Utilization and effectiveness of physical science online resources

I. Introduction;

Background of physical science

According to Britannica Physical science is the systematic study of
the inorganic world, as distinct from the study of the organic world, which is
the province of biological science. Physical science is ordinarily thought of
as consisting of four broad areas: astronomy, physics, chemistry, and the
Earth sciences. Astronomy was the first natural science to reach a high
level of sophistication and predictive ability, which it achieved already in the
second half of the 1st millennium BCE. The early quantitative success of
astronomy, compared with other natural sciences such as physics,
chemistry, biology, and meteorology (which were also cultivated in antiquity
but which did not reach the same level of accomplishment), stems from
several causes. Physics, in its modern sense, was founded in the mid-19 th
century as a synthesis of several older sciences namely, those of
mechanics, optics, acoustics, electricity, magnetism, heat, and the physical
properties of matter. The synthesis was based in large part on the
recognition that the different forces of nature are related and are, in fact,
interconvertible because they are forms of energy. According to Meylven C.
Ussleman, Chemistry has justly been called the central science. Chemists
study the various substances in the world, with a particular focus on the
processes by which one substance is transformed into another. Chemistry
is defined as the study of the composition and properties of elements and
compounds, the structure of their molecules, and the chemical reactions
that they undergo.

Melvyn C. Usselman. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Melvyn-C-Usselman/3455

Background of online resources in teaching

Online educational resources are useful and effective in helping
teachers save time and energy planning their lessons and creating
engaging classroom sessions (Chopra Y, 2022). Teachers have a tough
time managing their teaching and non-teaching activities. It takes countless
hours to prepare for a class, get the notes ready, find ways to make the
lesson interesting, plan surprise tests, design question papers, and correct
the sheets.
We have assembled here a list of free and paid best online resources
from google for teachers around the world. Some of these are Google
classroom, Education world, Inc. , Edmodo, EDpuzzle, Khan academy,
Discovery education, Scholastic, PBS, PrepAl, Teacher.org,
Educreations, National Science teachers association(NSTA),
Discovery education, Read wright think, Albert and so on.
Online resources use in teaching
Teacher.org
Teacher.org is a resource center created by the teachers of K-12 in
the US. This online educational resource for teachers offers free lesson
plans, teacher degree guides, teacher blogs, and discounts for teachers. It
is a comprehensive platform where teachers can find everything they need
to provide valuable education to their students. There is a range of free
tools available to help teachers increase student engagement and improve
the standard of education. Teacher.org also has scholarship programs for
teachers who wish to continue their education on the side. (Chopra Y,
2022).
National Science Teachers Association
NSTA is an online teacher resource for the science stream. All
science-related topics are covered in the books, journals, magazines, and
articles shared by the platform. The website has lesson plans to help
teachers create interesting sessions for students. It also aids in curriculum
planning. The topics are categorized based on the age groups- elementary,
middle school, high school, and postsecondary. NSTA currently has around
40,000 teachers, educators, science professionals, etc., who want to take
science education to new heights. Teachers can find free and paid
resources on the platform. (Chopra Y, 2022).
 Better Lesson
Better Lesson is an online resource for teachers from elementary to
high school. Be it lesson plans or instructional strategies for core subjects,
Better Lesson has a vast database of resources to offer to teachers.
Leadership development modules help teachers empower their students
beyond textbook learning. Classroom learning, student engagement, and
other such aspects are given priority. BL Connect is a self-learning platform
for teachers and educators to create and implement curricula and find ways
to create inclusive classrooms. Better Lesson aims to help teachers create
student-centered learning programs (Chopra Y, 2022).

Chopra, Y. (2022, September 9). Top 15 Online Resources for Teachers

(Compiled) – PrepAI. DataToBiz. https://www.datatobiz.com/blog/online-
resources-for-teachers/
Tools & Resources for Teachers | Elementary, High School | Teacher.org.
(n.d.). Teacher.org. https://www.teacher.org/resource/
Adaptive Curriculum Games for Kids – Activities & Worksheets –
JumpStart. (n.d.). https://www.jumpstart.com/
Homepage | NSTA. (n.d.). https://www.nsta.org/
BetterLesson. (2023, February 27). Professional Development for Teachers
– BetterLesson Professional Learning Connected. https://betterlesson.com/

