Symposium Organizers
Eric Marshall New York Hall of Science
Julie Nucci Cornell University
Doug Dunham University of Wisconsin
Marlann Marinho Patterson University of Wisconsin-Stout
PP1: Marni Goldman Memorial and Materials Education for Persons with Disabilities I
Session Chairs
Tuesday PM, December 01, 2009
Independence E (Sheraton)
9:30 AM - PP1.1
Marni Goldman Tribute: Contributions to Materials Science Education.
Charles Wade 1 , Curtis Frank 2
1 , IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, California, United States, 2 CPIMA, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
Show AbstractThis symposium is a memorial to Dr. Marni Goldman. Although she never walked and had only limited use of her arms, Marni’s academic and professional accomplishments placed her in elite company. She obtained two bachelors degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of California at Berkeley. Even with a heavy course load, she was involved in educational outreach during her studies. She started her career as a Research Associate (Education Director) in Stanford’s NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies in 2000 and retained those responsibilities until her death in 2007. During this period she rapidly added the responsibilities as Education Director for Stanford’s Nanofabrication Facility and was ultimately named Associate Director of Stanford’s Office of Science Outreach. Marni was a dynamo whose activities at Stanford included a large summer undergraduate internship program, a Research Experiences for Teachers program (local and national activities), a program to bring community college students (especially minority students) to the campus, public science (San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation, San Francisco Exploratorium), outreach to high schools with high minority populations, and a program with summer internships for students with disabilities. Marni’s achievements are thanks in no small part to her extraordinary family, to her own intelligence and tenacity, and to a wide and loving circle of friends, drawn to her by the spirit of her determination and the unmistakable largeness of her heart.
9:45 AM - **PP1.2
Undergraduate Research on the Structure and Dynamics of Soft Materials.
Curtis Frank 1 , Charles Wade 2 , Kristin Black 1
1 Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States, 2 Science and Technology, IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, California, United States
Show AbstractThe Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies (CPIMA) is an NSF sponsored Materials Research Science and Engineering Center that was created in 1994. In 1995, CPIMA initiated the Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE) program, with program coordination provided by a part-time postdoctoral research associate. Within a few years, growth in CPIMA’s educational outreach activities required an increase to a full-time postdoctoral position. In order to enhance continuity further, Marni Goldman was hired as the permanent CPIMA Education Director in 2000, a position she held until her death in 2007. This presentation will present highlights of SURE research during Marni’s tenure in CPIMA. More specifically, the structure and dynamics of soft materials will be addressed, including the characterization of mechanical properties of hydrogels, the rheology of complex fluids, the self-assembly of ultrathin films for applications in organic electronics, and the molecular dynamics of phospholipid bilayers.
10:15 AM - **PP1.3
Attracting Undergraduate Majors to Materials Science & Engineering.
Peter Davies 1
1 Materials Science & Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Show AbstractThis paper is dedicated to the memory of Marni Goldman, a courageous advocate for undergraduate education in Materials Science & Engineering and an alumnus of the MSE department at the University of Pennsylvania. The talk will focus on the recent revisions made to our undergraduate program aimed toward incorporating key fundamentals of nanoscale science and engineering into the curriculum. For example, in the fall of their sophomore year students take a course on “Quantum Physics of Materials” that provides them with the depth required to understand issues surrounding confinement effects taught the following spring in a new course on “Functional Nanoscale Materials”. Similarly a new course on “Soft Materials” focuses on the forces, energies and time scales in soft condensed matter, on the unique aspects responsible for their stability structure and phase behavior, and their application in nanotechnology. We also introduced an undergraduate course on “Computational Materials Science” to cover the fundamental of atomic level modeling of materials. Of equal importance were the revisions and new emphases in our core courses. For example, classical thermodynamics now includes increased focus on surface energy and the response of phase stability and reactivity to changes in size and morphology. The course on structure focuses on materials structure and organization from macro to nano sizes and includes molecular geometry, colloids, and liquid crystals as well as the traditional crystalline state. Our sophomore lab course was modified to place greater emphasis on the chemical synthesis of materials and now includes experiments on nano and organic electronic materials, quantum dot synthesis, absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence. In the near future we are adding new courses that focus on nanomechanics and materials for energy generation and conversion. The new program has attracted tremendous interest from engineering freshmen and sophomores, and since it was launched in 2004 the number of majors enrolled in MSE at Penn has quadrupled.
11:15 AM - **PP1.4
Interactive Learning and K-8 Outreach Teaching in the Undergraduate Curriculum.
Lisa Pruitt 1 , Sara Atwood 2 , Eli Patten 3
1 Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States, 2 Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States, 3 Mechanical, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States
Show AbstractThis work will discuss the use of active learning and k-8 outreach teaching in an undergraduate class on Biomaterials. As part of their final design project, teams of undergraduates develop interactive hands-on activities aimed at teaching 5th grade students fundamental aspects of medical device design. Each interactive project encompasses the 8 fundamental modes of learning and spans the full Bloom's levels of learning. This work will discuss the project development and assess the role of learning for both undergraduates and K-8 audience.
11:45 AM - PP1.5
Addressing Diversity in STEM Education.
Fiona Goodchild 1
1 CNSI, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
Show AbstractThis talk will reflect on the challenges of designing educational opportunities that broaden diversity in the ranks of future scientists and engineers. The speaker, who is Education Director at the California Nanosystems Institute at UCSB, will discuss her former collaboration with Marni Goldman while they each worked in the role of Education Director for a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, one at Stanford University and the other at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She will identify examples of shared interests in program design and innovation, especially with respect to non traditional students.The presentation will also review current practices that aim to address diversity and will report on key features and projects that have been successful in recruiting and retaining students from under-represented groups into science, technology, engineering and math disciplines (STEM disciplines).
12:00 PM - PP1.6
Diversifying the Scientific Workforce through Encouraging, Educating, and Promoting Disabled Students.
Annemarie Ross 1
1 Science and Mathematics, Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester, New York, United States
Show AbstractDr. Marni Goldman was a role model to students with a variety of disabilities. Paralleling Marni’s life efforts to diversify the scientific citizenry by broadening participation of persons with disabilities, the Laboratory Science Technology (LST) program at the Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID) provides a mechanism to encourage, educate, and promote deaf and hard-of-hearing students in scientific disciplines. The program boasts an impressive graduation rate, a large proportion of female students, satisfaction of students’ co-op supervisors and graduates’ employers, and a large percentage of students who continue their education past the Associate’s degree level. The development, maintenance, and sustaining of the LST program will be discussed along with strategies for curricular development for the deaf and hard-of-hearing students. As a prior deaf intern with the Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies’_Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (CPIMA_ SURE) program, I was inspired by Marni. Now that I am a faculty member at RIT/NTID, I have an opportunity to emulate her magic and become a role model for our future disabled scientists. Success stories of the LST program and its students will also be shared.
12:15 PM - **PP1.7
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Undergraduate Interns Investigate Smart Polymeric Materials.
Peggy Cebe 1
1 Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States
Show AbstractSmart Materials are those which can undergo a reversible property change in response to an external influence. An important polymeric Smart Material is poly(vinylidene fluoride), or PVDF, which is piezoelectric. The structure of PVDF determines which crystal phases will be electrically active. Recent research has shown that the electrically active beta phase of PVDF grows preferentially in nanocomposites of PVDF mixed with organically modified silicates (clays). These nanocomposite Smart Materials offer a new processing strategy for PVDF piezo-films.Using PVDF nanocomposites as the focal point, a summer internship program was developed for deaf and hard of hearing undergraduate students. The internship acts like a scientific boot camp, and provides intense immersion of the interns into laboratory research within a "hearing" environment. The long-range objectives of this program, which provides classroom and research experience for four interns yearly, are to increase participation of deaf and hard of hearing students in science and engineering, and provide enrichment and mentoring for these students. Many of the lessons learned in this program could be applied equally well to any group of undergraduate researchers.Research supported by the National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research, Polymers Program, through DMR-0906455.
12:45 PM - PP1.8
Increasing the Involvement of Persons with Disabilities in Materials Science through a NSF MRSEC/RDE Alliance Collaboration.
Nitin Padture 1 3 , Margo Izzo 2 4 , Katharine Flores 1 3 , Christopher Andersen 1 2 5
1 Center for Emergent Materials, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States, 3 Materials Science and Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States, 2 Ohio STEM Ability Alliance, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States, 4 Nisonger Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States, 5 Office of Research, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States
Show AbstractThough persons with disabilities represent the largest group that is underrepresented in STEM fields, there remain challenges in increasing the participation by persons with disabilities in all levels of STEM education and the workforce, including materials science. The proposed session describes the collaboration between two new National Science Foundation-funded research centers with the joint goal of fostering the involvement of persons with disabilities in K-12 outreach and undergraduate research experiences. Ohio State’s Center for Emergent Materials (CEM) is an NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center with an extensive education and human resources development program that is closely integrated with the center’s plan to increase the diversity of all its activities. To further this end, the CEM is closely collaborating with the Ohio STEM Ability Alliance (OSAA), an NSF Alliance for Students with Disabilities in STEM that is funded by the NSF Research in Disabilities Education program. The OSAA at Ohio State seeks to increase the number of students with disabilities who complete higher education degrees in STEM fields. The proposed session will describe the development and implementation of the CEM and OSAA strategy for increasing the participation of students with disabilities in CEM research activities, university STEM outreach programs to K-12 students, and collaborations with informal science education providers in the area.
PP2: Marni Goldman Memorial and Materials Education for Persons with Disabilities II
Session Chairs
Tuesday PM, December 01, 2009
Independence E (Sheraton)
2:30 PM - **PP2.1
Seeing Chemistry Through Sound: Tools for Building Independence in the Laboratory.
Andrew Greenberg 1 2 , Cary Supalo 3
1 Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 2 Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 3 Chemistry, Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania, United States
Show AbstractThe Independent Laboratory Access for the Blind project is a collaboration between Penn State University, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Truman State University to develop teaching tools and methodologies for building laboratory independence among students who are blind and visually impaired. This presentation will highlight the use of the Submersible Audible Light Sensor (SALS) as a tool to foster independence. The SALS sensor converts ambient light into an audible tone. The change in tone can be used to monitor chemical reactions that involve color change and formation of precipitates. Included will be demonstrations of simple labs using the SALS that can easily be implemented into high school and college classrooms.
3:00 PM - PP2.2
NSF Investments in Future STEM Professionals: Focusing on Students with Disabilities.
Mark Leddy 1
1 Research in Disabilities Education Program, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia, United States
Show AbstractThe National Science Foundation’s Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program seeks to broaden the participation and achievement of people with disabilities in all fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and associated professional careers. The RDE program has been funding this objective since 1994 under the prior name "Program for Persons with Disabilities." Particular emphasis is placed on contributing to the knowledge base by addressing disability related differences in secondary and post-secondary STEM learning and in the educational, social and pre-professional experiences that influence student interest, academic performance, retention in STEM degree programs, STEM degree completion, and career choices. Projects also investigate effective practices for transitioning students with disabilities across critical academic junctures, retaining students in undergraduate and graduate STEM degree programs, and graduating students with STEM associate, baccalaureate and graduate degrees. Research project results inform the delivery of innovative, transformative and successful practices employed by the Alliances for Students with Disabilities in STEM to increase the number of students with disabilities completing associate, undergraduate and graduate degrees in STEM and to increase the number of students with disabilities entering our nation's science and engineering workforce. RDE projects contribute to closing the gaps occurring for people with disabilities in STEM fields by successfully disseminating findings, project evaluation results, and proven good practices and products to the public. A summary of the RDE program and impact this program has had on the advancement of students with disabilities in STEM will be discussed.
3:15 PM - PP2.3
Using Talking and Audible Tools to Assist Students Who Are Blind or Low Vision in the Science Laboratory Classroom.
Cary Supalo 1 , Thomas Mallouk 2 , April Hill 3 , William Carlsen 4 , Andrew Greenberg 5 , H. David Wohlers 6
1 Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, 2 Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, 3 Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, 4 Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, 5 Institute of Chemical Education, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 6 Chemistry, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri, United States
Show AbstractThe Independent Laboratory Access for the Blind (ILAB) project has successfully interfaced the Job Access for Windows with Speech (JAWS) text-to-speech screen reader package with Vernier Software & Technology Company’s Logger Pro data collection software package to create a suite of talking and audible tools for students who are blind or otherwise print-impaired. This interface allows these underrepresented students the opportunity to obtain real-time probe readings, data table navigation, and access to statistical information all via speech output and refreshable Braille output. These tools have been developed based on feedback received from research subjects’ participation in the ILAB study over the last five years. The ILAB project tested the initial tools at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI) and later expanded the subject pool to include mainstream science students in ten high school classrooms across the United States. This expanded part of the study demonstrated that the ILAB tools using the JAWS/Logger Pro interface can successfully be incorporated into a wide variety of science curricula. Since curricula vary from school to school, we incorporated an internal control into the study that permits each subject to use the ILAB tools for approximately 80 percent of the time, while the other approximately 20 percent of the time they must use traditional methodologies. This was done to determine if the tools could be used in the differing curricula. Interviews pre/post school year were conducted with each subject to determine how using the tools versus not using the tools impacted their levels of participation and ability to contribute to their lab groups. Additionally, the social interactions between the students who are blind or otherwise print-impaired and their non-disabled counterparts were video-recorded and analyzed by means of the NVivo software package, to examine how much the blind students were contributing to their lab groups. The Scientific Attitude Inventory II (SAI-II) survey was administered pre/post school year to measure each subject’s feelings in six societal constructs relating to interest in science. Another key aspect examined by the ILAB team is the learning curve associated with these tools. Practice and training are required for optimized utilization. The ILAB tools are used by the subjects to achieve a more hands-on laboratory experience. Surveys are ongoing to determine how this experience impacts the students’ feelings toward science and their interest in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions. By developing these tools, it is the expectation of the ILAB team to encourage students who are blind or otherwise print-impaired to consider career paths in STEM. This research is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Research in Disabilities Education program.
PP3: Demonstrations and Lab Development
Session Chairs
Tuesday PM, December 01, 2009
Independence E (Sheraton)
4:00 PM - **PP3.1
How Do You Make It Good? The Iterative Development Process for High-Quality Education-Outreach Materials about Nanotechnology and Materials Science.
