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201212th IEEE Intemational Conference on Nanotechnology (IEEE- NANO)

The Intemational Conference Centre Birmingham


20-23 August 20112, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Nanotechnology: A Platform for Education Change
Deb M. Newberry
Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount, M 55068
Email: deb.newberrdctc.edu
Abstract Nanotechnology, as an enabling
technology, has aspects which support multiple
engineering disciplines. Nanoscale demonstrations,
activities and experiments have been used to illustrate
nanoscale principles as they apply to biological,
electrical, material and chemical aspects of
engineering topics. The emerging feld of
nanoscience offers state of the art applications and
conceptual development appropriate for multiple
levels of engineering education which may enhance
learing and student retention.
Index Terms - Nanotechnology, engineering,
education, critical thinking, content, muli
disciplinary.
I. INTRODUCTION
Students in elementary school are taught that
everything is made up of molecules and that
molecules are made up of atoms. They are also
taught that there are a certain number of atoms and
many different ways of arranging them into a
multitude of molecular types. Later on, students are
taught that the type of molecule will determine the
specifc properties of the item made of those
molecules. The process continues when students
realize that the specifc type of molecules and the
atoms that comprise them as well as the arrangement
of those atoms and molecules will determine the
physical, electrical and biological properties of any
material. Classic examples of these relationships are
familiar to many; the fact that charcoal and a
diamond are both made out of the same element
carbon, but have different arrangements of thos
carbon atoms, results in the distinctly different
physical and optical properties of those two
materials. Similarly, if the same physical
arrangement of atoms is used, say a trestle bridge
type arrangement, that structure will have
signifcantly different properties if it is made out of
sodium versus aluminum or iron.
Scientists and engineers have been aware of these
relationships, the impact on properties and the
signifcance of structure composition for hundreds if
not thousands of years, but it has only been within the
last several decades that material structure and
composition has been understood at the molecular
and atomic scale - the nanoscale.
Because of this new ability to observe, measure and
understand materials at the nanoscale, the opportunity
to enhance, integrate and expand the content and
impact of engineering education has come about.
The opportunity now exists to enhance student
understanding and lifelong learing skills by
applying some of the educational content that has
been developed in the nanotechnology arena to
engineering education curricula.
II. THE EDUCATIONAL PIECES
Any educational program will have three
major pieces: 1) the content that needs to be taught
and leared, 2) the method or vehicle for that
learing and 3) the expected outcomes. For many of
the engineering disciplines this process is based on
decades of experience - both in the teaching of
engineering principles and concepts as well as the
correlation and coordination with the needs of the
industry segment that hire the program graduates.
Courses and content are taught in a specifc order,
with a defned manner, because, through years of
educational research and well as trial and error the
best approach has been determined. Occasionall; the
approach may be modifed based on changes in
technology and/or customer requirements. Ofen the
onus of keeping up with technology is placed up the
authors of textbooks and their publishers. This
process and the pieces are shown in Figure 1.
r

M
Outcomes
Testing &
I Employer
I
Assessment
I Criteria
I
Expectations
I
Needs
I
W W
Selected Textbook

Figure 1. Traditional segments and process fow for engineering education.
Nanotechnology education has taken a similar path have changed signifcantly. Employers are still
with some differences. In the late 1990's the looking for employees that know the standard or
National Science Foundation was asking working
group participants "Is nanotechnology different and
are there concepts unique to the nanoscale which
need to be taught?" Afer a few years of discussion,
the answer was determined to be "yes" and a set of
"Big Ideas of Nanotechnology" was developed and
documented [1] . These ideas or concepts represented
areas where the world at the nanoscale was different
that the familiar macroscale and even the microscale.
Nanotechnology educators then took these concepts,
applied the traditional teaching tools and defned,
with the help of industry, a set of desired outcomes
for nanotechnology program graduates. In due time
mUltiple nanoscience books were created for students
with many different levels of education (novice to
PhD). This process was very similar to that shown in
Figure 1, with the exception that change in content
was usually accomplished at nano educational "hot
spots" and with face to face interactions.
III. TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION AND
INDUSTRY REQUIREMENTS
The rapid change, growth and improvement
of the technology embodied in high speed computers,
the interet and wireless communication has
impacted the traditional approach charted in Figure 1.
Without commenting of the fture of traditional
classroom textbooks, it is clear that educators have
many more options for defming, teaching and
assessing student knowledge.
In addition, because of the signifcant change in
technology, the expectations and needs of employers
classical equations and methods to solve standard,
traditional problems. For example, the approach for
performing thermal analysis and the equations that
gover thermal transfer at the macro/micro level have
not changed for the last 50 years, but the method,
granularity and time signature of what can be
performed has changed dramatically in recent years
based on improvement in computing power.
Another area of change for employer expectations
has been in the area of "sof skills". Sof skills used
to refer to the ability to get along with other people,
work in teams, lead or follow as necessary and ability
to communicate verbally or in writing. The category
of sof skills has been expanded over the last decade
to include the ability to solve problems
independently, analyze and interpret data, be a
lifelong learer and most importantly it includes the
ability to think critically. Companies need their
employees to be able to think on their feet, fmd and
lear new information and solve problems
independently [2], [3]. This change in the "customer"
needs is not something that can easily be addressed
by a new textbook edition or by adding more
problems to homework assignments. It is an aspect
that must be addressed in the classroom and lab
activities and be implemented by the course
instructor.
At the same time this above technology infuence
was impacting traditional and existing courses,
nanotechnology educators were realizing that
nanoscience could not just be taught only at the
nanoscale. Correlation to micro and macro level
science and applications has been shown anecdotally
to impact student learing in a positive manner [4] .
Also, because the exact interaction or predominant
mechanism for observed phenomena at the nanoscale
is not well understood (for example, thermal transfer)
increased problem solving, rhetorical conversations
and critical thinking needs to be brought into the
teaching environment. The very nature of
nanotechnology; observing, measuring and creating
at the molecular and atomic level and the newness of
the feld lead to an emphasis on critical thinking,
problem solving and interdisciplinary collaboration.
IV. A CRITICAL JNCTURE
The confuence of the items discussed above
have resulted in the potential for an opportunity to
impact engineering education and the students
involved in engineering programs. The integration of
nanotechnology concepts and pedagogical tools into
and engineering discipline provides; 1) new ways to
teach traditional concepts, 2) the introduction of new
and recent discoveries into classroom work, and 3)
the capability to enhance student experience in
critical thinking and other sof skills.
This concept is shown graphically in Figure 2 which
shows the areas of the process steps; concepts, tools,
scale, educational areas and outcomes. Along the top
portion of the fgure the gray columns designate the
steps that have been the focus of or approach for
nanotechnology education.
Nanotechnology education usually starts with the list
of major concepts of nanotechnology. Then,
depending on faculty expertise, industry needs and
available facilities each nanotechnology education
program selects the tools for use. A library of
standard nanoscience textbooks, complete with all the
supplemental data, created for different levels of
students does not exist and therefore individual
versions of lecture material, problems, test, demos
and so on must be developed. Experiments can vary
greatly dependent upon equipment availability. A
common set of lab activities with standard variations
has evolved over the last decade and are in use at
multiple institutions. Nanoscale education, almost by
default places a great deal of emphasis on the
implications of scale ofen leading students through
the considerations of a phenomenon at the macro
level, then micro and fnally the nanoscale. Electrical
resistance is a good example of a
phenomena/property that can be viewed fom a
different perspective at different size scales. Finally,
nanoscale programs focus on industry driven
outcomes. The outcomes include understanding of
the hard facts and equations, and ofen include
preparing students to be lifelong learers, adaptable
to changing technology and strong thinking skills.
Nanoscale Education Programs
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Figure 2. Process steps within Nanoscale and Engineering education programs.
The gray columns in the lower portions show those
steps that are the focus of engineering education
programs. The discussion and attention paid to the
"Implications of Scale" step will depend on the
specifc engineering area. Similar to the nanoscale
education programs, engineering program will assess
which tools are best to convey the required
information. This information is determined by the
specifc area of engineering being addressed as are
the outcomes for the class or program.
