PhET: Its Purpose and Applications in Education; Guidelines and Recent Developments
PhET Interactive Simulations, a popular digital platform offering over 150 interactive science and math simulations, has recently released its latest update, version 1.5.0. This update focuses on app stability, offline access, and new HTML5 simulations.
The latest version includes important bug fixes, an updated simulation cache for offline use, and automatic updates that allow users to get the newest HTML5 simulations as soon as they are released. This makes PhET more accessible, even from limited internet connections.
For those using the PhET iPad app, they can continue to enjoy over 75 HTML5 science and math simulations accessible offline. The app offers features for multiple languages, easy sorting, favorites collections, and fullscreen mode. However, it currently lacks full accessibility features like keyboard navigation and screen reader access, though improvements are ongoing.
Looking ahead, PhET is actively supporting active learning through workshops, such as consecutive sessions held in August 2025 to engage educators in using their simulations effectively. Continued development priorities include expanding HTML5 sims, improving accessibility, and enhancing usability on mobile devices. Proceeds from the app also help fund the creation of more simulations.
PhET remains widely used in educational contexts, including for scientific investigations and modeling in subjects like biology. The platform aims to stay responsive to teacher and student needs by updating content and features regularly.
Each simulation on PhET comes with additional resource materials and activities. These resources, including lab guides, homework, and assessments, require an account for access. The platform is free to use in its basic form, but teachers need to sign up for an account to access these resources and activities.
PhET is a free, open platform where users can directly access a list of simulations ordered by subject. It is accessible to students from kindergarten to graduate level, covering STEM subjects like physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and math.
The simulations can be controlled using mouse clicks and drags, or screen taps. PhET is also working on improving accessibility features such as interactive highlights, pan and zoom functions, sound and sonification, and interactive descriptions.
Moreover, PhET simulations do not require account creation for usage. They can be assigned to students for homework or paired-work activities in class. The app version of PhET is available on iOS and Android for $0.99. PhET offers a wide selection of language options under the translation tab, available for download.
In summary, PhET's latest updates focus on app stability, offline access, and new HTML5 simulations, while future plans emphasize accessibility enhancement, educator support workshops, and expanding simulation content to better serve diverse learners.
- Students can benefit from PhET Interactive Simulations, a free, digital platform that provides over 150 interactive science and math simulations, with the latest version offering important bug fixes, updated simulation cache for offline use, and automatic updates for HTML5 simulations.
- For those teaching STEM subjects like physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and math, PhET Simulations remains a popular tool, offering a range of resources like lab guides, homework, and assessments, accessible with an account.
- PhET is actively improving accessibility features, such as interactive highlights, pan and zoom functions, sound and sonification, and interactive descriptions, to make it more accessible to diverse learners, including those with limited internet access.
- Teachers can attend PhET's educator support workshops, like the consecutive sessions held in August 2025, to learn how to use the simulations effectively in their classrooms, and help fund the creation of more simulations through app sales.
- The PhET app version is available on iOS and Android for $0.99, and offers features like multiple languages, easy sorting, favorites collections, and fullscreen mode, with improvements being made to full accessibility features like keyboard navigation and screen reader access.
