Digital Literacy for STEM Teachers

Digital Literacy for STEM Teachers is a self-paced online course built in Articulate, designed to strengthen the digital literacy and instructional skills of STEM educators in Uzbekistan. This course is designed to provide structured, hands-on training in three platforms: PhET Simulations, Nearpod, and Kahoot, equipping teachers to design and deliver technology-enhanced lessons in science. The course was developed in response to two practical challenges facing STEM educators in Uzbekistan: limited exposure to educational technology, and a shortage of physical laboratory resources in many schools. Rather than treating these as separate problems, the course addresses them together. Teachers learn to use digital tools not only to increase classroom engagement, but also to compensate for laboratory deficits. PhET's virtual simulations enable students to conduct experiments and build scientific inquiry skills without physical equipment. Instructionally, the course follows a learn-apply-create sequence. Teachers begin by exploring each platform through guided, hands-on sessions that build practical confidence. They then apply what they have learned by designing interactive lesson plans and digital assessments. It includes both formative and summative approaches that provide immediate feedback to students. The course culminates in a comprehensive digital lesson plan that integrates multiple tools, giving each participant a concrete, classroom-ready deliverable that demonstrates their instructional readiness. By the end of the course, participants will have developed proficiency across all three platforms, the skills to design student-centered STEM lessons and technology-driven assessments, and the ability to use virtual simulations to bring inquiry-based learning to classrooms that lack laboratory infrastructure.