Developing and researching PhET simulations for teaching quantum mechanics

TLDR

Quantum mechanics is counterintuitive, abstract, and mathematically challenging, making it difficult to visualize, and the PhET Project now offers 18 simulations to improve learning of this subject. The article reviews the development of PhET quantum mechanics simulations and provides an overview of their design. The simulations incorporate visual representations, interactive environments, real‑world connections, and efficient calculations, and are developed through research, educator feedback, and classroom testing. Studies demonstrate the simulations’ effectiveness and reveal insights into how students conceptualize quantum mechanics.

Abstract

Quantum mechanics is counterintuitive, difficult to visualize, mathematically challenging, and abstract. The Physics Education Technology (PhET) Project now includes 18 simulations on quantum mechanics designed to improve the learning of this subject. These simulations include several key features to help students build mental models and intuition about quantum mechanics: visual representations of abstract concepts and microscopic processes that cannot be directly observed, interactive environments that directly couple students’ actions to animations, connections to everyday life, and efficient calculations so that students can focus on the concepts rather than the mathematics. Like all PhET simulations, these are developed using the results of research and feedback from educators, and are tested in student interviews and classroom studies. This article provides an overview of the PhET quantum simulations and their development. We also describe research demonstrating their effectiveness and discuss some insights about student thinking.