II. Online resources that can be used in teaching physical

science

 PhET Interactive Simulations - PhET provides fun, free, interactive,

research-based science and mathematics simulations. We
extensively test and evaluate each simulation to ensure educational
effectiveness.
 Furthermore, PhET simulations are research-based, highly
interactive, animated, and easy to use. They create a game-like
environment, can be used to model real-life scenarios, and do not
need many computer specifications (PhET, 2021). The simulations
are written in HTML5 (with some legacy simulations in Java or Flash),
and can be run online or downloaded to your computer. Otrel-Cass et
al. (2015, 2016) noted that dynamic simulations help educators to
facilitate the learning of physics concepts that are challenging and
abstract and help students develop skills in virtual laboratory
experimentation. PhET interactive simulation activities offer more to
the way students learn physics in a way that intrigues the mind of
learners with mouth-watering visualizations of abstract physics
concepts; hence, they develop a deeper understanding of physics
concepts (Ganasen & Shamuganathan, 2017; Perkins, 2020 et al.,).

According to PhET.colorado.edu by using PhET you can click and

drag to interact with simulation features use sliders to increase and
decrease parameters choose between options with radio buttons.
Make measurements in your experiments with various instruments
rulers, stop-watches, voltmeters, and thermometers. As users interact
with these tools, they get immediate feedback about the effect of the
changes they made. This allows them to investigate cause-and-effect
relationships and answer scientific questions through exploration of
the simulation.
 Omni calculator - Fast forward a few years, and Omni is at its best.
Since 2016, they expanded from 20 thousand to over 5 million visits a
month. In 2018, (Mateusz Mucha, 2022) their company comprised
of five people; one year later, they’re a team of twenty-four. Currently,
if you want to solve a math problem, you will either use a calculator
app or a spreadsheet. They link the simplicity of the former with the
comprehensiveness of the latter and aspire to become a go-to tool
that solves math problems for everyone on the planet.

The well-known American author, Bill Bryson, once said: “Physics is

really nothing more than a search for ultimate simplicity, but so far all
we have is a kind of elegant messiness.” Physics is indeed the most
 fundamental of the sciences that tries to describe the whole nature
with thousands of mathematical formulas.
According to the creator of this resources that they’re team constantly
create physics calculators, with equations and comprehensive
explanations that cover topics from classical motion,
thermodynamics, and electromagnetism to astrophysics and even
quantum mechanics

TCNJ | The College of New Jersey. (n.d.). https://tcnj.edu/

https://physics.tcnj.edu/online-teaching-resources-for-physics-
instructors/
PhET Interactive Simulations. (n.d.). PhET.
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/about#:~:text=PhET%20provides%20fun
%2C%20free%2C%20interactive,of%20simulation%20use%20in
%20classrooms.
Omni Calculator. (n.d.). https://www.omnicalculator.com/
Berman, R. (2022, April 19). Every calculator you’ll ever need, for free.
Big Think.
https://bigthink.com/smart-skills/omni-calculator/#:~:text=Omni
%20Calculator%20is%20here%20to,built%20a%20unique%20web
%20calculator.

Banda, H. J., & Nzabahimana, J. (2022, December 19). The Impact of

Physics Education Technology (PhET) Interactive Simulation-Based
Learning on Motivation and Academic Achievement Among Malawian
Physics Students. Journal of Science Education and Technology;
Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-022-
10010-3
III. Utilization and it’s effectiveness of physical science online
resources
Nowadays, educators and researchers have been trying To discover
and improve the uses of PhET Interactive Simulations in classrooms most
specially in the field of Physics Education. While the use of PhET
simulations (Sims) are for Physics teaching in majority, it has now been
used for chemistry, biology, math and other sciences.
The effectiveness of using PhET simulations for Physics
The effectiveness of using PhET simulations for Physics classes
using a five point Likert Scale and to make Recommendations based from
the results of the survey. The Research will only focus on the response of
the participants And the designed questionnaire based from the related
literature of the studies. In real time to user interaction. Real world
materials (e.g. Blocks, fluids, light bulb) are used so that students can
Realize and appreciate the practical concept between Phenomena and the
existing knowledge as seen from in simulating a buoyancy problem, users
are given the option to select if forces (gravity, Buoyancy, contact) are
needed for display. As an option is Selected, PhET responds
instantaneously. This also applies When blocks are dropped to the fluid,
forces are displayed Immediately.