Greta Zenner 1
1 Interdisciplinary Education Group, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Show AbstractEducation and outreach efforts are becoming increasingly visible, active, and pervasive in the scientific community as a result of governmental requirements like the National Science Foundation’s broader impacts criterion and gradual institutional attitudinal shifts toward placing a higher emphasis on engaging non-technical audiences. Many early career scientists recognize it as both an obligation and a pleasure to share their research with general audiences, whether pre-school-age children and their care givers, senior citizens, or advanced undergraduate students. However, in addition to enthusiasm and funding agency mandates, equally essential to successful education-outreach efforts are effective, engaging educational materials. Hands-on demonstrations, classroom lesson plans, science-based games, theatrical presentations, and educational-oriented laboratory experiments are just a few examples of the wide variety of materials from which nanotechnology and materials science educators can currently choose. This talk will provide an overview of the development philosophy of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) on Nanostructured Interfaces and their approach to creating high-quality, cutting-edge educational materials. The entire iterative development process, from initial concept to evaluation, will be addressed, as well as a range of product types, including laboratory activities and hands-on demonstrations.
4:30 PM - PP3.2
Teaching Nanotechnology through Stained Glass.
Wendy Crone 1 2 3 , Kimberly Duncan 2 3 , Angela Johnson 3 , Chris Johnson 2 , Kyle McElhinny 2 , Steve Ng 2 , Katie Cadwell 2 , Dana Horoszewski 2 3 , Ken Gentry 2 , George Lisensky 4 , Greta Zenner 2 3
1 Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 2 Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 3 Internships for Public Science Education Program, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 4 Department of Chemistry, Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin, United States
Show AbstractNanotechnology has captured the attention of scientists and engineers, as well as mainstream media, however, the general public is relatively unaware of nanoscale science, engineering and technology, and schools (both K-12 and undergraduate institutions) rarely include nanotechnology as part of their curriculum. A suite of interdisciplinary activities have been developed around the topic of stained glass to help fill the gap in public and student understanding and to engage a broad base of learners. These activities have been successfully adapted for use in a wide range of educational settings (e.g. museums, K-12 classrooms, outreach events) and audiences (e.g. children, high-school students, members of the general public) to achieve a range of learning objectives.
4:45 PM - PP3.3
Materials Science and Engineering Demonstrations for a Wide Range of Audiences.
Amy Moll 1
1 Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, United States
Show AbstractDemonstrations are an effective way to engage audiences in understanding many aspects of Materials Science and Engineering. An effective demonstration can be modified to be used in a wide range of circumstances, from the college classroom, to the science museum floor, to elementary school presentations. Best practices in how to deliver and modify demonstrations in order to best suit the audience will be presented.
5:00 PM - PP3.4
Discovery Learning Tools in Materials Science: Concept Visualization with Dynamic and Interactive Spreadsheets.
Scott Sinex 1 , Joshua Halpern 2
1 Chemistry, Prince George's Community College, LARGO, Maryland, United States, 2 Chemistry, Howard University , Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Show AbstractMany materials science concepts can be developed into animated, interactive spreadsheets to create engaging discovery learning tools. Interactive graphical displays can be used to visualize databases (i.e. periodic trends) and multivariable mathematical models. Interactive Excel spreadsheets or Excelets, such as those described here, are all developed by computational methods, using formulae, not programming, and can be easily modified by the instructor. Many of the Excelets relate graphical, numerical and symbolic concepts and some include simple animations as well. To a significant extent higher-level mathematical concepts can be camouflaged and hence, discovered from an uncomplicated algebraic level (differential equations disguised as difference equations for example). This allows bringing topics into the curriculum much earlier. In this presentation, we will demonstrate the use of these learning tools for concepts including the crystal structure of metals, vibrations in solids, Bragg’s Law, carbon nanotubes, and thermal expansion as well as discuss student response to the use of Excelets. The Excelets can be used to stimulate discussion in lecture and extend laboratory activities, as well as for student projects both in and out-of-class. A predict-test-analyze cycle incorporating having students explain what they observed, can easily be developed with these learning tools. Excelets address the visual (various types of graphs, use of conditional formatting) and kinesthetic (interactive features) learning styles. These are usable by high school and college students, as well as a being great development tool for pre- and in-service teachers. Since we are using the forms tools in Excel, Excelets will function in both the PC and Mac environments and; many will function 100% in Open Office Calc with some cosmetic clean up. This work is supported by the Howard/Hopkins/PGCC Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM), which is funded by NSF Grant No. DMR-0611595. Numerous other examples and all the resources necessary to develop these interactive spreadsheets are available at http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/matsci_excelets.htm.
5:15 PM - PP3.5
Using a Low Cost Indentation Apparatus for the Study of Mechanical Properties of Thermoinsulating Materials and its Utilization in the Laboratory Practice of Students.
Hariton Polatoglou 1 , Harilaos Tsihouridis 2
1 Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki Greece, 2 , University of Thessaly, Larissa Greece
Show AbstractIn the present work an experimental apparatus of very low cost is described, aiming at the experimental study of the mechanical properties of solid materials using the method of indentation. The measurements allow, through a simple analysis, the quantitative determination of the materials’ strength and bulk modulus. A very important class of commonly used materials, namely thermoinsulating materials is proposed for a case study. The method can also furthermore be used to demonstrate the elastic and the plastic behavior of the materials. The educational exploitation of the specific apparatus at a technical high school class in Larissa (Greece) and at a university physics students’ laboratorial practice on the subject of mechanical properties of materials are also described. The responses of the students on the whole process, observations related to the pedagogical-educational aspects (active participation, challenge of interest, easiness of measurements, easiness of processing experimental data), as well as related to scientific aspects (uncertainty of measurements), were very positive and are also presented and discussed.
5:30 PM - PP3.6
Building a Low-cost, Hands-on Learning Curriculum on Glass Science and Engineering using Candy Glass.
William Heffner 1 , Himanshu Jain 1
1 , Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States
Show AbstractThere has been much discussion of the need to engage our young students in science and technology and the associated decline in enrollment in STEM programs. In response to this challenge, we have developed a program to connect students and the general public with glass science in our modern world through a series of hands-on activities and learning experiences. Our priority has been to keep all experiments within the resources of a typical high school student, while incorporating quantitative science content. Sucrose based glass (a.k.a. hard candy) provides a wonderful material to explore many aspects of glass science, from synthesis to properties and characterization. We have developed a collection of experiments around this interesting and accessible glass forming system. The scientific content of these experiments progresses systematically, providing an environment to develop an understanding of glassy materials within a framework of “active prolonged engagement” with the material. Most of the experiments could be assembled in a high school lab, or even in a home setting with minimal cost, and yet would also be appropriate for inclusion in an undergraduate materials lab. The cost is minimized by utilizing common, everyday materials and devices (laser pointers, electronic balances, light bulb heaters, digital cooking thermometers, microprocessors and computers for data logging). The integrated collection of experiments is designed to teach a broad range of materials science and engineering topics while stimulating interest in STEM through inquiry and discovery. Some of the activities included in our experiments include: synthesis, density, refractive index determination, glass transition, crystallization, kinetics, thermal properties (such as Cp and DTA), etc. Temperature measurement, temperature control, and even automated data collection are part of the experience, providing an open path for the students to continue their own interesting and creative ideas.These resources are all available at no cost on our website (http://www.lehigh.edu/imi/) which also includes interesting and informative video lectures on glass and materials science to complement the learning experience.This work is supported by NSF’s International Materials Institute for New Functionality in Glass.
5:45 PM - PP3.7
Integrating Nanotechnology and Alternate Energies into the High School Classroom.
Steve Wignall 1 2 , Stephen Ducharme 2 , Nicholas Reding 3 2 , Kristin Kraemer 2
1 Physics, Seward High School, Seward, Nebraska, United States, 2 Department of Physics and Astronomy; Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, 3 Physics, Papillion-LaVista High School, Papillion, Nebraska, United States
Show AbstractThe purpose of this presentation is draw attention to the areas of Nanotechnology, and Alternate Energies and the ease at which they can be incorporated into a typical high school Science classroom. This project focuses on both curriculum development and training to help teachers present these topics in classrooms in an interesting, non-threatening, and hands-on manner. Experiments and demonstrations were developed on the topics of: Organic Solar Cells, Planck’s constant with LED’s, Capacitors, and Wind Power Energy. These lessons were put together into complete packages consisting of kits of equipment and supplies, instructions, teachers guides, and a PowerPoint introduction. This format minimizes the preparation time on the teacher’s part and ensures effective instruction in topics of relevance to modern science and technology. This concept was presented at our state Science Teachers convention (NATS), and recently at a workshop for Lincoln Public School Science teachers. At both events, response was positive for this type of activity to be successful in the classroom. This project is just in the beginning stages, but further advancement and dissemination are planned. This work was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Materials Research and Engineering Center (DMR-0820521) PowerPoint presentations can be found at: http://www.mrsec.unl.edu/RET2008/index.shtml.
PP4: Poster Session: Marni Goldman Memorial and Materials Education
Session Chairs
Wednesday AM, December 02, 2009
Exhibit Hall D (Hynes)
9:00 PM - PP4.1
Academic/Industrial/NSF Collaborations at the IBM Almaden Research Center-Benefits from Dr. Marni Goldman's Involvement.
Charles Wade 1 , Dolores Miller 1 , Kristin Black 2 , Curt Frank 2 , Joseph Pesek 3
1 Science and Technology, IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, California, United States, 2 Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States, 3 Chemistry, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, United States
Show AbstractIndustrial experience can be a significant factor in materials science education, and internships at our laboratory under a series of NSF grants to two universities over the past 15 years have impacted students, postdoctoral scientists, and high school teachers as well as the academic and industrial mentors. All of the research is publishable but closely related to a technical area important to IBM. Many of the projects are collaborative with academic faculty. The participants become members of a research group, attending departmental meetings and informal discussions. In addition, they attend a special seminar series on industrial research frontiers, participate in career days, attend a graduate school workshop (Stanford), and present a poster at a technical meeting at the end of the summer. One of the programs, an NSF MRSEC "Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies" (CPIMA) involves collaborative research among scientists from Stanford, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis. CPIMA has had summer programs since 1995, and Dr. Marni Goldman served as Education Director from 2000 to 2007. The other programs were with San Jose State University through a series of NSF grants. The original programs beginning in 1993 were through an NSF fund for innovative programs, then the program was supported with NSF GOALI grants, then in 6 of the past 7 years with REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) grants. The last of the REU grants were shared with the Department of Defense. The impact of the programs on participants and institutions will be reviewed, and Marni Goldman's contributions will be highlighted.
9:00 PM - PP4.10
Epoxy Synthesis and Strength Testing for Use in First Year Undergraduate Laboratories.
Anthony Fusco 1 , Patricia Mabrouk 1
1 , Northeastern University, Westwood, Massachusetts, United States
Show AbstractEpoxy bonding strength comes from the reaction between a hardener and an epoxy resin. Most freshman chemistry students have had some sort of experience with epoxy but have little understanding as to what epoxies are chemically and how epoxies work. In this laboratory experiment, students synthesize their own epoxy resin using epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A. Students will experiment with different ratios of reactants, hardening times, curing agents, and hardening temperatures as each of these factors affects the bonding strength of the epoxy. Details of the epoxy strength test are currently being researched. The goal is to have students observe the correlation between epoxy starting materials and concentrations and the final epoxy strength by participating in a competition. The experiment demonstrates many important laboratory skills and techniques including the importance of a control group and stoichiometry.
9:00 PM - PP4.11
Nano TV Dinner: Getting Results with Museum-Produced Nanotechnology Segments on a Regional News Network.
Carol Lynn Alpert 1 2 , Barbara Flagg 3
1 Strategic Projects, Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 2 Research Center - ISE Partnerships, Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 3 , Multimedia Research, Bellport, New York, United States
Show AbstractHow can we know what kind of public awareness and educational impact we might be able to produce in the area of nanoscale science, by merging classic museum educator demonstration practices with the story-telling techniques of television science journalism? This presentation reports on an experimental partnership between a science museum, a regional television news organization, and two NSF-funded nanoscale science and engineering research centers. The Strategic Projects department of the Museum of Science produces 3-5 minute weekly live nanotech news segments that reach thousands of homes in New England communities on New England Cable News, as well as a world wide audience on the Web. In early 2009, the producers collaborated with the independent research organization, Multimedia Research, to design a naturalistic, post-only, double-blind summative evaluation of the impact of the nanotech news segments on New England Cable News home viewers. The treatment group watched a live half-hour evening news program that included a nanotechnology news segment once a week for four consecutive weeks, while the control group watched the next evening's live half-hour evening news program without a nanotechnology news segment. Neither the study's recruiters nor the participants were aware that nanotech or even science stories were the focus of the study, nor were they aware that the Museum of Science was sponsoring the study until the final week's survey. The study used well-vetted and layered assessment techniques to measure interest and attention, engagement, learning, motivation to learn more, and additional learning behavior on the part of the subjects. The study's findings were striking in that not only did the treatment group show significantly broader and deeper understanding of nanoscale concepts and applications, but also, significant numbers of them actively sought out additional information. In addition, the study showed that the nanotechnology news segments scored higher in interest levels than other typical TV news staples: national news, local news, sports and weather. Contrary to the assumptions of many local news directors, respondents indicated a hunger for more science news programming. These results corroborate similar findings from studies conducted by Jon Miller on ScienCentral's efforts to introduce science news stories into the local news broadcasts of major network affiliate stations. This presentation will discuss the potential implications for reaching broader audiences in the community, beyond the "science attentive" audiences that typically frequent science museums and watch targeted science programming on TV. We will also address the costs and benefits of implementing a local broadcast strategy, the motivations of the news stations involved, the maintenance of journalistic integrity, the need to address health and safety concerns, and the writing and production practices that seem to increase interest, attention, and impact.
9:00 PM - PP4.14
Science Outreach at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County.
Brittland DeKorver 1
1 chemistry, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Show AbstractSCIENCountErs has brought weekly hands-on science activities to the Boys and Girls Clubs in Madison, WI for the past five years. Sponsored by the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center of the UW-Madison, the program recruits undergraduate volunteers to serve as mentors to the club members. This presentation will discuss the challenges inherent to informal education, especially those that arise in a setting such as a Boys and Girls Club or community center and adaptations that have been implemented. Also, the topics of activities, such as building models of nanocars, and teaching methods will be discussed.
9:00 PM - PP4.15
Sights Unseen: Interacting with the Public Using Images of the Nanoscale.
