Go to the Nano Education Research Page

This group has a collection of materials from the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) 2014 workshop. The presentation from this workshop can be found in the resources tab (on the menu to the left). We encourage discussion and contributions, so please post questions you have about the content or upload similar content that you would like to distribute to others.

What is nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology is “the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. Encompassing nanoscale science, engineering, and technology, nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at this length scale” (NNI, 2009). The National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NCLT) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) discuss the “big ideas” of nanotechnology education. The concept of size and scale is one of these “big ideas” (Stevens, Sutherland, Krajcik, 2009) .
The Nano Education page is a great research to find out more about nanotechnology.

What is size and scale?
Size and scale is a fundamental concept that focuses on the meaning of “nano” in nanotechnology. It is the perquisite understanding of nanotechnology (Stevens, Sutherland, Krajcik, 2009). This concept must be understood before students can grasp meaningful applications of nanotechnology, physical property changes on the nanoscale, and other further studies in nanotechnology.
To learn more, check out the Size and Scale Concept subpage (that can be found in the left-hand menu).

References:
Stevens, S.Y., Sutherland, L.M., & Krajcik, J.S. (2009). The big ideas of nanoscale science & engineering: A guidebook for secondary teachers, National Science Teachers Association, United States of America, pp. 5-72.
NNI (2009). Nanotechnology: Big things from a tiny world. The National Nanotechnology Initiative http://www.nano.gov/html/society/Education.html

Helpful Resources:
Size and Scale Slider: Interactive (zoom in and out) http://htwins.net/scale2/

The link to the video below is an introduction to nanotechnology. It is an entertaining video that discusses the significance of the nanoscale.
 http://www.nisenet.org/catalog/media/intro_nano_video

The link to the video below is about the concept of size and what is the nanoscale. This is a good introduction to viewing objects around us and relating them to our size.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTbXedkqMro&list=PLA1476F70B2A6D266&index=3

The video below is about the concept of scale and what is the nanoscale. This is a good introduction to viewing our universe through scaling by a factor of 10.

Here are some basic resources to get you started:

* A gentle introduction to nanotechnology and nanoscience by Prof. Mark Ratner

* Introduction to nanometer scale science and technology by Prof. Mark Hersam

* Nanomaterials: Quantum Dots, nanowires, and nanotubes by Prof. Tim Sands

* Thinking small by Prof. Carl Batt

* Quantum Dots by Prof. Gerhard Klimeck

Full series of lectures on nanotechnology

Many times students are interested in seeing a series of presentations that would introduce fundamental aspects of nanotechnology. Here we have put together a set of lectures that provide a view into various aspects of nanotechnology. You can explore them in any order. You can also download most of these presentations from iTunes U.

* Nanotechnology 101 Series – Ideally suited for Freshman Engineers

* What is nanotechnology and nano science

If you are interested in exploring and getting a feel for more advanced concepts, checkout the following link:

* Nanotechnology 501 Series – More advanced concepts

Other useful resources on nanotechnology

The US National Nanotechnology Initiative office has put together an amazing site for beginners to understand nanoscale engineering and science. Visit the following resource for a nice set of resources for you to learn about nanotechnology.

* What is nanotechnology (from the US NNI Office) There are many networks out there working hard on helping students learn about nanotechnology and its applications in our daily lives. Visit the following link(s) to learn more.

* What is nano?

If you are interested in learning about the many applications of nanotechnology explained in an easy to use form – visit the link below. You will find this link very useful as you are generating ideas for your projects. This link contains materials used by teachers in middle and high schools to teach nanotechnology related concepts. However, the materials and activities can help in understanding the role of nanotechnology in numerous everyday products and applications.

* Curriculum materials for learning nanotechnology developed by the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN)

Related Resources

* Nanotechnology Center for Learning and Teaching (NCLT) – Includes a range of online simulations, lessons, and games.

* PhET Interactive Simulations – This site has a number of simulation tools. However, you have to be careful and pick out the tools that your team feels are critical for use with your ENGR 132 project. Not all tools are equally relevant for your needs.

* Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE) – This is a cool site that has a number of pictures, videos, animations, and other resources that could help you with different milestones of your project (particularly M1, M2, and M3). You must be careful to evaluate and select resources that are most relevant to your project.

* What is nano – A site developed by the NISE community. Includes some cool information on nanotechnology. Follow the DIY Nano link to the app store on your favorite mobile device.