Changing how physics students approach learning with simulations: Research and development of PhET-based tutorials

马里兰大学的研究人员正在开发教程，以补充科罗拉多大学流行的PhET模拟。这些模拟在物理学和其他领域的应用最为广泛（每年下载量超过2500万次），部分原因是它们旨在平衡两个相互竞争的设计目标——选择控制和表示，吸引人们对特定因果关系的注意，而不是提供足够的自由，让学生能够真正地探索。相比之下，目前包含模拟的课程不是通过迭代测试和修订的设计周期创建的，通常用于创建帮助学生获得大量概念收益的材料。这个项目通过研究密集的设计周期来创建有效的教程和相关的讲师指南，从而弥补了这种情况。此外，它还提供了关于如何触发和维持学生与模拟互动的生产性模式，以及如何破坏非生产性模式的重要见解。这些教程有可能接触到成千上万的高中生和本科生，可能更多，因为这些材料将在PhET网站上推广。此外，关于学生如何构建他们与模拟的互动的研究将对那些想要编写或修改与模拟相关的活动或在课堂上更有效地使用它们的教师有用。

Researchers at the University of Maryland are developing tutorials to complement the popular University of Colorado PhET simulations. These simulations are some of the most widely used in physics and beyond (more than 25 million downloads every year), partly because they are crafted to balance two competing design goals---selecting controls and representations that draw attention to particular causal relations vs. providing enough freedom so that students can authentically explore. By contrast, the curricula currently included with the simulations were not created through the design cycle of iterative testing and revision typically used to create materials that help students achieve large conceptual gains. This project remedies that situation by engaging in a research-intensive design cycle to create effective tutorials and associated instructors' guides. Moreover, it is also providing crucial insights about how to trigger and sustain students' productive modes of interaction with simulations, and how to disrupt unproductive modes. The tutorials have the potential to reach tens of thousands of high school and undergraduate students, likely many more, as the materials are to be promoted on the PhET site itself. In addition, the research on how students frame their interactions with simulations will be useful for instructors who want to write or revise activities associated with simulations or to use them more effectively in the classroom.