  Pre-class reading assignments help prepare students for active classes by
providing a first exposure to the terms and concepts to be used during class.
We investigate if the use of inquiry-oriented PhET-based activities in
conjunction with pre-class reading assignments can improve both the preparation
of students for in-class learning and student attitudes towards and engagement
with pre-class assignments. Over three course modules covering different
topics, students were assigned randomly to complete either a textbook-only
pre-class assignment or both a textbook pre-class assignment and a PhET-based
activity. The assignments helped prepare students for class, as measured by
performance on the pre-class quiz relative to a beginning-of-semester pre-test,
but no evidence for increased learning due the PhET activity was observed.
Students rated the assignments which included PhET as more enjoyable and, for
the topic latest in the semester, reported engaging more with the assignments
when PhET was included.
