University of Colorado Boulder

Teaching STEM for Global Sustainability with PhET

University of Colorado Boulder

Teaching STEM for Global Sustainability with PhET

Rebecca Vieyra
Diana Lopez Tavares

Instructors: Rebecca Vieyra

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Develop familiarity with PhET’s simulations in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals.

  • Engage as a learner with model integrated global STEM lessons to deepen your understanding of how to improve your global teaching readiness.

  • Design and implement your own PhET sim-based global STEM plans in your classroom.

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Recently updated!

July 2026

Assessments

10 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer
Taught in English

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There are 5 modules in this course

This module makes the case for teaching global sustainability within STEM by showing how scientific and mathematical concepts underlie the world's biggest challenges, anchored in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Learners get oriented to the PhET simulation collection and teacher resources, and experience "open play" as a way to introduce a simulation.

What's included

11 readings2 assignments6 discussion prompts

Work through two model globalized lessons from a student's perspective and then study Kerkhoff's Global Teaching Model (GTM) as a framework for describing globally competent teaching. They analyze how the model's four dimensions appear — or are absent — in real activity sheets, and examine what makes a contextualized lesson effective.

What's included

18 readings8 assignments11 discussion prompts

Using backward design, this module has learners start from their own STEM learning objectives and identify a UN SDG that genuinely resonates with the content. They explore the PhET Activities database for adaptable lessons and weigh the responsible, strategic use of generative AI in lesson design.

What's included

4 readings3 discussion prompts

Build your own student-facing activity sheet section by section — warm-up, open play, activity/lab, synthesis, and extension — using the 5E + Equity framework to decide where global context fits best. Practice weaving in the more challenging critical and intercultural dimensions, then draft their lesson and exchange peer feedback.

What's included

13 readings1 peer review9 discussion prompts

Learners teach their globalized PhET lesson in their own classroom and gather evidence of how it went. They then reflect on what worked and what they would change, assemble their course portfolio, and optionally contribute their activity to the PhET database.

What's included

5 readings1 peer review1 plugin

Instructors

Rebecca Vieyra
University of Colorado Boulder
19 Courses21,050 learners
Diana Lopez Tavares
University of Colorado Boulder
12 Courses11,217 learners

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¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.