Screenshot of Buoyancy Simulation. Students can either drag the Objects of different
mass to the fluid or use the options to show the Forces, read outs and the parameters of
the block.
 In this research, a five point Likert scale was designed to determine
its effectiveness. For the first part of the survey, students were asked
questions wherein it involves the students’ independence. In other words, it
determines how students utilize PhET outside school and on how they
prepare for class using the program, it determines their Learning strategies
and learning characteristics.
For the Second part of the survey, students were asked about how
Students were able to grasp the concept more easily, Improve their test
scores, improving their self-confidence and independence in studying. For
the last part, the Participants were asked to write down their experiences
using PhET. Eighteen randomly selected students Participated in the
survey. On the other hand, similar type of questions were given to faculty
members to know how effective the program is for them.
Three faculty members who used PhET in classes participated in the
survey. Questions 6-12 uses a five point scale with “Strongly Agree”,
“Agree”, “Neither Agree nor Disagree”, “Disagree” and “Strongly Disagree”
as the choices. Moreover, questions 13-18 uses a five point scale with
“Strongly Effective”, “Effective”, ‘Neither effective nor Ineffective”,
“Ineffective” and “Very Ineffective” as the choices.
The results of this research, 9 males and 9 females participated in the said
survey. Presented below are the learning strategies of students and their
perception towards PhET’s effectivity.
A. Learning basic knowledge and fact in terms of learning the basic
knowledge and facts, 56% strongly agreed and 44% agreed. Based from
the students’ perception, they did learn the basic knowledge and facts in
their Physics courses. All of the respondents agreed that they did learn.
B. Learning Opportunities and Resources 11% strongly agreed, 61%
agreed that they have took advantage to other learning opportunities and
resources while 6% are in the middle and 6% disagreed.
C. Participation in classes 11% strongly agreed and 56% agreed that they
actively participated in their class while 28% are in the middle, 6%
disagreed.
D. Preparedness before the classes 17% strongly agreed and 28% agreed
that they study before going to school. They do this by reading their notes
before class. On the other hand, 50% are in the middle while 6% disagreed
to do it.
E. Usage of sims during Free Time 17% strongly agreed, 44% agreed, 28%
are in the middle and 11% disagreed.
F. Usage of sims for grasping concepts 11% strongly agreed, 44% agreed,
33% are in the middle and 11% disagreed.
G. Usage of sims in hypothesis testing 22% strongly agreed, 50% agreed,
22% are in the middle and 6% disagreed.
H. Effectivity in terms of Learning Concepts 28% mentioned that using
PhET is Very Effective and 72% said that it is Effective.
I. Effectivity in terms of Problem solving skills 28% and 67% said that PhET
is a very effective and effective program in terms of problem solving Skills
while 6% are not so sure if it did help them.
J. Effectivity in building Confidence 6% of students said that PhET is
ineffective in Building confidence in studying Physics. While 61% And 28%
said that it’s effective and very effective Respectively in building
confidence.
K. Effectivity in developing Independence 28% said that it is very effective
and 56% said it Is effective in terms of building self-reliance in Studying
Physics while the rest are unsure.
L. Effectivity in Improving Test scores 6% said that it is ineffective in
improving test Scores and 17% are not sure if it helped them. On the Other
hand, 33% said that it is very effective and 44% Said that it is effective in
improving their test scores.
In general, all of the students didn’t choose “Strongly Disagree” or “Very
Ineffective” in all of the questions given to them. The teachers who
participated in this research said: “Students become more attentive and
appreciative of the Lesson. “The sims are very helpful. They’re visually very
attractive and appealing, especially to the millennial generation. Physics is
usually seen as boring and Irrelevant, but thanks to these Sims, physics is
now seen as interesting, fun and important. Benefits for teachers quite
accurate and easy to use and understand, more convenient than lab
experiments (ex: to test the effect of one factor on another). I’m also
inspired by the fact that they’re free to use all teaching materials should be
like this: as widely accessible as possible. “The simulations helped
students learn by themselves without too much guidance from their
teachers. Most of them are so curious that they did many simulations just to
satisfy their hypotheses.