The occurring confuence allows the integration of
these fve steps (concepts, tools, implications of
scale, engineering education and outcomes). This
integration enhances aspects of both of the program
areas. For nanoscience programs, the correlation of
concepts to specifc engineering disciplines and
applications provides students with a {career}
pathway for the use of the knowledge they are
leaing. For students in engineering programs, the
integration of state of the art research and topics can
energize program classes and make graduates a more
valuable asset in the marketplace. The activities
which have been developed to teach at the nanoscale
provide new methods and opportunities for introduce
new concepts and sof skills. The nanoscale activities
also provide a different approach to understanding,
explaining or applying traditional science concepts.
An example: Forces and Interactions
One of the most profound aspects of the nanoscale is
how the priorities of forces and interactions vary
signifcantly fom what they may be at the familiar
macro scale. For example, at the macro scale, the
force of gravity has a large impact on the actions and
interactions between objects. This is because the
force of gravity is dependent upon the mass of
objects and at the macroscale; objects will have
substantial mass - like planets and stars. Therefore at
the macroscale, gravity is usually the highest priority
force, over electromagnetic forces for example and
interactions such as fiction, Brownian motion and
thermal vibration. If a person jumps into the air, they
will land back on the ground because the force of
gravity is stronger than all other perhaps
counteracting force or interaction - such as the
fictional resistance of the air on their body as the
"fall" to earth afer the jump. However, as objects
become smaller and smaller, mass diminishes and the
force which results fom the dependency on mass
decreases. Other forces and interactions have a
chance to become the predominant driver of the
infuence of one object on another. For example, van
der Waals forces, which are due to molecular
interactions caused by the non uniform charge
distribution in the molecules in the seta on a geckos
foot and the molecules in a sheet of glass, is a
nanoscale interaction, but it overcomes the force due
to gravity to allow the gecko to move up a sheet of
glass.
This priority of forces and interactions at different
size scales is a critical aspect of understanding many
of the observed nanoscale phenomena. Also
important is the consideration of which of the forces
active at that scale in a given system have the highest
priority. For example, the reason that salt dissolves
in water is because the adhesive forces between one
or more water molecules and a sodium or chloride
ion is stronger than the ionic bond between the atoms
in the salt crystal. More salt will dissolve in hot
water than cold, because the heat causes vibrational
energy that breaks the hydrogen bonds between the
water molecules. Once the molecule is fee of the
hydrogen bond to another water molecule it can
interact with one of the salt atoms and remove it fom
the salt crystal. More non-hydrogen bonded water
molecules mean more are available to bond with and
remove the ions fom the salt crystal.
With this in mind, consider the nanoscale concept of
forces and interactions and the educational tool to be
a student activity. The activity uses cross-linked
polymers and investigates the effect of adding water
to the cross-linked polymer system. The results can
be corelated to various engineering disciplines, with
related outcomes. Figure 3 highlights the portion of
the two educational program steps that will be
covered.
Nanoscale Education Programs
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Figure 3. Path for the cross-linked polymer example
The students initially observe the cross-linked
polymer material. It is white and feels grainy similar
to salt or sand. As the name implies this material
consists of a series of polymer chains comprised
mostly of covalent bonds with ofen shorter chains of
atoms (links) between the longer polymer chains.
This structure is similar to collagen in skin or
cellulose in plants. There is a defned strength
associated with each of the bonds in this material at a
given temperature. When water is added to this
material it quickly begins to puff up and very soon is
a fuff, sof, fake like material. What has occurred
is that the water molecule, being a dipole molecule
has associated with particular atoms within the cross
linked polymer, formed bonds with the atoms. When
the strength of the adhesive bond between the water
molecule and the atom within the polymer is stronger
than the forces (bonds) of the atom within the
polymer, the atom may be removed fom the cross
link polymer structure thus changing the polymer
atomic confguration and in this case, its physical
properties are drastically changed. Figure 4 shows
photographs of the cross-linked polymer in a petri
dish before (top) and afer (bottom) absorbing the
water.
Figure 4. Cross-linked polymer before (top) and afer
addition of water at room temperature (bottom).