Kimberly Duncan 1 2 , Megan Anderson 3 , David Meshoulam 2 , Morgan Sims 2 , Kelly Luster 2 , Angela Johnson 2 , Heidi Williamson 2 , Erin Hood 2 , Greta Zenner 1 2 , Wendy Crone 1 2 4
1 Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 2 Internships in Public Science Education Program, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 3 School of Education, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 4 Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Show AbstractInformal science education almost exclusively involves a free choice environment where participation and engagement are voluntary. Often, broad based participation from the general public is not achieved, given that a large fraction of the U.S. population is not interested in science and engineering. We approached this issue with the hypotheses that there are some scientific images which are aesthetically appealing to members of the general public and that once drawn in by the image a viewer can be engaged with accompanying graphics and text to acquire some additional knowledge about the science involved. The authors introduced scientific images as art to members of the general public with an art exhibit in the free choice environment of a coffee shop. While the images were on display, patrons of a coffee shop were surveyed to assess their interaction with and reaction to the images. Survey data revealed that scientifically-uninterested people can still be engaged by a scientific image if that image was presented as art. The authors also found no discernible difference between genders in responses concerning interest in the images, although the expected gender difference in responses concerning interest in science was observed.
9:00 PM - PP4.16
Journey Into the Cell.
Krista Andersen 2 , Shea Bielby 1 , Jennifer Graves 3 , Britton McCaskill 1 , Alexey Vertegel 1
2 Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States, 1 Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States, 3 Chemical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States
Show AbstractIntroduction: Teaching students of any age about the human cell can be challenging because a cell is so small so it can’t be seen or touched. The ultimate long-term goal of this project is to build a large-scale walk-in model of a human cell (e.g., 10 meters in diameter for a 10-micron cell) with interactive exhibits modeling various cellular and extracellular systems. For instance, double stranded DNA molecule in this scale would be 2 mm thick, viruses would be 3-10 cm in diameter, and bacteria would be 1-2 m in diameter. Visitors can walk inside and examine the interactive exhibits, as in a science museum. The short-term goals for the first two semesters was to develop models of a bacterium and a mitochondrion in the same scale (1 meter=1 micron) with exhibits that would intrigue audiences of all ages and would be of strong educational value. The educational value of the models was evaluated in a kindergarten-level classroom. Materials and Methods. A team of 4-5 enthusiastic undergraduate students from different majors has been recruited each semester to work on this project. The students receive course credit (3 hours) for their participation under the umbrella of Clemson University campus-wide Creative Inquiry initiative. For development of the models, a scale was determined and a sketch made of a mold for the filling material to be poured into. The filling polymer chosen was PDMS, so that its transparency would allow the exhibits inside to be clearly viewed as well as have a gel-like feel that makes the model realistic to students. Beads and wire were used to model protein synthesis and DNA, modeling clay was used to model the ATP synthase, and Floamtm was used to model lipid membranes and cell walls. To evaluate the utility of the bacterium model, IRB approved study was performed at a local kindergarten. Parent letters were drafted and sent out to notify them of the model presentation. Two identical quizzes were developed to be administered to the students, one before the presentation and one after. These were short, three-question quizzes that asked the students to draw certain parts of the bacterium as well as the bacterium itself. Comparative analysis was used to determine if the model was successful in helping the students learn. Results: Bacterium and mitochondrion models were successfully built and are ready to be used for use in the classroom. The bacterium presentation quiz results showed that the students were a lot more knowledgeable about bacteria, proteins and DNA after the lecture than they were before. The presentation about bacteria was very welcome by the school officials and highly enjoyed by the students. Conclusion: The use of realistic, appealing and large-scale exhibits is an effective way of presenting cells and their organelles to school students. This project also provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to creatively express themselves and learn in a highly interdisciplinary environment.
9:00 PM - PP4.18
Leveraging Public-Private Research Partnerships for Community College Curricula in Nanoelectronics.
Robert Geer 1 , Abraham Michelen 2
1 College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York, United States, 2 Automotive, Manufacturing and Electrical Engineering Technologies, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, New York, United States
Show AbstractNanotechnology and semiconductor manufacturing industries are undergoing a dramatic expansion in the Northeast US. A prime example of the rapid regional expansion is the new construction by AMD/Global Foundries of a $4 billion-plus leading edge semiconductor foundry manufacturing facility in Saratoga County, NY. Approximately 1,500 permanent manufacturing jobs will be created by the end of 2014 (including 390 engineers and 800 technicians). It is estimated that another 3,000 technical support personnel will be required. In addition, IBM has committed to investing $1.5 billion in establishing an advanced Integrated Circuit Packaging Research and Development Center in upstate New York in 2010 and will be recruiting for 675 positions (200 engineers and 475 technicians). Coupled with the relocation of International Sematech - an integrated circuit (IC) research consortium - to upstate New York, there is an established need for thousands of technicians/engineers with a skill base for processing and manufacturing nanomaterials. In response to this need the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) and SUNY community colleges have implemented a laboratory partnership to integrate CNSE’s 200mm and 300mm Si wafer prototyping facilities into Electrical Technology associate degree curricula. A prototype for this integration is Hudson Valley Community College’s Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology associate degree curricula which integrates a semester long laboratory course utilizing CNSE’s 200mm and 300mm Si wafer nanoelectronics prototyping facilities for short loop nanoelectronics processing, metrology and advanced characterization. The detailed curricula and assessment data will be presented in addition to a 2nd phase program based on a semester+summer capstone program wherein SUNY community college students in nanoelectronics and nanomaterials-related technology associate degree programs locate to CNSE for all 4th semester coursework followed by summer co-op positions in the 200mm and 300mm Si wafer prototyping facility. This program will result in a 24 month program producing an industry-ready technician-level workforce which can substantially reduce in-house training and also comprise a more effective pipeline for those students transitioning to baccalaureate degree programs related to nanomaterials.
9:00 PM - PP4.19
Nanoscale Science Education for Secondary Science Teachers: From Research Experience and Professional Development to Public Outreach.
James McGonigle 1 , Holly Burnside 2 , Susan Yoon 1 , Jorge Santiago 1 , Yury Gogotsi 2 , Dawn Bonnell 1
1 , University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2 , Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Show AbstractA wide variety of internal and external partners have been integral to the success of programs centering on nanoscale science and engineering that enhance the professional development of science teachers in the Philadelphia region. The Nano/Bio Interface Center (NBIC) at the University of Pennsylvania, works with faculty and graduate students, the Graduate School of Education (GSE), the A. J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute at Drexel University, and the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) in numerous efforts to impact science instruction in the secondary schools. The Research Experience for Teachers (RET-nano) is a Drexel/Penn program that not only improves teacher’s research skills but also assists them in developing pertinent connections to their classroom practice. Participants create a variety of instructional resources related to their summer research that include research posters, curriculum units, and websites. Likewise, NBIC faculty, graduate students, and staff work with Penn’s GSE to contribute to the ITEST-nano project (ITEST is Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers). Teachers from Philadelphia schools focus on integrating nanoscale science and engineering content with the SDP Core Curriculum, specifically in the area of 9th grade physical science and 10th grade biology. Each program contributes to the professional development needs of high school science teachers by focusing on teacher content knowledge, science process skills, and pedagogy. The ITEST-nano project embeds educational technologies (simulations and imaging tools) and integrates information technologies in the classroom environment. Both programs engage graduate students (several being IGERT fellows) in developing content modules, teaching specific content units, and assisting teachers in developing classroom units. On an annual basis, NBIC sponsors a full-day event called NanoDay@Penn. Teachers from both summer programs return to campus with students to participate in tours of facilities, exhibits and demonstrations by research groups, a high school science fair, and presentations by faculty and graduate students.
9:00 PM - PP4.20
Translating Materials Research through Teacher Professional Development.
Patricia Dixon 1 , Jose Sanchez 1
1 National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Show AbstractCurrent research on teacher professional development encourages those of us in informal science education outreach to take an active role in educational reform efforts by restructuring opportunities for teachers in ways that mirror real-world science research. The Center for Integrating Research & Learning (Center) at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (Magnet Lab) is in a unique position to provide quality professional development for K12 teachers through a variety of programs. The Center oversees all educational outreach conducted at the Magnet Lab including classroom outreach, professional development, curriculum development, and educational research. This presentation will discuss programs specifically developed to help teachers articulate their ideas about the nature of science and then to put this into practice in their classrooms. Programs presented are representative of the belief that, given the tools, teachers can present science in a way that encourages realistic inquiry in a classroom setting. It is the belief of Center educators that the collaboration of scientists and educators is a powerful tool that promotes scientific literacy in elementary, middle and high schools and presents a realistic picture of STEM careers. The following programs will be featured:The Center’s 10-year Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program including program elements that help teachers translate their time in the laboratory. Recent research efforts on teachers’ thinking and planning for science as a result of participating in the RET, teachers’ motivation, expectations, and changes to teaching practices due to professional development program involvement, and influences related to expectancy and value of changes to practice will be discussed.“First Thursdays,” a program that targets individual schools by providing regular mini-workshops is featured since it has become a signature program of the Magnet Lab’s educational outreach. Teachers at each school are provided with 1-2 hour hands-on experiences using readily available materials. The goal of the program is for teachers to implement activities in their classrooms the next day.Other models of professional development are described: One-day workshops on literature in science and using science notebooks; four-day summer institutes; and student-teacher-parent science events. The presentation will address issues of how mentoring by scientists and engineers and partnerships with other informal educational outreach organizations expand the reach and extend the possibilities for informal science outreach.
9:00 PM - PP4.21
Identification, Development and Implementation of Nanoscience Activities for Alabama K-12.
Martin Bakker 2 1 , Katrina Staggemeier 2 1 , Amy Grano 2 , Aaron Kuntz 4 , Jim Gleason 3 , Beth Sherrill 6 , Julie Covin 6 , Brenda O'Neal 2 , Leigh McKenzie 2 , Jacqueline White 2 , Felicia Briggins 2 , Rachel Pace 5 , Shari Jones 2
2 Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, 1 Center for Materials for Information Technology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, 4 Educational Research, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, 3 Department of Mathematics, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, 6 AMSTI, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, 5 , McWane Science Center, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Show AbstractWe report on a pair of MSP (Mathematics & Science Partnership) START pilot projects designed to identify nanoscience experiments appropriate that will fit within the Alabama course of study for use in Alabama K-12 classrooms. As part of the first project we are testing the development, refinement and evaluation of an activity already partly developed. The form of this activity has had input from a focus group of RETs who are tasked to provide input into the activity and how it can be matched to components of the Alabama Course of Study. This activity consists of using sparks generated by abrasion of misch metal by sand paper of different grit size. Different grit sizes produce metal particles of different sizes, resulting in sparks of different size and length. If done in a dry box no sparks are produced and the powder left is not pyrophoric demonstrating that high surface area, heat and oxygen are required to produce sparks. SEM characterization of the powder will allow the particle sizes to be determined, giving the correlation between size, grit size and spark track length. The activity will be tested on groups of middle school campers at McWane Science Center, and after evaluation, further modified to increase student interest and impact. This activity and others identified during the summer will be taken to K-12 classrooms by a graduate student/undergraduate student team supported by the second MSP START pilot project.
9:00 PM - PP4.23
NanoVenture: A Board Game to Engage Students with Nanotechnology and Society.
Greta Zenner 1 2 , Yvonne Kao 2 , Kimberly Duncan 1 2 , Dana Horoszewski 1 2 , Olivia Castellini 1 2 , J. Gimm 1 2 , Heidi Williamson 2 , Morgan Sims 2 , Ryan Nygard 2 , David Meshoulam 2 , Aaron Steckman 2 , George Lisensky 3 , Wendy Crone 1 2 4
1 Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 2 Internships in Public Science Education Program, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 3 Department of Chemistry, Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin, United States, 4 Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Show AbstractThe societal, ethical, legal, and policy implications of nanoscale science and engineering are increasingly acknowledged by public officials and research funding agencies as an important aspect of nanotechnology research and education. However, relevant to this is a curricular gap in nanoscale science and engineering education and a need for innovative and engaging ways to engage students with these issues. For this purpose we have developed NanoVenture, a strategy-based board game, aimed at high school and beyond, that helps students to learn about the interplay between scientific research and society. In the game, players are charged with overseeing the emerging field of nanotechnology; managing their country’s financial, scientific, environmental, and military assets; deciding on new technologies in which to invest; and making decisions about research policy that will affect their populations. Colleagues at University of Wisconsin - Madison and institutions across the country have tested NanoVenture in their classrooms. Evaluation results from these sites proved invaluable during the game’s development. The game has recently been finalized and offered for sale at cost through the Institute for Chemical Education.
9:00 PM - PP4.24
Discovering Student Misperceptions and Building Student Scaffolds in a Basic Materials Engineering Course Using Biomedical Devices and Bioinspired Materials.
Kathleen Kitto 1
1 College of Sciences and Technology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, United States
Show AbstractKey best practices in active and conceptual learning have been implemented in our Introduction to Materials Engineering course during the last seven years having transformed it from a traditional lecture only course. During this period of time, several different approaches were used, all of which have been designed to improve student learning outcomes while also increasing student enthusiasm for the course. Now, most of the elements of a student-centered approach are present in the course: cooperative learning, case-based teaching, active/inquiry learning, concept learning, problem-based learning, and constructive alignment. During this period more than 30 effective concept questions have been developed. Recently, the Felder Index of Learning Styles has been used to study the effect of student learning styles on concept module design and student outcomes. Conceptually, teaching materials fundamentals in ways which build scaffolds from the students’ previous knowledge base should be effective for a wide range of learners. As it turns out, the materials used in biomedical devices which experience significant loads during service, such as orthopedic devices (knees, shoulders, and hips) and stents, show promise in providing another accessible platform from which to build out effective materials engineering education modules. Similarly, initial results from using bioinspired materials show that student learning can be enhanced in important course learning objectives. Ethical case studies involving biomedical devices have provided materials based ethical case studies and contributed meaningful ethical content and cases. Assessment data shows that biomedical devices and bioinspired materials may provide new opportunities to build scaffolds for the students, especially in the complex areas of mechanical properties, geometry effects and materials selection for engineering applications. All students who enter a materials course already have a basic understanding of human mechanics, size/design constraints, and required performance functions. Additionally, all of them have personally interacted with biological materials. Initial observations showed that these applications quickly uncovered students’ misperceptions about the behavior of materials under load, especially non-linear behaviors and the interplay between geometry and materials properties. Thus, not only were the activities effective in building scaffolds, but they were even more helpful in helping the students uncover their own misperceptions about materials so that new knowledge could be constructed. This paper describes the detailed learning objectives for the course that are addressed with these new strategies, the student misperceptions that were uncovered using these strategies, and the initial assessment data on student outcomes. The paper concludes with proposed future strategies and areas for additional development.
