Abstract

Several educational strategies and tools have been designed to improve physics education for undergraduate students. Physics Education Technology (PhET) is a recent technology based on interactive simulations that provides the possibility to experiment real world phenomena without the need for laboratory equipment. Similarly, Tutorials for Introductory Physics have been proved to be one of the best research-based strategies to promote conceptual understanding. We worked in a Chilean private university with engineering students who were not familiar with PhET simulations but somewhat with Tutorials. We examined students’ conceptual learning of electric circuit concepts after they worked on two Tutorials with a PhET simulation instead of real equipment. We report results of their learning from pre/post-tests and an open- ended test. We note the benefits of using technology combined with research-based strategies in positively influencing students learning.