Common types

PhET Interactive Simulations, from the University of Colorado Boulder, offers free science and maths simulations that run in a browser. Scratch, from the MIT Media Lab, lets students build games and animations with code blocks. Khan Academy combines short videos with practice exercises that track progress by skill.

All three can be explored freely, but open exploration without a question often turns into play with little learning.

Other platforms focus on practice. Language apps, maths fluency tools and quiz-based revision sites give quick feedback on right and wrong answers. They can build confidence and fluency, but they rarely ask students to explain their reasoning, so they fit best as a short part of a lesson or as home practice rather than the main teaching.

Framing an interactive task

A good task gives students a question to answer, a prediction to make and a way to record what they find.

• Ask students to predict the result before touching the simulation.

• Change one variable at a time and record each outcome.

• Compare findings with a partner and explain any differences.

• Link the result back to the lesson's key idea.

A sample lesson

For students aged 13 to 14, use a PhET simulation on circuits for a 45-minute lesson. Materials: one device per pair and a recording sheet with a results table. Spend 5 minutes on predictions about what happens when a second bulb is added. Give pairs 25 minutes to build series and parallel circuits and record brightness. Close with 15 minutes of class discussion and a sketch of each circuit type.

The same structure works with Scratch: pupils aged 9 to 11 can predict what a short script will do, run it, then change one block and record the effect. Keep the recording sheets, since they show how pupils' reasoning develops over several lessons.

What to watch for

Adaptive platforms can keep students busy at the wrong level, so check progress reports and adjust. Screen time adds up, so balance interactive work with hands-on materials and discussion. Parents can support by asking children to explain what they built or discovered, not only how many points they earned.

Before adopting a new platform across a school, try it with one class for a few weeks. Check whether it runs on the devices students have, whether it needs individual accounts and what data it collects. A short note to parents explaining what the platform is for helps them support its use at home.

Key points

• Start every interactive task with a prediction.

• Ask students to record results, not only explore.

• Check platform progress data and adjust levels.

• Balance screen tasks with discussion and hands-on work.

Photos: Kelly Sikkema, Robo Wunderkind / Unsplash