The present work has as goal to present an overview on the recent literature related to Physics Teaching involving the use of computational simulations. Works from the Revista Brasileira de Ensino de Física (RBEF) and Caderno Brasileiro de Ensino de Física (CBEF) were selected, which show the potentialities and challenges that the use of computational simulations presents for Physics Teaching. As potentialities, the works highlight that simulations: expand the power of observation and understanding of the phenomenon being worked on, present the content in a more interesting way for students, bring greater interaction in the classroom, lead to a better visualization of abstract concepts and that the student becomes an active agent in the classroom. The possible challenges that were cited are: difficulty in the process of modeling the phenomenon, lack of further research in the area, the need for educators to be able to show the limitations that the model presents, the need for schools to be equipped with computers and the internet, which educators need of a preparation to learn to work both with modeling and with the simulation software itself.
Keywords:
Physics Teaching; Computer Simulation; Potentialities; Challenges