9:00 PM - PP4.26
Teaching an Introductory Materials Science Course to Predominantly Mechanical and Industrial Engineers: A Design and Project Based Approach.
Jennifer Gray 1 , John Barnard 1
1 Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Show AbstractThe undergraduate introductory materials science course at the University of Pittsburgh consists of mostly mechanical and industrial engineering students who are required to take this course in addition to the much smaller number of MSE students. It is therefore challenging to demonstrate the importance of the topic to these students when following a traditional materials science approach where relatively abstract topics, such as crystal structure, are taught first, and applications later in the semester. We have recently implemented a design-based approach in order to demonstrate and emphasize throughout the entire course, the importance of understanding materials properties for engineers in general. In order to facilitate this approach we are using the Granta CES EduPack(TM) material properties database software extensively for materials selection examples as well as for student projects. A design-based project contributes significantly toward their final grade and is worked on continuously throughout the semester. This project involves re-engineering the materials in a specific application in order to improve performance, reduce cost, enable use in new environments, or improve the environmental impact. Since the students can choose their own topics, it allows them to focus in on the specific applications of interest to them. We will discuss our experiences over the past year teaching from this perspective and the feedback from the students.
9:00 PM - PP4.27
Teaching Materials’ Properties to K-12 Students Using a Sensor Board.
Theodoros Pierratos 1 , Evangellos Koltsakis 1 , Hariton Polatoglou 1
1 Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki Greece
Show AbstractThe progress of ICT provides tools for improving the quality of and ease of access to education and training. In science teaching, data acquisition systems enable the online measurement and presentation of various physical quantities in a school science laboratory. On the other hand these systems are in general quite expensive and complicated to be used by students. An alternative system is the combination of Scratchboard and Scratch. Both of them have been developed by the MIT Media Labs; Scratchboard is a sensor board that comes with several embedded sensors: a light sensor, a sound sensor, a touch sensor, and a slider. It has also four ports where additional resistance-based sensors can be plugged in. Scratch is a new programming environment based on an open-source software, which can be used by students: a) as an independent platform to create their own animated stories, video games and interactive art creations, which can be shared through the Internet and b) in combination with Scratchboard to retrieve, analyze and present data from the sensors.In this work we present two teaching modules, based on the combination of Scratchboard and Scratch, aiming at the study of thermal properties of materials such as the thermal conductivity, and the heat capacity. These properties are very important for the understanding of the many applications. In the design of the modules we have taken into account two scenarios, one for elementary and secondary school pupils and one for high school students. This determines not only the type of measurement and the analysis of the data but also the Scratch interface. The main emphasis in the lower grades is placed on the introduction of the concepts and a demonstration of the differences of the properties of different materials, while for the upper grades for making accurate measurements through inquiry based projects. Both modules have been implemented in a high school laboratory, providing reliable measurements and engaging the students in a higher level than usually.
9:00 PM - PP4.28
NANOSIM: A Role-playing Simulation of the Nanotechnology Trading Zones.
Yina Arenas 1 , Evan Newkirk 1 , Nathan Swami 1 , Michael Gorman 2
1 Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, 2 Science, Technology & Society, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
Show AbstractThe risks and opportunities arising from emerging technological and business systems cannot be entirely foreseen, hence, prospective analysis requires the participation of social scientists along side the technical scientists as stakeholders at the forefront of innovation. However, collaboration across these disciplines can be successful only if scientists, engineers, and ethicists can communicate meaningfully with each other. We report here on a role-playing simulation tool developed within NSF NUE [1] to train second-year engineering students at University of Virginia on the development of “interactional expertise” as a method for such collaborative communication. Interactional expertise is the ability to adopt the language and concepts of an expertise community sufficiently to pass as a member, without being able to do the actual research [2]. While the domain expert solves problems in the paradigmatic way, the interactional expert can also take an outsiders’ view of the community, looking at it from the standpoint of another paradigm.NanoSim is a role-playing web-based simulation in which participants are placed in groups representing the major decision stakeholders in nanoscience and nanotechnology such as: government funding and policy regulatory agencies, industrial and academic research laboratories, as well as non-governmental think-tanks, community or labor organizing groups and media groups. These groups start with some basic capabilities and work their way through a technology tree of “toolkits”, “prototypes”, “technologies” to eventually address “grand challenges” such as curing cancer, water decontamination, and human enhancement. In the process technologies are developed, products are regulated and risks are identified. The ABET guidelines emphasize teaching students to work in multidisciplinary teams. Nanosim reinforces that goal, but in addition, teaches students to work with other teams representing different roles and perspectives, forming trading zones and gaining enough interactional expertise to see how the simulation looks from the standpoint of a group with a different mission. Collaboration is an essential feature of NanoSim since it is designed so that no single group can reach any particular “grand challenge” without forming a trading zone and the groups get an opportunity to decide together on which “grand challenges” within the technology tree or otherwise are worth pursuing. In this manner, students are trained on the issues of adaptive management and anticipatory governance for making decisions about how society’s substantial investment in nanotechnology ought to be made, and managed over time.[1] Gorman, M. E., et al (2008). NUE: A Course Connecting Communities. NSF NUE Grant Proposal.[2] Collins, H.M. & R. Evans (2002). The third wave of science studies. Social Studies ofScience, 32(2), 235-296.
9:00 PM - PP4.3
An Integrated Summer Course on Materials for High School Students.
Andrew McGhie 1 , Steven Szewczyk 1
1 L.R.S.M., Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Show AbstractWe will describe a university-based, four week summer course designed to introduce rising high school seniors to materials science through a combination of lectures, experimental and computer labs, and field trips to industrial labs and university facilities. This course uses ‘Structural Materials’, an introduction to materials science software package developed by Prof. Charles McMahon, MSE, University of Pennsylvania, along with lectures on specific topics by faculty and staff members to introduce the students to both basic and advanced topics in materials. The course covers metals, polymers, ceramics, semiconductors, biomaterials, and nanotechnology. Students perform syntheses, characterize materials, and are exposed to advanced instrumental techniques, which include scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, mechanical testing, and thermal analysis, in addition to simpler tests. Each experimental lab takes three afternoon sessions to complete and students are expected to write individual lab reports. For the final week’s lab report, students give a group oral presentation at the end of the program. _______(Available for presentation only on Tuesday or Wednesday)
9:00 PM - PP4.31
Nanotechnology in K-12: Georgia Tech’s Innovative Approach to Strengthening Science Education.
W. Jud Ready 1 , Claudia Huff 1 , Warren Matthews 1 , Greg Book 1
1 , Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Show AbstractDirect-to-Discovery (D2D) is a partnership between Georgia Tech and Barrow County Schools. The program uses high definition (1080p) videoconferencing technologies to link research equipment (carbon nanotube growth furnace, scanning electron microscope) to K-12 classrooms via the ultra-high speed internet2. This talk will detail the implementation of the program, lessons learned, and plans for extension to other K-12 sites.
9:00 PM - PP4.32
Authentic Science Research and the Utilization of Nanoscience in the Non-traditional Classroom Setting.
Deborah Day 1 , Christine Broadbridge 2 , Zizi Yu 1 , Zelun Wang 1 , Peter Amadeo 1 , Arian Jadbabae 1 , Ryan Munden 3 , Mark Reed 3
1 , Amity Senior High School, Woodbridge, Connecticut, United States, 2 Department of Physics, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven , Connecticut, United States, 3 Department of Applied Physics, Yale University, New Haven , Connecticut, United States
Show AbstractThe philosophy behind the Authentic Science Research Program, a non-traditional high school honors elective course originally created by Dr. Robert Pavlica, is to provide students with an understanding of scientific research methodology by way of extensive bibliographic and laboratory experimentation. In this non-traditional setting, students consult with doctoral level scholars in planning long-term focused research to investigate an authentic research question which demonstrates initiative, determination, perseverance, creativity, originality, ingenuity, and intuitiveness. The program affords students the opportunity to participate in the community of scientific research and scholarship as part of their high school experience by first selecting a topic for investigation, reviewing current scientific literature, securing a mentor, engaging in an original piece of research, gathering data, conducting statistical analyses on these data, drawing conclusions and communicating their findings in both an oral and written manner. Presentation audiences include peers, teachers, community members, scientists as well as state and national symposia and science fair participants. Involvement in cutting-edge research is the essence of the program and is accomplished not only through individual research projects but group-oriented projects as well. Applications of Nanoscience in the classroom have successfully exposed students to various methods of cutting-edge research with applications to micro and nano-electronics. While participating in the Center for Research on Interface Structures and Phenomena (CRISP) Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Program, a Photolithography Kit was developed. This kit was designed to introduce high school students to the fundamentals of photolithography – a process involving Nanoscience used in the integrated circuit industry. In this paper, the design and implementation of this kit in the high school classroom will be described. Results will provide insight as to whether or not the photolithographic process can be duplicated in the high school classroom in a safe, cost-effective manner. *This research and the educational programs described are supported by NSF Grant MRSEC DMR05-20495.
9:00 PM - PP4.33
A Nanotechnology Ph.D. `Dual Degree' Option at the University of Washington.
Ethan Allen 1
1 Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States
Show AbstractIn 2001, the nation’s first Dual Degree Ph.D. Program in Nanotechnology developed the essential educational and research infrastructure for multidisciplinary training at the frontiers of nanoscale science and technology. Launching the program included defining the degree and its requirements, and getting approval from the participating departments and colleges, the graduate school, the provost, and the university regents. In concert with the administrative process, we also successfully launched new interdisciplinary courses and revised others (now numbering approximately 90 total), institutionalized a Nanotechnology Seminar Series, and developed our NanoTech User Facility (NTUF). During the subsequent years, we have expanded the number of participating faculty to 85, and generated significant student interest and participation, including nurturing a Nanotechnology and Nanoscience Student Association (NaNSA) now with ~300 members. Fellowships from both the NSF’s IGERT program and UW’s own University Initiative Funds help support about two dozen students each year. To date more than 50 students have completed this dual degree, earning Ph.D.s in both their home department discipline and nanotechnology and are currently employed as staff scientists, faculty, and postdoctoral researchers around the country. Another 45 students are currently enrolled in the program. The core philosophy of the dual degree program is that meaningful training in nanoscale science and technology must combine depth of learning in a single discipline with breadth across the wide spectrum of the whole field. Students admitted to any of the ten participating departments - Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Genome Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering, Microbiology, Physics, Physiology and Biophysics - acquire depth through meeting the requirements for a Ph.D. in their home department. To receive a dual degree in “Home Department and Nanotechnology,” students must not only complete a dissertation on an approved topic in nanoscale science and/or technology (with their primary adviser being a CNT-affiliated faculty member and at least one other CNT faculty member on the supervisory committee), but must also fulfill a set of breadth-enhancing learning experiences:1)Take a special ‘Frontiers in Nanotechnology’ course 2)Participate in four quarters of nanotechnology seminars 3)Complete nine credits of additional ‘nanotechnology-relevant’ courses, six of which must be from outside of the student’s home department4)Carry a laboratory rotation outside of their advisor’s home department The Nanotechnology Dual Degree program provides a valuable model for other institutions, and is serving as a model for a UW multi-disciplinary undergraduate Minor in Molecular Engineering and Nanotechnology program, at present under consideration for funding by NSF.
9:00 PM - PP4.5
Dedicated to the Memory of Marni Goldman: The Role of EAST’s Undergraduate Fellowships in Student’s Professional Development.
Samantha Langley 1
1 DES, University of Southern Maine, Gorham, Maine, United States
Show AbstractThe University of Southern Maine (USM) has been hosting the Eastern Alliance in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (EAST) for the past 6 years to increase the numbers of students with disabilities who enter STEM majors and advance to graduate school or STEM careers. Since 2003, EAST has awarded a total of 42 Undergraduate Research Fellowships (URFs), which aid in the effort to recruit and sustain undergraduate students with various disabilities in STEM fields. For many students, participation in a research project represents their first opportunity to transcend what they have learned in formal coursework, and integrate the sometimes seemingly disparate aspects of their academic curricula, providing a capstone experience of considerable value. The EAST Alliance2 for Students with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (EAST2) was refunded by NSF to continue the work of providing opportunities for undergraduate students in southern Maine majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, or considering STEM careers, to conduct research with a research supervisor during the academic year or for 8 weeks during the summer. The EAST longitudinal research project in Undergraduate Fellowships (URFs) has been collecting an analyzing data for 6 years on the success and challenges for URFs with disabilities. EAST continues to provide a deeper understanding of the significant gains in student with disabilities professional development leading to gainful employment or further college education in the STEM fields.
9:00 PM - PP4.6
Undergraduate Research Program for First- and Second-Year Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students.
Todd Pagano 1 , Annemarie Ross 1
1 Science and Mathematics, Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester, New York, United States
Show AbstractThrough her own accomplishments and her work with CPIMA, Dr. Marni Goldman was a champion of involving students with disabilities in scientific research activities. Like CPIMA_SURE, several programs exist that are designed to actively encourage research participation among students with disabilities. At Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID), we have a unique opportunity and resources to accommodate and promote deaf and hard-of hearing students in undergraduate research. Our program strives to provide students with valuable opportunities to learn discipline-specific information while performing cutting-edge research, contribute in innovative ways to the scholarship of their field, and work on projects that are logistically prohibitive in the traditional classroom setting. The program has the additional goal of involving early undergraduate and associate degree level students in research. Success stories, lessons learned, and advice for implementing research activities for students with disabilities and early undergraduate students will be shared. Through this program, faculty at RIT/NTID are continuing Marni’s legacy and attempting to do their part in involving diverse students in research experiences.
9:00 PM - PP4.7
Interdisciplinary Virtual Labs for Undergraduate Education in NSDL MatDL.
