very collaborative in working through the legalese and financial processing.

Normally, after Apple’s cut, the TTO would receive 25 percent of such revenues, and the chancellor’s office another 25 percent, but for a three-year period Chancellor Philip DiStefano has waived all fees and the TTO has cut its share to 15 percent in support of the PhET project.

“This university is an amazing place,” Perkins said. “Everyone came together and worked hard to make the PhET app a reality.”

Today PhET gets most of its funding, about $2 million annually, from grants and donations. Creating a sustainable revenue stream, while still making its high-quality resources freely available on the internet, is a strategic priority for the project.

“We are excited to be taking this step towards sustainability. If everyone spreads the word, we could raise $100,000 or more this year,” said Perkins.

The PhET App is now available at Apple’s App Store. From mastering multiplication, to understanding atoms or exploring energy, the app offers something for everyone. Tap into that curiosity and start learning today.

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