Greta M. Zenner

Nanotechnology and Society: A discussion-based undergraduate course

Nanotechnology has emerged as a broad, exciting, yet ill-defined field of scientific research and technological innovation. There are important questions about the technology’s potential economic, social, and environmental implications. We discuss an undergraduate course on nanoscience and nanotechnology for students from a wide range of disciplines, including the natural and social sciences, the humanities, and engineering. The course explores these questions and the broader place of technology in contemporary societies. The course is built around active learning methods and seeks to develop the students’ critical thinking skills, written and verbal communication abilities, and general knowledge of nanoscience and nanoengineering concepts. Continuous assessment was used to gain information about the effectiveness of class discussions and enhancement of student understanding of the interaction between nanotechnology and society.

Using Interdisciplinary Examples in Nanotechnology to Teach Concepts of Materials Science and Engineering

The National Science Foundation-supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) on Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces at the University of Wisconsin – Madison has an extensive education and outreach effort. One theme of this effort is the development of instructional materials based on cutting-edge research in nanoscale science and engineering. The Nanoworld Cineplex contains movies and demonstrations that can be brought into classes, and the Nanotechnology Lab Manual contains numerous experiments that can be used for virtual or actual laboratories. Also available are kits, software, teaching modules and articles. A hands-on kit for nontechnical audiences, “Exploring the Nanoworld,” has been produced in collaboration with the Institute for Chemical Education. In this paper, novel hands-on demonstrations and innovative laboratory experiments aimed at the college level will be highlighted. High-tech devices and materials such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), shape memory alloys, amorphous metal, and ferrofluids are discussed in the classroom and studied in the laboratory as illustrations of nanotechnology and its impact on energy, the environment and our quality of life. These examples illustrate interdisciplinary research that provides connections among materials science, chemistry, physics, engineering, and the life sciences. They also highlight the tools of nanotechnology, such as scanning probe microscopy, electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and chemical vapor deposition, which are associated with the preparation and characterization of nanostructured materials. Demonstrations of the incorporation of nanotechnology to teach fundamental materials science principles presented are summarized at http://www.mrsec.wisc.edu/edetc .

Turning Cutting-Edge Research into Secondary Curriculum

Traditional science classroom activities rely on to pics and experiments that are distant from the forefront of scientific research. As a result, stu dents may view science as stagnant and far removed from real life. Through a National Science Foundat ion-funded Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) works with secondary teachers to transform cutting-edge research in nanoscale science and engineering into curriculum t hat is appropriate for middle- and high-school classrooms. This benefits everyone involved: teach ers learn about innovative science and the process of research; UW MRSEC personnel learn about science education and the state of todays schools; and students get to test and engage with n ew curriculum about breakthrough research. In the summer of 2004, our RET participants conducted research on and developed curriculum about “smart” papers with microencapsulation technology, fuel cells, nano biosensors and liquid crystals, glassy metals, and Wells polyhedral models.