In classrooms, the visualisation of science concepts can be one of the most challenging aspects for teachers to convey to their students. With concepts that are often abstract an unfamiliar, providing a variety of visualisations to aid in building student understanding can be a game changer. For teachers, understanding the breadth of available visualisation tools can transform your teaching from awkward diagrams to dynamic, movie like visuals that capture attention and inspire learners to be inquisitive about the concepts being taught. These tools can become invaluable in explaining everything from ecosystems to chemical reactions and movements in space (McInerny et al., 2014).

Visualisation tools like PhET, virtual microscopes and GeoGebra enable students to observe, experiment and interact with models that enhance their learning experience. As teachers, using these tools can greatly increase the efficiency and ease with which difficult concepts are taught to students. It allows students to go beyond images in a textbook and explore their own questions and theories. Interactive 3D models allow students to delve deeply into simulations, experiencing what effects their changes make and engaging them in the topic at hand.

These tools also provide significant opportunity for differentiation, with students that learn best by experiencing and manipulating tasks in front of them particularly benefited. They foster a sense of exploration, particularly in areas that would be difficult or impossible to explore in any other way.

Below, we have curated a number of resources for science visualisation tools, but the opportunities are endless, and it is greatly encourage that these are used as a basis of inspiration for teachers to explore what is widely available to them to enhance their teaching practice.