Donald Sadoway 2 , David Yaron 3 , Laura Bartolo 1 , W. Carter 2 , John Portman 5 , Jodi Davenport 4 , Colin Ashe 2 , Michael Karabinos 3
2 Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, 3 Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 1 Center for Materials Informatics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States, 5 Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States, 4 , Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Show AbstractIn partnership with the National Science Digital Library program (NSDL), this Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) Phase I project designed virtual labs that help students connect microscopic structure and principles to macroscopic outcomes. Formative learning assessment and community-focused dissemination were integrated into the development of these interdisciplinary digital learning resources. The design team included researchers in materials science, chemistry, biophysics, information science, and learning science from MIT, Carnegie Mellon (CMU), Kent State University (KSU), and Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center (PSLC). The virtual lab simulations are freely available for use on the NSDL Materials Digital Library Pathway (MatDL) Virtual Labs Wiki (http://matdl.org/virtuallabs). These resources have been used in three introductory undergraduate courses; evaluated by students enrolled in those courses; and disseminated through the NSDL (http://nsdl.org) and MatDL Repository (http://matdl.org/repository).Evaluation efforts led by CMU and the PSLC measured student perceptions and conceptual understanding and suggested that our simulations engage students and promote learning about the influence of temperature on chemical systems. For example, pre- and post-test results obtained from students enrolled in the Modern Chemistry 106 course at CMU indicated that students improved their understanding of the target concepts by completing the virtual lab activity. A 2-tailed paired sample t-test revealed that students (N = 69) performed significantly better on the Posttest (M = .67) than on the Pretest (M = .59), t(68)=4.638, p<.001. Additionally, results of a survey measuring students’ perceptions about the simulations suggested that CMU students both enjoyed and learned from the virtual lab activities. Overall, the majority of respondents (N = 49) agreed that the simulation helped them to connect concepts in new ways (67%), helped them to see how the same principles applied to different topics (65%), and gave them a deeper understanding of principles they did not know before (63%). In the free response comments section, students reported that that “it provided a visual way of examining what we have learned in class,” and that “the simulations were fun.” As part of Phase 2, similar evaluations of the virtual labs will be conducted in fall 2009 when they are incorporated into the 3.091 Introduction to Solid State Chemistry course which is offered by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT and typically enrolls 500 students. MatDL continues to seek innovative methods for integrating scientific research into the educational careers of both graduate and undergraduate students, while simultaneously increasing their technological literacy through the use of NSDL and Web 2.0 technologies to record, discuss, share, and disseminate their own research experiences.
9:00 PM - PP4.9
Synthesizing Conducting Polymers Employing Green Chemistry Principles.
Anthony Fusco 1 , Patricia Mabrouk 1
1 , Northeastern University, Westwood, Massachusetts, United States
Show AbstractConducting polymers are widely used in materials science and have traditionally been synthesized using environmentally harmful methods. A laboratory experiment has been designed for freshman chemistry students that introduces students to green chemistry, materials science, conducting polymers, and electrochemical methods. Polypyrrole is synthesized via cyclic voltammetry using only the monomer, electrolyte, and an indium tin oxide-coated glass electrode. These methods are “green” in that no concentrated acids or harsh organic solvents are used. Use of these solvents in “green chemistry” is usually limited or nonexistent because of their toxicity and disposal costs. In a single three hour laboratory period, students are able to synthesize the conducting polymer and observe its physical and conductive properties. The latter part is accomplished by having students create a simple electrical circuit with a battery and a light emitting diode that incorporates the polymer into the circuit. This is a simple laboratory procedure that provides freshmen with hands on experience in the field of materials science.
Symposium Organizers
Eric Marshall New York Hall of Science
Julie Nucci Cornell University
Doug Dunham University of Wisconsin
Marlann Marinho Patterson University of Wisconsin-Stout
PP5: Public Outreach and Informal Science Education
Session Chairs
Wednesday AM, December 02, 2009
Independence E (Sheraton)
9:30 AM - **PP5.1
Capacity Building Spinoffs of Nanoscale Informal Science Education.
Larry Bell 1
1 Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network, Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Show AbstractThe Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network has challenged members of the informal science education community in a number of ways. Many of the challenges are inherent in the nature of nanotechnology. It's current and changing, abstract and intangible, multi-disciplinary, largely unknown to the public, and raises societal implications in imaginative ways. An astronomy seminar the author particpated in many years inn college focused on the Crab Nebula, because of all astronomical objects, the Crab Nebula seemed to include all of the exciting things going on in astronomy at the time. Nanotechnology is like that today in that it evokes all kinds of exciting challenges in informal science education.Science museums are visual and hands-on environments but how do you help the public visualize something or get their hands on something at the nanoscale - which is so far away from direct perceptual experience? This has been an educational problem in basic physics and chemistry for science museums for decades. Nanoscale informal educators are exploring both old and new ways of doing this and uncovering approaches that can be useful in other fields.Science museum exhibits are generally concrete and physical, and programs have usually focused on what we know from a long history of science research and science education. So how can we address potential future applications and the possible societal benefits and risks associated with them? Some past exhibits have resorted to long labels, depressing photos, or passive videos. But nanotechnology education has inspired the development of forums that engage the public in dialogue and deliberation about the societal implications of emerging technologies and science theater that engages both emotions and intellect.Nanotechnology as a subject has afforded the opportunity to develop a wide range of cutting edge informal educational activities, of which these are only a couple. In this session we will explore these and other developments of nanoscale informal science education that can have broader application within the field.
10:00 AM - PP5.2
Stuff: An Integrated Four-part Broadcast Series and Community Engagement Intiative.
Julie Benyo 1 , Amy Moll 2
1 Educational Outreach, WGBH Educational Foundation, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 2 College of Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, United States
Show AbstractFrom the mundane (shower curtains, cooking pans, roof shingles) to the extraordinary (aircraft engines, artificial organs), materials impact our world every day. Stuff is a special 4-hour series from WGBH, the producers of NOVA, that is expected to premiere in 2010. The goal of the project is to help the public understand that materials matter to all of us, and the objects we use are made of "stuff" designed to have certain properties and perform in certain ways. Dramatic stories of invention over the centuries will reveal how societies depend on materials and impart basic concepts in the physical sciences and engineering. Interwoven with the history will be stories of contemporary work that will show that materials science is on the cusp of a revolution; thanks to recent advances in our ability to observe and manipulate atoms and molecules, we are now in the process of designing the materials we need, rather than just stumbling upon them by trial and error. This is leading to a breakdown of traditional boundaries between classes of materials, and to the rapid expansion of nanotechnology.More than a broadcast series, Stuff is an integrated multimedia initiative. Public “Month of Stuff” events around the country will include demonstrations, teacher resources, and more. A centerpiece of the public engagement component is a Get Stuff Treasure Hunt, an innovative multigenerational initiative that takes place in the community and online. The Get Stuff Treasure Hunt will involve families, youth, and others in extended engagement with materials science. Part scavenger hunt, part treasure hunt, part game (both real and virtual)—and a fun and rewarding introduction to materials science—the treasure hunt participants, young and old, will become materials investigators, scouring their communities for the modern materials that underlie nearly every product they encounter in their daily lives. In the process, they will come to understand the important role that materials science plays in the world around them.The Materials Research Society is playing a pivotal role in the initiative as content advisor, helping to develop community-based educational resources and activities, and engaging its members in active participation. Professional development resources and training sessions, both live and online, will help materials scientists become better ambassadors for the field and enhance their effectiveness in facilitating public events. We are looking to mobilize thousands of materials research scientists in reaching out to public audiences and sharing their knowledge and love of stuff.
10:15 AM - PP5.3
PANEL SESSION: Engage Any Audience: Effective Outreach Strategies for Nanoscience and Materials Education.
Rae Ostman 1 10 , Carol Lynn Alpert 2 10 , Max Evjen 3 , Megan Halpern 4 , Margaret Glass 5 10 , Amy Moll 6 , Keith Ostfeld 7 10 , Aditi Risbud 8 , Beth Stadler 9
1 , Sciencenter, Ithaca, New York, United States, 10 , NISE Network, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 2 , Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 3 , Redshift Productions, Ithaca, New York, United States, 4 , Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States, 5 , Association of Science-Technology Centers, Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 6 , Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, United States, 7 , Children's Museum of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States, 8 , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States, 9 , University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Show AbstractThis moderated panel discussion presents a variety of strategies and best practices for engaging (almost) any audience in nanoscience and materials education. Panelists will present case studies of educational outreach efforts for children and families, adults, undergraduates, school children, legislators, and other members of the public. The discussion will consider strategies for conceiving, developing, and implementing programs for different target audiences; establishing the necessary relationships to make programs successful; securing funding; overcoming logistical hurdles; and other key issues in educational outreach. Rae Ostman (Sciencenter, Ithaca, NY) will provide introductory remarks and moderate the panel discussion. Carol Lynn Alpert (Museum of Science, Boston, MA) will present the Museum of Science’s experience working with local broadcast and cable television networks. Max Evjen (Redshift Productions) and Megan Halpern (Cornell University) will share ways to communicate scientific concepts through artistic performances, focusing on a work by Cornell University physicist Itai Cohen and choreographer Maren Waldman. Margaret Glass (Association of Science-Technology Centers, Washington, DC) will bring her “Hill Bag” and explain how she presents nanoscale science and technology to legislators and policy-makers. Amy Moll (Boise State University) will share her strategies to present any outreach activity to any audience, from small children to academics. Keith Ostfeld (Children’s Museum of Houston, Houston, TX) will present a museum exhibit and public programs developed in partnership with Rice University. Aditi Risbud (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) will describe undergraduate nanoscience internships at Department of Energy NSRC facilities, located in Argonne, Berkeley, Brookhaven, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Sandia National Laboratories. Beth Stadler (University of Minnesota) will present educational outreach efforts reaching underserved children in inner-city schools.
11:00 AM - PP5: OutreachISE
BREAK
PP6: Partnerships
Session Chairs
Wednesday PM, December 02, 2009
Independence E (Sheraton)
12:00 PM - PP6.2
Advancing Student Learning through Strategic Partnership: University of Maryland Materials Researching Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) and C.H. Flowers High School Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Pre-engineering Program.
Sanwarit Prasertchoung 1 , Donna Hammer 1
1 MRSEC, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States
Show AbstractMRSECs and other research centers need to make informed decisions about developing and advancing education outreach partnerships with the mandate to meet specific goals. Establishing a partnership with another institution or organization must follow a clear path of development, implementation, and evaluation. The challenge is to effectively weave together the missions and environments of each partner to create synergy that produces significant outcomes. This paper will discuss the development of the partnership of University of Maryland MRSEC and Charles Herbert Flowers High School to implement and advance Project Lead the Way (PLTW) pre-engineering activities. This work is supported by the NSF-MRSEC at the University of Maryland, DMR # 052047.
12:15 PM - PP6.3
PANEL SESSION: Innovative Ways to Connect: University, Museum, and Public Partnerships for Nanoscience and Materials Education.
Rae Ostman 1 8 , Carol Lynn Alpert 2 8 , Shenda Baker 3 , Jayatri Das 4 8 , Andrew Greenberg 5 , Michael Rathbun 7 8 , Catherine McCarthy 1 8 , Keith Ostfeld 6 8
1 , Sciencenter, Ithaca, New York, United States, 8 , NISE Network, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 2 , Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 3 , Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California, United States, 4 , Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 5 , University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 7 , Discovery Center Museum, Rockford, Illinois, United States, 6 , Children's Museum of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States
Show AbstractThis moderated panel discussion will explore the incredible potential of partnerships to create innovative and effective educational outreach programs. Panelists will present a wide range of projects that would not have been possible without collaboration, including television programming, playground equipment, museum exhibits and programs, a magnet high school, library kiosks, teacher professional development, and science communication professional development. The discussion will focus on strategies for developing and carrying through an effective partnership. Panelists and the audience will consider when and why collaboration is essential; how to make a partnership effective; and how to overcome challenges. Rae Ostman (Sciencenter, Ithaca, NY) will provide introductory remarks and moderate the panel discussion. Carol Lynn Alpert (Museum of Science, Boston, MA) will provide an overview of the range of educational outreach programs that are possible for materials science and nanoscale science in a long-term, collaborative partnership. She will then focus on examples of science communication training programs that museums and universities can do together, drawn from the Museum of Science’s experience collaborating with two NSECs. Shenda Baker (Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA) will discuss the creation of Strange Matter, a traveling museum exhibit that involved multiple partnerships, including the Materials Research Society, the Ontario Science Centre, research institutions, and industry. Jayatri Das (Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA) will present a new initiative of the Franklin Institute, Penn State University’s MRSEC, and a local magnet high school. Andrew Greenberg (University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI) and Michael Rathbun (Discovery Center Museum, Rockford, IL) will describe their collaboration on teacher professional development workshops, library kiosks, and playground equipment. Catherine McCarthy (Sciencenter, Ithaca, NY) will present a collaboration with the Nanobiotechnology Center at Cornell University, resulting in the traveling exhibition, "It's a Nano World." Keith Ostfeld (Children’s Museum of Houston, Houston, TX) will share the results of their partnership with Rice University, including a public television episode, a museum gallery, and museum public programs.
PP7: K-12 Curriculum and Teacher Professional Development
Session Chairs
Wednesday PM, December 02, 2009
Independence E (Sheraton)
2:30 PM - **PP7.1
Innovative Evaluation of Two Materials Science Education Enrichment Programs.
Daniel Steinberg 1
1 , Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States
Show AbstractThe Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM) is an NSF-funded Materials Science and Research Center (MRSEC) at Princeton. PCCM currently has four Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) and several seed projects. PCCM runs a variety of education outreach programs that include: Research Experience for Undergraduates, Research Experience for Teachers, Materials Camp for Teachers, Middle School Science and Engineering Expo (SEE) for 1200 students, and Princeton University Materials Academy (PUMA), for inner city high school students. In this talk we focus on PUMA and the Science and Engineering Expo. We will discuss both programs and new evaluation efforts.Created in 2002, PUMA has an inquiry based materials science curriculum designed to work at the high school level. PUMA’s activities are paired with an inquiry based evaluation of scientific ability and attitude change. A set of pre and post tests measuring attitude, behaviors and content have been applied for 3 summers. An additional evaluation of students’ ability to formulate scientific questions as a result of their participation in program has also been created. With these evaluation efforts we aim to measure the value of such a program in helping students choose to become future materials scientists or citizens that support materials research.SEE is run once per year in the spring. It is a day dedicated to capturing the imaginations of young students through science demonstrations and direct interaction with materials scientists and engineers. 1200 middle school students from local schools come to Princeton University to interact with Princeton scientists and engineers and explore science with the help of demonstrations and hands-on activities. Throughout the day, they explore a wide range research from Princeton that is at the cutting edge of science and engineering to generate excitement about science and engineering. In addition to studying over 5000’s student written essays we have constructed a pre and post test for student attitudes administered to over 500 students in 2009 to determine the impact of the SEE on students’ attitudes about materials science and STEM fields. This large scale attitude assessment and student written statements help to establish the impact of this one day program.
