PhET + Hypercam2 = Simulation Videos for Distance Learning Physics Courses for Elementary Classroom Teachers

The Physics Education Technology (PhET) simulations offer a fantastic set of tools to present simulations of science phenomena in the classroom. The problem with asynchronous distance learning instruction is that you do not have an opportunity to provide live instruction on the controls for each simulation. For those familiar with physics phenomena, the nature of the controls are usually obvious, but for pre-service elementary school teachers this is not the case. The on-line course that we offer presents physics lectures on DVD. By recording the computer screen and audio from the computer microphone (I use free Hypercam2), it is possible to create avi files that can be incorporated into lecture content that show how to conduct PhET simulations. The avi files can be offered as stand alone presentations, but I incorporate these into lectures using Adobe Premier video editing software. This presentation gives a description of some options on the use of video produced using PhET simulations and screen recording.