There are many variations that can be included as a
part of this activity. The polymer can be heated or
cooled prior to the addition of the water. Fluids other
than water, such as oils, acetone, soap etc. can be
added. Students can be asked to defne, based on
molecular structures, why the observed result
occurred. There are many aspects of force and
interaction, relative strengths, molecular structure
(charge distribution) effects and temperature effects
that can also be investigated and considered. For
example, does it make a difference for the reaction if
hot or cold water is used? If so, why? To answer
these types of questions, students must not only
consider chemical bonds and charge distribution but
also must devise methods of measuring temperature,
volume and time and reaction time with a precision
that can produce meaningful results. Hence students
can lear many aspects of both hard and sof skills.
The fmal stage of this activity can be the introduction
of applications based on the unique properties
observed for this material. Some questions include
"Can it be used to clean up toxic materials?"
(environmental engineering), or "Can it be use in
drug delivery perhaps topically? (bioengineering) or
perhaps "Can this be used as thermal
insulation?"( civil engineering). In answering some of
the application questions, students can be required to
list technology, societal, manufacturing or regulatory
hurdles which will need to be overcome for the
specifc application to be realized. The progression
through the stages with some of the variations is
shown in Figure 5.
V. MULTI-DISCIPLINARY LEARNING
One of the most exciting aspects of
nanotechnology is its multi and inter-disciplinary
nature. Nanotechnology has the potential to excite
and energize students about science and potential
careers, create a pathway that includes many
disciplines and interests and breakdown the
stovepipes that tend to exist between the different
disciplines. Several companies such as Motorola and
Hewlett Packard realized almost two decades ago,
that to take advantage of nanotechnology would
require the creation and encouragement for multi
disciplinary teams [5] . These multi-disciplinary
teams were unique in industry, but led to the
development of signifcant advantages for the
companies that supported them as nanoscience began
to come of age.
There are many applications using nanotechnology
that can serve as examples of the multidisciplinary
nature of nanotechnology and the need for teamwork
across multiple disciplines. A good example is the
vertical cavity laser used to differentiate between
healthy and unhealthy cells.
Using the tools of nanotechnology, researchers have
discovered that healthy cells will have a different
interal density than unhealthy ( cancer) cells. Being
able to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy
cells quickly and with small sample sizes will
improve biopsy diagnostics as well as surgical
procedures. Because the interal density is different,
a different amount of light will be transmitted
through the different cells. In other cases a different
wavelength shif will be observed. Using the
equipment shown in Figure 6, single cells are moved
through a channel beneath the laser and the change in
wavelength immediately detected and reported.
Thus, a quick determination on cell type is possible.
A group of researchers with diverse backgrounds was
required to create the above system. This included
solid state physicists, material scientists and
engineers.
Forces and Interactions
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Figure 6. Vertical cavity laser for detecting unhealthy cells by shif in wavelength. (Courtesy of Paul Gourley)
photonics experts, sofware and hardware engineers,
statistics and test engineers and many others. By
studying examples of this type, students begin to
realize that they probably will not be able to do it on
their own, develop an appreciation for disciplines
other than their chosen feld, lear to anticipate
problems or roadblocks, brainstorm solutions and
appreciate the need for team work.
CONCLUSIONS
Engineering education has stood the test of
time, provided the foundation for hundreds of
thousands of employees and defmes an established
and proven pedagogy. Nanotechnology education is
in its infancy and is based on a new enabling
technology. By merging aspects of both educational
disciplines, students, industry, faculty and society
will all beneft.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was fnded in part by the
National Science Foundation and Dakota County
Technical College.
REFERENCES
[1] Krajicik J., Stevens, S., & Sutherland L. (2009).
The Big Ideas of Nanoscale Science and
Engineering. NST A Press.
[2] Hart, Dean. Personal Interview. (20 March 2011)
[3] Arney, David, 3M, Personal Interview. (11
October 2011)
[4] Dakota County Technical College Nano Program
Student Comments (December 2011).
[5] Uldrich, J., & Newberry, D. (2003). The next big
thing is really small: How nanotechnology will
change the future of your business. New York:
Crown Publishing Group
978-1-4673-2200- 3/12/$31.00 2012 IEEE

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