3:00 PM - PP7.2
Materials Science as a High School Capstone Course for the Physics First Curriculum.
Nathan Unterman 1 2
1 Science, Glenbrook North High School, Northbrook, Illinois, United States, 2 National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States
Show AbstractBy changing the high school science curriculum from Freshman Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics; to Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (PCB), we have an opportunity to create a new Senior level science elective. The entire high school science curriculum has been reviewed and parts rewritten to create a coherent, integrated curriculum based on common themes such as energy, particulate nature of matter, and forces. Nanoconcepts including size and scale and surface area to volume ratio are integrated where appropriate. In our school, we began PCB in the 2008-2009 academic year. In anticipation of these students becoming upperclassmen, a capstone elective course of Materials Science has been developed based on scientific models and literacies shaped in the PCB course sequence. Deployment of this new model centered course is set for the 2010-2011 school year. The structure of this new curriculum will be discussed.
3:15 PM - PP7.3
A Method for Effective Teacher Professional Development.
Julie Nucci 1 , David Tanenbaum 2 , Ana-Rita Mayol 3
1 CNS Institute for Physics Teachers, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States, 2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, Pomona College, Claremont, California, United States, 3 Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, United States
Show AbstractThe CNS Institute for Physics Teachers (CIPT) at Cornell University offers physics and physical science teachers high quality professional development workshops, graduate physics courses, and free access to a lending library of over 30 different lab activities co-developed by teachers and Cornell researchers. Over 1000 high school teachers from 25 different states across the nation have participated in CIPT programs. As of 2009, 39% of all NYS high school physics teachers attended one CIPT workshop or graduate course and over 40% of those teachers came back for additional training. The CIPT also maintains a lending library and runs an active program from Pomona College in California. CIPT lab kits were used by over 24,000 physics students between 2005-2009. Lending library activity has grown at an average rate of 53% per year, culminating in 189 requests for hardware in the 2008-2009 school year. The CIPT has given three invited workshops in Asia, one in Middle East, and an invited talk at a European education conference. Additional lending libraries with CIPT lab kits are in place or are currently being set up in Singapore, Qatar, and Puerto Rico. As a result of a recent collaboration with Arecibo Observatory and The University of Puerto Rico, Spanish language versions of CIPT lab documents are currently being written. The CIPT’s success is based on providing quality professional development, free access to engaging lab activities, and the important opportunity for often isolated physics teachers to share information and expand their professional network.
3:30 PM - PP7.4
Design and Implementation of Professional Development Seminars in Coordination with Research Experience for Teachers (RET) and Focused on Professional Practices of Scientists and Engineers.
Chelsey Simmons 1 , Gary Lichtenstein 1 , Kaye Storm 2 , Beth Pruitt 1
1 Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States, 2 Office of Science Outreach, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States
Show AbstractThe National Science Foundation instituted Research Experience for Teachers (RET) with the goal of “involving teachers in engineering research and helping them translate their research experiences and new knowledge of engineering into classroom activities.” However, not all those who have participated in RET actually have been involved in research. While over 80% of teachers worked on classroom plans and observed research activities during the RET program, only 50% collected or analyzed data to answer a research question. [Russell and Hancock, Evaluation of the Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Program: 2001-2006, SRI International, 2007]Grossman et al. suggest that without firsthand participation and orchestrated opportunities for application, teachers and other learners find it difficult to translate theory into practice. [Grossman et al., Teaching Practice: A Cross-Professional Perspective. Teachers College Record, 2009] Knowing this, we have designed and implemented an eight-week seminar series to enrich the RET program by scaffolding for teachers the translation of theory and observation into their teaching practice. The seminars are designed to promote teachers’ reflection on professional practices they experience in Stanford scientists’ and engineers’ labs and consider ways to promote these practices in courses they teach at the secondary level.The seminar focuses on three professional practices that teachers are exposed to in their summer laboratory experiences: 1. Analyzing and synthesizing research literature, including planning experiments and writing proposals;2. Collaboration, specifically the skills required to navigate individual goals but shared resources, distributed tasks, and diverse background; and3. Synthesizing data and communicating results, including formal and informal mechanisms.Group discussions help participants to articulate the technical and interpersonal skills required of scientists and engineers. By writing grant proposals and creating conference abstracts, teachers have firsthand experience with the intricacies of planning experiments and communicating results. Furthermore, team projects reinforce the need for classroom experiences that incorporate collaboration and opportunities for creative thinking. The seminar series helps teachers acknowledge the complexities and ‘non-linearity’ of laboratory research and broadens teachers’ notions of skills and abilities valued by career scientists and engineers.Preliminary, informal assessments indicate teachers feel they will be better able to promote professional practices in their classroom by participating in this seminar series. Formal survey and interview results will be presented at the meeting.
3:45 PM - PP7.5
Implementation of a Professional Development Program in Nanotechnology for Secondary Science Teachers.
Nancy Healy 1 , Joyce Palmer 1
1 Nanotechnology Research Center, Georgia Insitute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Show AbstractThe Georgia Institute of Technology’s NNIN site has been developing and implementing a professional development program in nanotechnology education for secondary science teachers. We have been refining our approach over the past two years. The primary focus of our program has been to help teachers understand how nanotechnology can fit into the standards-based science curriculum that they are already teaching in middle and high school classrooms (physical science, physics, chemistry, and biology). Additional components of the program include why students should learn about nanotechnology (workforce development) and how nanotechnology in an interdisciplinary field which helps students understand the interconnections between sciences. Our work with secondary science teachers through our workshops, Research Experience for Teachers program, and our exhibit booth at NSTA has led to insights into what is needed to incorporate nanoscale science and engineering topics into the classroom. In an already overcrowded science curriculum, it is critical to demonstrate how nanotechnology can become part of current teaching and not just an add-on component. We will present examples of how this can be achieved in professional development workshops. Our evaluation results indicate that participants in our programs have gains in content knowledge and understand how nano-lessons can be incorporated into their teaching.
4:00 PM - PP7: K-12
BREAK
PP8: Inquiry-based Learning
Session Chairs
Wednesday PM, December 02, 2009
Independence E (Sheraton)
4:30 PM - **PP8.1
Researchers, the Public and Inquiry-based Public Engagement.
Robert Semper 1 2
1 , Exploratorium, San Francisco, California, United States, 2 , Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Show AbstractResearchers are great advocates for public STEM education. But all to often they approach their interactions with the public through an information transmittal or push model of education, one where the scientist is the active pusher and the public is the passive receiver. Learning research and a little introspection shows that effective education for the public operates much more through a pull model, one that is dependent on the motivation of the public to be interested and engaged. While some individual researchers can successfully move from a push to a pull model, it is often more effective for them to work with and through intermediary “transforming” institutions if they are to be maximally effective.A key hallmark of learner-centered education is the use of the power of individual inquiry in support of effective learning. “Inquiry is an approach to learning that involves a process of exploring the natural or material world, and that leads to asking questions, making discoveries, and rigorously testing those discoveries in the search for new understanding. The inquiry process is driven by one’s own curiosity, wonder, interest, or passion to understand an observation or solve a problem.” From Inquiry: Thoughts, Views, and Strategies for the K–5 Classroom in Vol 2 Foundations: A monograph for professionals in science, mathematics and technology education - National Science Foundation (1999).Informal science education (ISE) opportunities provide unique and powerful inquiry-driven educational experiences. The Nanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) Network is an NSF funded project that links hundreds of ISE institutions into a network that is designed to provide members of the general public with experiences in nanoscale science and technology. Many of these experiences support inquiry either through direct experience with nature, exposure to inquiry education or through provocative experiences with culture.This presentation will discuss the push-pull model of public science engagement, the fundamentals of inquiry as it applies to public engagement and three examples of the use of inquiry focused educational opportunities in NISE. The Nasturtium Leaf exhibit demonstrates the power of inquiry-driven exhibits by presents the intriguing phenomena of water droplet beading up on the surface of a Nasturtium leaf. The curriculum for graduate students in the Nanotechnology Educators Outreach (NEO) workshop is based on the inquiry professional development for elementary school teachers. And a series of plays commissioned to highlight societal implications of nanoscale technologies provide the settings for developing provocative and open-ended inquiry experiences for adults. These examples provide lessons for researchers as they develop their own public engagement opportunities.
5:15 PM - PP8.3
Motivation and Self-Direction in Project-Based Materials Science.
Jonathan Stolk 1 , Robert Martello 1
1 , Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Needham, Massachusetts, United States
Show AbstractThe astounding rates of social and technological change in the global landscape demand more of tomorrow’s engineers and scientists than disciplinary knowledge. Our future graduates must be motivated, self-directed learners able to continually adjust to new environments, integrate multidisciplinary perspectives, understand the societal impacts of technology, and work collaboratively to benefit the broader community. In this paper, we describe two courses that leverage student-centered pedagogical techniques to explicitly address some of the needs of tomorrow’s engineers. The first is a project-based, self-directed introductory materials science course in which students select project topics, formulate goals, identify resources, select learning strategies, and reflect on their learning. The second course includes the project and self-directed learning aspects of the first course, but adds to this an emphasis on interdisciplinary thinking through the integration of a history of technology course. In this “integrated course block,” historical and materials science content is tightly synchronized, and all assignments emphasize connections between technical content and contextual factors (e.g., environment, society, culture, economics, and politics). Preliminary results from an investigation of student motivation, self-efficacy, and self-perceptions of learning indicate that both courses are effective in helping students develop the skills and attitudes of self-directed learners, and that both courses provide for increases in intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy for learning and performance. Compared to the non-integrated materials course, however, the integrated course block provides for higher overall intrinsic motivation, lower extrinsic motivation, and higher valuing of the learning tasks. These findings suggest that disciplinary integration may offer some key benefits to student engagement in project-based, self-directed learning experiences.
5:30 PM - PP8.4
Applying the Five C's of Engagement to a Revised, Undergraduate Materials Science Laboratory.
Andrea Harmer 1 2 , Shuailei Ma 2
1 Instructional Technology, Kutztown University, Kutztown, Pennsylvania, United States, 2 Materials Science, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States
Show AbstractIn this study, five principles recently identified for engaging sixth grade students in inquiry-based science (cutting-edge content, contribution, collaboration, creative freedom, and communication outside the classroom) were applied to a revised, undergraduate materials science laboratory. The college juniors were provided with opportunities similar to the sixth graders for contributing ideas and results to authentic, problem solving research being conducted at the university. Both sets of students were asked about their primary interest in studying science, their reactions to contributing “real” scientific data (as opposed to typical lab verification activities), their responses to collaborating with researching scientists, and their interest in communicating their results outside of the classroom. The undergraduate responses were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively to determine the effect of the five, applied, engagement principles listed above, and to assess the overall effectiveness of the revised materials lab. Furthermore, the analysis compared the two sets of students (the sixth graders and the college juniors) to determine similarities and differences in students’ responses to the engagement principles. This presentation will report the results of these analyses and include direct quotations from both populations to reveal the most important components to students when learning science. Guidelines for engaging undergraduate students in the materials science laboratory will be discussed and shared.In addition to the educational research results and discussion, specific lab experiments, procedures, schedules, and student-ready explanations will be shared through the Graduate Teaching Assistant responsible for lab implementation.
5:45 PM - PP8.5
The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany - Nano High Educational Program.
Michael Carpenter 1 , Robert Geer 1 , Nathaniel Cady 1 , Yubing Xie 1 , Diana Martin 1 , Jeffrey Beyer 2 , Daniel McCarthy 2
1 College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, New York, United States, 2 Albany High School, Albany Central School District, Albany, New York, United States
Show AbstractThe College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) at the University at Albany, SUNY, in partnership with Albany City School District, has implemented model programs for Nanoscale Science and Engineering education at the High School and Middle School levels. Within these programs students participated in commencement level, discovery-based courses which have been conceived, designed, and implemented at Albany High School (AHS) as part of the ‘Nano High’ partnership with the CNSE. Instructional design and methodologies were embedded in student-centered, hands-on, inquiry based learning around the central theme of research and development at the nanometer scale. Classes were designed to simulate a scientific research/engineering team culture based on mentorship programs developed at the CNSE. Students participated in real-life, problem solving laboratory experimentation/studies utilizing tools and technology for scientists and engineers at the AHS campus and the cutting-edge nanofabrication and research facilities at the CNSE. Activities at both sites were coherently integrated to connect foundational physical, chemical, and biological concepts with advanced nanoscale science and engineering research and applications to spur student interest and innovation, while simultaneously exposing them to the wide array of professional career choices in emerging ‘nano’ fields. Their studies followed a weekly syllabus of concepts, research themes, and activities that corresponded to desired outcomes and skills. Team-based teaching and learning models, both in the classroom and in the laboratory were used and in doing so emulated today’s high-tech workplace. Details on curriculum, laboratories, outcomes and assessments will be provided for both the high school and middle school programs
Symposium Organizers
Eric Marshall New York Hall of Science
Julie Nucci Cornell University
Doug Dunham University of Wisconsin
Marlann Marinho Patterson University of Wisconsin-Stout
PP9: Undergraduate Curriculum Development and Pedagogy
Session Chairs
Thursday AM, December 03, 2009
Independence E (Sheraton)
9:30 AM - **PP9.1
Lessons from Life: Teaching and Outreach by Making Materials Real.
Jeffrey Shield 1 2
1 Mechanical Engineering, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, 2 Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
Show AbstractRelating everyday products and phenomena to the underlying materials issues provides both educational and outreach opportunities (Really, education and outreach are inseparable. It is easiest to both teach and reach out when you have your audience “hooked” on something of interest to them.) This talk will discuss the different illustrations that have been developed over the years to describe materials science and engineering in college-level materials courses, freshman-level seminar courses, high school science classes, and even to elementary-age students (with age-appropriate terminology). Some examples include magnetism and magnetic materials as related to the science and technology of hard disk drives, electronic structure of materials as it describes light-emitting diodes, and microstructures as they influence strength in metals and alloys. This talk will also describe our re-designed undergraduate materials labs taught in a mechanical engineering department, which have focused projects that illustrate the role of microstructure on mechanical behavior. We will also present materials-based curricular activities for high school and freshman-level courses that have been developed in part through our NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center “QSPINS.” Other topics will be professional development aspects of our MRSEC and REU site, mentoring, and integration of research into the classroom.