“Meanwhile, some of the students said: “I have acquired knowledge

through experience in using PHET simulations. They have helped me in
solving the physics problems easier and effectively. I think the simulations
were pretty entertaining and educational at the same time even though I’m
not really interested in Physics. The simulations helped me a lot. “It’s very
helpful when it comes to problem solving because It compares the
differences between the [quantities] (that have been changed). It is also
effective when studying physics alone. “Based from the students’
perception, they did learn the basic knowledge and facts in their physics
courses. All of The respondents agreed that they did learn after taking the
course.
On the other hand, majority agreed that they took advantage to other
learning opportunities and resources they have. In terms of active
participation, more than half have claimed that they actively participated in
class while the rest didn’t think so. While it is understandable that some
students have negative behavior towards participation most especially in
Physics or Math classes, it’s good to see that there are still students who
are actively participating. In terms of preparation before classes, it is not
surprising that more disagreed than agreed when preparing for class or
reading their notes and references. This could be because students
depend on teacher.
Generally, when it comes to the utilization of Simulations (Sims)
during free time, more than half of the students studied on their own, used
sims for grasping concepts of physics and tested their hypothesis based on
their creativity and these are positive learning experiences. Based from the
survey, it can be clearly seen that majority of the respondents agreed that
PhET helped them learned the concepts, improve their problem solving
skills, building confidence to lessen their fears in Physics, developing self-
reliance and improving test scores. On their own, students explore PhET
simulations through engaged exploration which is a mode where they are
exploring via their own questioning demonstrating scientist-like behavior.
Thus, the learning experience becomes positive. Based from the survey,
using PhET in classrooms are generally effective in terms of learning
experiences for both the teachers and the students. Hence, it is
encouraged that educators and students make use of this free resources.

Bandoy, J. V., Pulido, M. T., & Sauquillo, D. J. (2015, October 1). The
Effectiveness of using PHET Simulations for Physics Classes: A Survey.
ResearchGate

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282219928_The_Effectiveness_o
f_using_PHET_Simulations_for_Physics_Classes_A_Survey

IV. Compare and contrast

This comparison study examined differences and similarities in the
online and face-to-face learning outcomes of students enrolled in a high
school physical science course. Although online learning can be equally
effective as traditional learn. The study targeted a single high school
physical science course and compared the course assessment scores of
the entire course population for a 2- Year period. The physical science
course assessment scores were those of students enrolled in either
online or face-to-face classes.
The Internet then facilitated the evolution of distance learning to online
courses. The majority of early Online classes provided advanced
placement (AP) subject and college preparatory courses that were not
available in rural or urban traditional school programs. Early online
course development was a basic transfer of traditional classroom
content to the digital learning environment. Online course development
then grew into today’s teacher-student and student-to-student interactive
learning environment (Gemin et al., 2015).
The program offered AP and core curriculum courses to students In
Georgia high schools. The program expanded to target and increase the
number of participants from Low-income and other disadvantaged
groups that needed AP courses and exams throughout the state of
Georgia. Public high schools with a 50% or higher free and reduced-
price lunch rate Qualified to participate in a federal 3-year U.S.
Department of Education (USDoE) Advanced Placement Test Fee
Program grant that was known as AP Nexus. AP Nexus was a
collaborative effort of Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee to make
AP courses available to economically disadvantaged students. Literature
related to academic outcome comparisons between online and face-to-
face learning environments is reviewed here.
After comparing the learning outcomes of experimental and Quasi-
experimental research, they interpreted the results of 176 studies. On
average, students in the online learning environment performed
modestly better than those receiving face-to-face instruction. At the
university level, an early report according to Urtel gave some indication
that first-year students performed less successfully online when
comparing distance learning and face-to-face environments. Urtel’s
quantitative investigation of academic outcomes using course grades
favored face-to-face learning. The face-to-face student group earned a
grade point average (GPA) of 3.16; the distance student group earned a
GPA of 2.28. Employing a statistical analysis, Urtel assessed the
coursework of 269 university students enrolled in the distance education
section and 116 enrolled in the face-to-face section. The most notable
trend was the disproportionate rate of lower learning outcomes for
students classified as being in the first-year cohort. Sixty-five percent of
first-year students earned grades of D, F, and W when taking an online
class.
A more recent report by CREDO (2015) showed weaker academic
growth in math and reading compared to traditional public school
academic growth. A shortfall in Performance was equal to a loss of 72
learning days in reading and a loss of 180 learning days in math for a
180-day school year. The lower student performance groups included
ethnic and economically disadvantaged student groups. Reports of
higher online performance growth were not typical.
To identify differences in grade-based learning outcomes, J. Cavanaugh
and Jacquemin (2015) reviewed more than 5,000 university courses
facilitated by more than 100 faculty members over 10 academic terms.
Seeking a macrolevel of confirmation for student performance, they
used a multiple regression analysis to investigate students’
Demographics and the factors known to bias course grade-based
outcomes. A key element In their findings was that students with higher
GPAs performed better in online courses than students with lower
GPAs.
The statistical comparison of the physical science EOCT scores
indicated no significant differences in learning outcomes. Findings from t
tests indicated some pattern differences in passing benchmarks scores
for grade levels The Grade 10 online group had a mean score of 6.37;
the Grade 10 face-to-face group had a mean score of 8.99. This
significant difference of p = .036 between the two groups indicated
higher achievement by the face-to-face group in chemistry (atomic). A
significant difference in student achievement also was indicated in
physics (waves). The Grade 11 face-to-face group had a mean score at
7.76; the Grade 11 online group had a mean score at 7.50, a significant
difference of p = .046. At the Grade 9 level, only a small sample of data
was available for the online group, so the statistical analysis of the four
 domains was not considered reliable for the purpose of the pilot study
(see Tables 6 & 7).

