Concord Consortium STEM Learning Tools vs PhET Interactive Simulations
Concord Consortium STEM Learning Tools
concord.orgPhET Interactive Simulations
phet.colorado.eduSide by side
| Figure | Concord Consortium STEM Learning Tools | PhET Interactive Simulations |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Science Learning Software | 8.1 (#7) | 7.9 (#12) |
| Audience | CODAP is designed for students in grades 5–14 to analyze and visualize data in any subject. | PhET simulations are designed primarily for K-12 and university students and are intended for students in preschool, K-12, or college. |
| Founded | 1994 | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Concord, Massachusetts, USA | Boulder, Colorado, United States |
| Integrations | CODAP plugins can extract data from national census, weather, and sensor databases, and the site features a PhET projectile simulation plugin. | Educators can create PhET accounts using Clever, which is a supported federated login provider. |
| Privacy | Concord says it treats student and teacher data as strictly confidential and does not sell it or use it for targeted advertising. | PhET states that no personally identifiable information is collected when users run simulations on the website, in the apps, embedded elsewhere, or from downloads. |
Plans
Concord Consortium STEM Learning Tools
- STEM learning resourcesFree
In their own words
Concord Consortium STEM Learning Tools
Concord Consortium STEM Learning Tools is a nonprofit organization that creates research-based digital resources for inquiry-based STEM education. Its computational virtual labs model scientific principles so learners can explore otherwise invisible processes, including chemical reactions, genetics, evolution, and plate tectonics. CODAP is a free, web-based data science app for students, curriculum developers, and education researchers. It is designed for grades 5–14 and supports data analysis across subjects with drag-and-drop graphs and maps, linked graphs, maps, and tables. Users can import data from spreadsheets, URLs, files, or plugins. Plugins can connect to census, weather, and sensor databases, and a PhET projectile simulation plugin is featured. Developers may add plugins or contribute to the open-source code. Resources include interactive simulations, virtual experiments, guided lessons, and assessment tools. The organization also offers research collaboration, consulting, custom models, assessments, and professional development.
PhET Interactive Simulations
PhET Interactive Simulations provides interactive science and mathematics simulations for students from preschool through university. Its design emphasizes scientific inquiry, visual mental models, multiple representations, real-world connections, and flexible classroom use; the simulations include virtual experiments and guided lessons. PhET says simulations are evaluated for educational effectiveness through student interviews and classroom observation. All are open source, and they are written in HTML5, with some legacy simulations in Java or Flash. They can run online or be downloaded. Android and iOS apps include HTML5 simulations and translations for offline use and automatically download new HTML5 simulations. A desktop app provides HTML5 and Java simulations and translations for offline use on Windows and macOS. The service is available on the web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and select Chromebooks. Android browser-based HTML5 simulations and Linux are not officially supported. The free simulations plan is available to students and teachers. Commercial use requires a license from the University of Colorado Boulder.