10:00 AM - PP9.2
Implementation of a Curriculum Leading to a Baccalaureate Degree in Nanoscale Science.
Richard Matyi 1 , Robert Geer 1
1 College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY - University at Albany, Albany, New York, United States
Show AbstractThe College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) at the University at Albany has developed an academic curriculum leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nanoscale Science. This curriculum represents a 132-credit program designed for completion in eight academic semesters and is consistent with the SUNY General Education Program requirements as implemented at the University at Albany. This curriculum comprises a cutting-edge, inherently interdisciplinary, academic program centered on scholarly excellence, educational quality, and technical and pedagogical innovation. The blueprint for this curriculum is comprised of four basic components: a “Foundational Principles” component, a “Core Competency” component, a “Concentration” component and a “Capstone Research/Design” component. The first two components are designed to integrate the dissemination of fundamental, cross-disciplinary, nanoscale science and engineering principles with the cultivation of the critical skill set necessary for advanced undergraduate coursework and interdisciplinary research. The remaining two components expand on these foundational skills to develop the topical expertise, technical depth, and independent research abilities that are essential to a well-rounded undergraduate educational experience. The combination of these instructional tools leads to a customizable and coherent undergraduate degree program that trains the student’s intellect how to explore, discover, and innovate, while ensuring its proficiency in a specific nanoscale discipline. The outcome is a unique undergraduate experience that taps into CNSE’s global academic leadership in nanoscale science and engineering to attract and educate a diverse and talented pool of qualified scientists and engineers at the baccalaureate level.
10:15 AM - PP9.3
Student Understanding of the Mechanical Properties and Atomic Structure of Metals in an Introductory Materials Science Course.
Andrew Heckler 1 , Rebecca Rosenblatt 1
1 , Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States
Show AbstractWe report on the first-year results of a five year project to identify, study, and address student difficulties in a university-level introductory materials science course for engineers. This research is part of the education component of an NSF MRSEC center at Ohio State University. Through interviews of over 80 students and testing of over 300 students, we examined in detail student understanding of the mechanical properties and atomic structure of metals. Results indicate that many students have difficulty distinguishing between various mechanical properties, such as strength and elasticity. In order to address these difficulties, we designed and field tested 45 minute in-class group-work lessons and found them to meet two minimum conditions for success. First, students were actively engaged and interested in the exercises. Second, the students performed well on test questions immediately after the lesson. As an example of the material used in the lesson, we found that diverse and idealized stress-strain plots were not only useful for eliciting student difficulties in understanding these mechanical properties, but the plots were also very useful in helping students to learn the differences between the physical properties. This was especially true when the plots were paired with exercises asking students to describe in detail what was physically represented by the plots. We also studied student understanding of the atomic structure of metals and found that student have significant difficulty in relating macroscopic changes in metals, such as plastic deformation, with microscopic changes of the arrangement of atoms. We found some evidence that the overuse of simplified models, such as the ball and spring model of atomic structure, may be causing some of these problems. We report on some group-work exercises in development to address student difficulties with understanding the relation between atomic structure and mechanical properties of metals.
11:00 AM - *PP9.4
PANEL SESSION: ABET Accreditation Panel Discussion: Best Accreditation Practices for Materials Engineering Programs That Have a Strong Focus on Research.
Steven Yalisove 1
1 Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Show AbstractA panel discussion will be held at the MRS Fall 2009 meeting that is focussed on helping materials programs navigate the murky waters of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). ABET is the Department of Education sanctioned body for accreditation of all US engineering and technology programs. Outreach to materials programs at MRS meetings is especially important for research universities because the a large fraction of ABET accreditation is done at non-research intensive universities. We plan to have a panel discussion about the current ABET requirements and best practices that departmental representatives can share and use to help them in upcoming accreditation visits. We will provide experienced ABET visitors and ABET board members as well as people from recently reviewed programs. The goal of this panel discussion is to inform departments of the accreditation process, best practices for outcome and objective assessment without killing your faculty, and to highlight the new changes to the accreditation process in the past few years.
11:45 AM - PP9.5
Self-paced e-learning Modules used as a Pre-instructional Strategy in Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering.
Amy Moll 1 , J. Callahan 1 , S. Berg 2 , S. Chyung 2
1 Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, United States, 2 Instructional and Performance Technology, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, United States
Show AbstractThe Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering course was renovated with ten web-based e-learning modules designed as reusable learning objects. This innovative instructional technology was developed and implemented as a pre-instructional strategy in order to maximize the benefits of enactive, self-paced e-learning, and to improve students’ cognitive and affective preparedness for classroom learning. The same modules or reusable learning objects were also used in upper division materials science coursework as review of prerequisite knowledge for advanced work. A survey was administered at the end of each module to ask the students about their experience with the modules in terms of:1) if the pre-instructional e-learning module helped them understand the subject2) how confident they were in understanding the topic3) if they would like to use more e-learning modules to improve their learning in the classroom. The results from the survey indicated that the majority of students perceived that the e-learning modules were a helpful pre-instructional activity, that they were confident in understanding the topic, and that they would like to use more e-learning modules to improve their learning during the classroom lecture. This paper will describe the instructional design principles and strategies used in our curriculum design and the evaluation findings.
12:00 PM - PP9.6
An Interactive Research Ethics Module for the Undergraduate.
Dolores Miller 1 , Frances Houle 2 , Janet Stemwedel 3 , Charles Wade 1 , Joseph Pesek 3
1 , IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, California, United States, 2 , formerly IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, California, United States, 3 , San Jose State University, San Jose, California, United States
Show AbstractParticipating in an REU is often a student’s first experience as an active member of the research community. As part of the NSF supported SUMMIT (San Jose State University/IBM Almaden Research Center collaboration) and CPIMA (Stanford University/Almaden) undergraduate internship programs we have developed a workshop that emphasizes the scientific community’s dependence on ethical behavior for success and advancement at this nascent stage of a scientific career.Experience has shown that participatory activities are more engaging than lectures or large group discussions so techniques such as role playing have often been used to teach ethics. Our module includes open-ended role playing based on recent real life ethics cases as reported in the scientific news, in addition to a foundation presentation based on the APS Ethics and Professional Conduct Guidelines for Physicists, which particularly emphasizes the domains of the research scientist: the laboratory, the literature and the scientific community. Our goal is to foster discussion of complex cases and their effects not only on the protagonists but on the scientific community as a whole.The ethics workshop and its development will be described as well as some of the discussions that grew out of the interactive case studies.
12:15 PM - PP9.7
Peer Editing of Materials Laboratory Reports: the Technology, Research, and Communication (TRAC) Writing Fellows Program.
Richard Vinci 1
1 Materials Science and Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States
Show AbstractIn an effort to boost the effectiveness of the Writing Across the Curriculum Program, Lehigh University has recently instituted the Technology, Research, and Communication (TRAC) Writing Fellows Program. In this program, students from a variety of disciplines are trained as peer reviewers. They are then assigned to writing-intensive courses, typically outside their areas of academic expertise. This presentation will review implementation of the TRAC program in a lecture course that also incorporates several laboratory assignments. Included will be discussion of TRAC Fellow preparation, designing laboratory report writing assignments for compatibility with the TRAC program, and feedback from the students and TRAC Fellows regarding their experiences.
12:30 PM - PP9.8
What Can Materials Education at University Level Learn from Nanoscience Education?
Knut Deppert 1 , Elisabeth Nilsson 1 , Maria Soerensson 2 , Johan Hugosson 2 , Rune Kullberg 2 , Lars Samuelson 1
1 Solid State Physics, Lund University, Lund Sweden, 2 Faculty of Engineering, Lund University, Lund Sweden
Show AbstractThe new character and interdisciplinary nature of nanoscience and nanotechnology makes designing educational programs a challenge. Traditional university-level studies for students may be represented by a "straight line" or as a sequential progression from basic to specialized courses in a particular discipline. In contrast, two primary strategies appear in the university-level education in nanoscience and nanotechnology. One emphasizes interdisciplinary specialization, and the other a coherent, interdisciplinary curriculum. In analogy to the appearance of a letter one could distinguish between a "T" and an "inverted T" approach.The first strategy, the T-strategy, is merely a modification of existing education programs. A conventional undergraduate study of a science or engineering discipline is followed by an interdisciplinary specialization. This education may include specialized courses or courses from other disciplines.An alternative is the inverted-T strategy where the students from day one get confronted with the essence and interdisciplinarity of nanoscience and -technology. By reversing the sequence of learning we can educate engineers with a coherent view on nanoscience and we can motivate students to learn the necessary basics in the traditional fields of science and technology. Naturally, this approach must include teaching of basic knowledge and skills in physics, mathematics, chemistry, electronics, biology, medicine, materials science, and engineering science in order to allow the student to grasp the concepts of nanoscience in the respective knowledge fields. Real interdisciplinarity is accomplished from the very beginning of the study, combining the "breadth" of nanoscience with the "depth" of each of the involved disciplines. The inverted-T strategy is composed of two parts, a basic undergraduate block where the students learn the basics, and a specialization where the students attend advanced courses in their field of specialization and carry out a diploma project in a cutting edge research environment.In this presentation, we will describe the nanoscience education at Lund University, which follows the inverted-T strategy. We will also present and discuss the impressions and experiences of the students attending the program. We strongly believe that our approach can serve as an example to create attractive and comprehensive Materials Science education programs.
12:45 PM - PP9.9
Leveraging Screencasts to Strategically Clarify Unclear Material Science Concepts for a Diverse Student Population.
Joanna Millunchick 1 , Lindsay Shuller 1 , Tershia Pinder-Grover 1 , Crisca Bierwert 1
1 , University of Michigan, Ann Arbor , Michigan, United States
Show AbstractThis paper presents findings from a study prompted by the desire to enhance students’understanding of material science and engineering concepts in a large lecture introductory course. The study focuses on the use of online resources which students use selectively and at their own pace. Screencasts, recordings that capture audio narration along with computer screen images, are one such resource that can provide the rich, multimedia structure of a classroom lecture that engages students’ different learning styles. This paper compares strategies that instructors used to employ screencasts in several iterations of an introductory course in Materials Science and Engineering. The paper further examines how screencasts contribute to student learning outcomes. In a large lecture survey course, the academic background and motivation of the students varies significantly. As a way to address these challenges, the instructor develops and posts several types of screencasts to the course management website to supplement the typical course resources. Such screencasts include lecture recordings; explanations of homework, quiz, and exam solutions; and explanations of topics that students identified as being unclear. To assess screencast effectiveness and course design refinements, we collected data for three terms on student perceptions of screencasts, their screencast usage, their course performance, and student demographics. The results from the first term were used to make revisions to the course design for subsequent terms. The data were also used to correlate students’ success in the course with their demographic and academic backgrounds. The responses from an online survey show that the vast majority of students believe these screencasts are “helpful” and used the screencasts to clarify misunderstandings, to supplement the lecture material, and to review for exams. Our analysis of screencast usage in the first iteration of the course shows that the class is evenly divided between students whose use of the resource is low, medium, and high. This usage pattern changes when the course structure alters in subsequent semesters. Analysis showed further differences by gender, race, and student major. Specifically, when considering the students' academic background, students in engineering disciplines most aligned with Materials Science and Engineering (i.e., Chemical Engineering) used the screencasts less than students in disciplines far different from Materials Science and Engineering (i.e., Industrial and Operations Engineering). Analysis to date shows a positive correlation with screencast usage and performance in the course when learning objectives were explicitly stated. More detailed analysis is underway to explore these findings. This study suggests that the use of screencasts maybe be an effective way to supplement lecture material in large courses for all students.
PP10: Integrating Research into the Curriculum
Session Chairs
Thursday PM, December 03, 2009
Independence E (Sheraton)
2:30 PM - **PP10.1
GEMSEC – Education Programs that Integrate Research into the Curriculum.
Ethan Allen 1 , C. So 2 , D. Knorr 1 , R. Overney 1 , Mehmet Sarikaya 2
1 Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States, 2 Materials Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States
Show AbstractResearchers at the Genetically Engineered Science and Engineering Center (GEMSEC, an NSF-funded MRSEC) develop and provide rich educational experiences, based on innovative investigations, to diverse audiences. GEMSEC collaborates with the Pacific Science Center on wide-ranging educational projects (e.g., MRS-supported Strange Matter exhibit) for the general public. For high school students, the Center offers summer Internships with in-depth lab investigations, as well as a week-long Materials Camp (in partnership with ASM-International) where ~30 students tackle bionanotechnological challenges. GEMSEC serves middle and high school teachers through an annual Research Experience for Teachers program; this successful RET is now actualized (with ASM) as a week-long comprehensive Materials Camp for Teachers. GEMSEC’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program enables students from across the nation to join the Center’s Shared Experimental Facilities for 10-week-long, hands-on, cutting edge investigations; year-long research internships are also available. Through UW’s Center for Nanotechnology (CNT), GEMSEC graduate students meld breadth and depth of learning to obtain a ‘dual Ph.D.’ in their “home department” and Nanotechnology. GEMSEC’s Annual International Biomimetics Workshops serve a broad range of students and professional scientists working at the molecular interfaces of biology and materials science. GEMSEC is a co-founding institution of the NSF-supported Nanotechnology for Undergraduate Education (NUE) program, Using Nanoscience Instrumentation for Quality Undergraduate Education. NUE-UNIQUE is at the forefront of paradigm-shifting educational processes in a partnership that also includes CNT, North Seattle Community College, and two commercial scanning probe microscopy (SPM) companies. UNIQUE is a nationally replicable model for a sustainable and updateable undergraduate teaching laboratory of SPM applied to nanosciences, based on short-term leasing of multiple SPMs from the corporate partners. It includes well documented laboratory units, teaching materials, a basic introductory course in nanoscale science and technology, a freshman seminar series, and a one-to-two week-long workshop, Nanoscience on the Tip. With GEMSEC and CNT, UNIQUE’s materials are being disseminated regionally and nationally, via MRSEC’s Materials Research Facilities Network and NSF’s National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network.GEMSEC has formal international relations with universities in the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan, and an NSF-supported International Research Experience for Students where UW partners with Istanbul Technical University, Turkey, for long-term student exchange and research. GEMSEC’s extraordinary investigations at the confluence of materials science, biology, and engineering provide highly effective vehicles allowing faculty, post-doctoral scientists, and graduate students to nurture education for a wide range of learners.