According to the GaDOE (2015), the EOCT was aligned with Georgia
curriculum standards and was a reliable assessment of physical science
content knowledge. As a content assessment, the EOCT served as a
diagnostic tool used to identify student performance strengths and
weaknesses in learning (GaDOE, 2015).
EOCT tests provided scores that reflected student achievement levels and
were based on internal consistency measures using Kuder-Richardson 20
(KR-20). Based on the assumption that use of the KR-20 by the state of
Georgia provided reliable results, this investigation assumed that the
assessment results reflected students’ content achievement. The study
used the EOCT data to measure learning outcomes for all four content
domains of physical science. Each of the four EOCT strains had a
maximum raw score value: Chemistry: Atomic and Nuclear Theory and
Periodic Table, a raw score of 15; Chemistry: Chemical Reactions and
Properties of Matter, a raw score of 12; Physics: Energy, Force, and
Motion, a raw score of 13; and Physics: Waves, Electricity, and Magnetism,
a raw score Of 10.

https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
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grade based Student learning outcomes in online vs. face-to-face courses.
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V. Challenges
Transitioning to online teaching has been extremely difficult and
challenging for most educators and students. Most schools and professors
have had a hard time making the concept work since they may face many
challenges, including unreliable internet connections, lack of gadgets and
effective tools, and adapting new learning methods. If you are a professor
and are already teaching online,
These are several challenges happening in online teaching for
physical science. Some of these challenges facing professors as well
as students include:
1. Work organization and time management
Most teachers are required to move to online teaching almost immediately
with no training and tools. Most of them have to use numerous e-learning
tools making the whole process overwhelming. [3]. They are supposed to
attend to students virtually, handle bulk information, and prepare for their
teaching strategy. Most stay up to ten hours carrying out teaching
practices, including cleaning up messes, streamlining processes, and
affecting learning, which is intimidating. Kritik saves 100+ hours per term on
grading due to calibrated peer review and streamlined workflows.

2. Technology shortage
Not all students and teachers have gadgets to enable them to learn and
teach online, respectively. Some are sharing laptops, while other students
lag for totally missing these gadgets. Such is giving professors a hard time
keeping all students at the same pace.

3. Connectivity
Currently, around the world, there is massive use of internet and streaming
services, making it tough to stay connected. There is an increased use of
video streaming software, online learning systems, and digital tools. This
overloading has led to internet problems, poor quality video and audio,
downtime, and connection losses between teachers and students. Most
teachers are trying to manage the connection issues, affecting the learning
process.

4. Computer literacy
Most teachers, parents, and students got caught unaware and did not know
about learning management or streaming systems. With the data and
setups required, the whole process is becoming overwhelming to teachers
and students.

5. Hard of hearing students

Most hard of hearing students find it difficult to study since there are no
interpreters online for their needs. This situation makes them undergo a
double problem of what average students are experiencing. At Kritik, We
believe in equal learning opportunities for all and comply with all WCAG 2.0
guidelines. We are driven to continuously design and iterate our website
and product suite to remain accessible for all users.

6. Data privacy and insecurity

With hackers and other cyber crimes, it’s becoming unsafe learning online
due to data infringement and hackers sending harmful content during class
streaming affecting teachers and students. Most students also don’t know
how to protect their devices, making the whole class prone to cyber-
attacks. Kritik takes data privacy and security very seriously and is FERPA
compliant and hosts our servers in the US or Canada, depending on the
institution they work with.
Kritik – The Challenges of Teaching Online. (n.d.).
https://www.kritik.io/resources/challenges-of-teaching-online
Kebritchi, M., Lipschuetz, A., & Santiague, L. (2017, August 8). Issues and
Challenges for Teaching Successful Online Courses in Higher Education.
Journal of Educational Technology Systems; SAGE Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239516661713