3:00 PM - PP10.2
A One Week Intensive Short Course for Introducing Lower Division Students to Undergraduate Research in Materials and Engineering.
David Bahr 1
1 Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States
Show AbstractThis paper describes an update to the short course format used to introduce students to an undergraduate research environment at a rural residential land grant university. The course runs the week after classes end, and consists of ten topics presented in half day module formats. The program has run since the summer of 2007, and has served 53 students as of summer 2009. Students from engineering and science majors from across campus were selected from applications solicited from primarily first year students, though the program also included first year transfer students. The paper will describe the ten modules, ranging from gaining library skills to research based career options to finding an advisor and best practices for poster presentations. Students were provided a stipend for housing during that week, and a stipend for research expenses during the subsequent semesters. The paper will also discuss the retention rates and motivation surveys from the program. The students selected for the program had GPA average similar to the college as a whole, and currently 96% have been retained in STEM fields. Survey results suggest that one critical aspect of involving students in this program was a modest stipend to ensure financial concerns are not precluding participation for the students. Retention in STEM is not linked to incoming GPA at the start of the program. Slightly more than 50% of the students become fully ensconced in a research group after a year. Those students that do not often report that the deciding factor in not participating in undergraduate research is the realization of the time required and their choice to focus on grades over this “extra” participation. The gender of participants was significantly closer to the population as a whole when compared to the existing demographics of the engineering student population at Washington State University. Suggestions for expanding the program and adoption at other sites will be presented.
3:15 PM - PP10.3
Research Grade Instrumentation for Nanotechnology and MSE Undergraduate Education.
Christine Broadbridge 1 3 , Monica Sawicki 1 3 , Eric Altman 2 3 , Victor Henrich 2 3 , Yaron Segal 2 3 , Myrtle-Rose Padmore 2 3 , Philip Michael 2 3 , Fredrick Walker 2 3
1 Physics, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven , Connecticut, United States, 3 Center for Research on Interface Structures and Phenomena, Yale University/SCSU, New Haven , Connecticut, United States, 2 School of Engineering, Yale University, New Haven , Connecticut, United States
Show AbstractThe Yale University Center for Research on Interface Structures and Phenomena (CRISP) is one of the National Science Foundation MRSEC centers. A main focus of CRISP research is complex oxide interfaces that are prepared using epitaxial techniques including molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Complex oxides exhibit a wealth of electronic, magnetic and chemical behaviors and the surfaces and interfaces of complex oxides can have properties that differ substantially from those of the corresponding bulk materials. CRISP is involved in the preparation of high quality and novel oxide interfaces, the characterization of the structure and properties of these interfaces, and the exploration of their possible technological applications. In addition, CRISP employs this research program in a concerted way to educate students at all levels. The CRISP educational effort is built upon two centerpieces. First, CRISP’s partnership between Yale University and nearby Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) provides effective links to local teachers and students. Second, CRISP has constructed a robust MBE apparatus specifically designed for safe and productive use by undergraduates. Students can grow their own samples and then characterize them with facilities at both Yale and SCSU, providing a complete research and educational experience. A complementary nanocharacterization facility has been implemented at SCSU that includes research grade electron and scanning probe microscopy. This paper will focus on the design and implementation of these facilities as well as the use of this research grade instrumentation in two programs: (1) the CRISP Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Research Experiences for Teachers (REU & RET) programs and (2) CRISP nanotechnology curriculum development for undergraduates and teachers. *This research and the educational programs described are supported by NSF Grant MRSEC DMR05-20495.
3:30 PM - PP10.4
The Advanced Lab Course as an Apprenticeship in Experimental Science.
Chris Hughes 1
1 Physics and Astronomy, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States
Show AbstractA standard part of most undergraduate physics curricula is the “Advanced Lab” or “Lab for Juniors” course. The traditional version of this course involves upperclassmen taking a three credit course which meets for one semester and includes countless hours in the lab classroom doing relatively standard experiments. The course is usually taught by one faculty member or a small team of faculty members and can represent a significant part of their teaching duties. At James Madison, we recently reevaluated the role of this course in our curriculum and how it impacted our goal of including a meaningful research experience for all undergraduate physics majors. The course was redesigned to resemble the traditional training of apprentices in which various competencies must be fulfilled in the context of on-the-job training. Students are allowed to complete these competencies at any point in their academic training including during summer REU programs and external internships. This refocusing of the goals of the course has had added benefits in terms of how faculty are rewarded for mentoring undergraduate research students including those in our growing materials physics research groups. The various difficulties and successes of this transition will be discussed along with possible adaptations to other disciplines.
3:45 PM - PP10.5
Evolution of the Women in Materials Program: a Collaboration between Simmons College and the Cornell Center for Materials Research.
Velda Goldberg 1 , Leonard Soltzberg 1 , Michael Kaplan 1 , George Malliaras 2 , Helene Schember 3
1 Physics and Chemistry Departments, Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 2 Materials Science and Engineering Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States, 3 Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States
Show AbstractThe Women in Materials program is an on-going collaboration between Simmons College and the Cornell Center for Materials Research. Beginning in 2001, during the initial four years of the project, materials-related curricula were developed, a new joint research project was begun, and nearly 1/2 of Simmons College science majors participated in materials-related research during their first two years as undergraduates. We have previously reported the student outcomes as a result of this initial stage of the project, demonstrating a successful partnership between a primarily undergraduate women's college and a federally funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. Here, we report the evolution and impact of this project over the last three years, subsequent to the initial seed funding from the National Science Foundation.The Women in Materials project is now a key feature of the undergraduate science program at Simmons College and has developed into an organizing structure for materials-related research at the College. Initially, three faculty members were involved and now eight faculty members from all three science departments participate (biology, chemistry, and physics). The program now involves research related to optoelectronics, polymer synthesis, biomaterials, and green chemistry, and each semester about 80% of the students who participate in these projects are1st and 2nd year science majors. This structure has led to enhanced funding within the sciences, shared instrumentation facilities, a new minor in materials science, and a spirit of collaboration among science faculty and departments. It has also spawned a new, innovative curricular initiative--now completing its first year of implementation--involving all three science departments in incorporating actual, on-going research projects into introductory and intermediate science laboratories. Most importantly, the Women in Materials program has embedded materials-related research into our science curriculum and has deepened and broadened the educational experience for our students, and student outcomes speak to the program's success. Approximately 70% of our science majors go on to graduate school within two years of completing their undergraduate degree. Our students also have a high acceptance rate at highly competitive summer research programs, such as Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs funded by the National Science Foundation.
4:00 PM - PP10: Int. Res.
BREAK
PP11: Graduate Curriculum Development and Pedagogy
Session Chairs
Thursday PM, December 03, 2009
Independence E (Sheraton)
4:30 PM - PP11.1
Hands-on-Practice for NanoScience Design Graduate-Level Education.
Tadashi Itoh 1 2 , Hisazumi Akai 1 3 , Seiji Takeda 1 3 , Hisahito Ogawa 1 , Satoshi Ichikawa 1 3 , Masaaki Geshi 1 3 , Masato Ara 1 2 , Hirohiko Niioka 1 2
1 Institute for NanoScience Design, Osaka University, Osaka Japan, 2 Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonka, Osaka Japan, 3 Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonka, Osaka Japan
Show AbstractWe have established the NanoScience Design Laboratory equipped with advanced facilities for Cross-desiplinary Graduate-Level Education, Research and Training Programs for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. The hands-on-practice performed in the Laboratory are classified into four categories; design, process, observation and functionality. The main facilities are cluster computer system, electron-beam lithograph, trasmission electron microscope, confocal laser microscope, etc. Some of the practical subjects are prepared suitable for graduate-level students with different major research subjects. The hands-on-pracice is open not only for MSc students but also young people working at industries. More than 800 people have been trained in five years.
4:45 PM - PP11.2
Teaching Nanotechnology, Nanoscience, and Nanochemistry at the Graduate and Undergraduate Levels: the Perspective of a Textbook Author.
Ludovico Cademartiri 1
1 Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Show AbstractI will examine some of the challenges inherent to the teaching of nanoscience and nanochemistry at the graduate and undergraduate levels.The intrinsic interdisciplinarity of the field, as well as its apparently scattered and ill-defined appearance contributes to make any prospect of teaching this subject daunting. The very same challenges affect any textbook author attempting to write on this quickly developing field.I will discuss in detail the strategies that we have adopted, as textbook authors, to tame the complexity and dynamics of the subject, in order to bring a conceptual framework to a field that was substantially missing it. This has resulted in two separate approaches for the undergraduate and graduate teaching which complement each other and manage, in our opinion, to give both a conceptual and panoramic view and understanding of nanoscience and nanochemistry.
5:00 PM - PP11.3
Foundations Approach to Interdisciplinary Graduate Education in Nanoscale Science and Engineering.
Fatemeh Shahedipour-Sandvik 1 , Brad Thiel 1 , Richard Matyi 1 , Robert Geer 1 , Michael Carpenter 1
1 , College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, UAlbany-SUNY, Albany, New York, United States
Show AbstractResearch and education in nanotechnology is by definition highly interdisciplinary building upon core competencies from many traditional disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, materials science, electrical and mechanical engineering. As a result, graduate education in nanoscale science and engineering requires establishment of an innovative curriculum that responds to the educational needs of a diverse group of incoming undergraduates. To address these issues, the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering established a sequence of modular core courses, called “Foundations of Nanotechnology” that was designed to provide students with the particular core competencies that they did not receive in their respective undergraduate programs, in addition to preparing them for their more specialized advanced course work and individual research in the various CNSE Nanoscale Science and Nanoscale Engineering tracks. Moreover, fundamental concepts central to each discipline are presented, but with the additional considerations of highly constrained geometry and dimensionality. As the first College in the world fully dedicated to nanoscale science and engineering education and research, CNSE has completed its third year in granting degrees in Nanoscale Science and Engineering. A full discussion of the “Foundations of Nanotechnology” sequence and its impact on CNSE students’ education and research as well as “lessons learned” will be given.
5:15 PM - PP11.4
Development and Delivery of an Online Graduate Certificate in Materials Characterization for Working Professionals.
Pamela Dickrell 1 , Luisa Dempere 2 3
1 UF EDGE College of Engineering Distance Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States, 2 Major Analytical Instrumentation Center (MAIC), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States, 3 Materials Science & Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
Show AbstractWithin materials science and engineering industries there exists a need for continual professional development and lifelong learning. University materials science and engineering departments and materials related centers have highly qualified instructional faculty and infrastructure that can be utilized to deliver needed continuing education to working professionals via distance learning.This work examines the development and first year delivery results of an online graduate certificate in modern materials characterization techniques for working scientists and engineers. Using industry demand as a driving force, a three course credited graduate-level certificate was created for place bound professional students with online, asynchronous delivery of course materials, without requiring participant travel. This certificate combined the practical expertise of a university based materials characterization instrumentation center with the instructional experience of graduate faculty to deliver course content relevant to practicing scientists and engineers who see the utilization of materials characterization in their workplace.Three main aspects were considered in the first year certificate development and delivery. The first aspect was the distribution of course materials to distance students. The required infrastructure, technical support, and best practices for instructors in successful online delivery of course materials were all considered in planning the certificate. The second aspect considered was relevant curriculum for working professionals related to materials characterization. In the first year offering of the certificate three graduate courses were included; Survey of Materials Characterization Techniques, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis, and X-Ray Diffraction. Courses were chosen in areas of broad characterization practice and potential student impact. Special considerations were taken in both the structuring of new courses and curriculum modifications needed to existing graduate courses in materials characterization for relevant practical education of professional distance students. The third aspect reviewed in this work is the resulting impact on professional students and lessons learned for future program development. Qualitatively impact is examined through participant perspectives on education gained, relevance of course materials, and potential impact the certification will have on their current and future career goals. Quantitatively, distance student academic performance is compared to the performance of traditional campus graduate students registered for the same courses. Second year developments to the certificate will include expanding course offerings, and the addition of online operation of selected characterization instruments such as the Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopes.
5:30 PM - PP11.5
Multi-Institution Team Teaching (MITT): A Novel Approach to Highly Specialized Graduate Education.
William Heffner 1 , Himanshu Jain 1 , Steve Martin 2 , Kathleen Richardson 3 , Eric Skaar 3
1 International Materials Institute for New Functionality in Glass, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, 2 Materials Science and Engineering , Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States, 3 Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States
Show AbstractAs engineering becomes more and more specialized, most university departments have fewer specialists to teach. Also, too few students sign up for specialized courses, and thus, it is difficult for the Administration to approve courses that have fewer than half a dozen students. Consequently, very frequently highly specialized graduate courses are not offered. The problem is particularly exacerbated in disciplines like Materials Science and Engineering, which are a necessary component of engineering education but as one of the smallest departments. NSF’s International Materials Institute for New Functionality in Glass (IMI-NFG) has successfully addressed these problems by initiating the concept of multi-institution team teaching (MITT). The first course of this kind, ‘Experimental Methods for Glass Structure’ was offered in Spring 2007. Six professors from as many institutions taught 3-5 lectures in their respective area of expertise. Students attended the class from these and a few other universities. By pooling the talent of various instructors, the course became technically stronger and students had an otherwise unavailable course made available to them.'Adobe Connect' software was used for the live delivery of lectures over the Internet such that students could see the instructor and Power Point slides as in a normal classroom. The students could ask questions any time during the lecture, and the instructor would respond immediately. Students registered and paid tuition at their respective home institution, so that no exchange of funds was involved. The homework and assignments were given and graded by the lecturing instructor, whereas the local instructor coordinated the course and assigned grades to students according to the norms of his or her institution. The final examination consisted of joint projects completed via collaboration among students from different institutions. The results of the projects were presented at a technical conference, where the students met with their classmates for the first time.In assessing student response to this novel teaching platform, the majority of the enrolled students liked the format and delivery of the course. More than 75% students felt that multiple instructors, who “taught information of their expertise”, made the course stronger. The students also made some constructive suggestions, which were then implemented in the follow up course, ‘Physical Properties of Glass’ offered in Fall 2008. This latter course has been expanded to include instructors from 10 US institutions, and students from many more US and international universities. In conclusion, the concept of MITT has been successfully demonstrated for teaching highly specialized graduate courses. Technology and infrastructure exist to communicate and disseminate information. The students like diversity of subject material, top experts as instructors, and the fact that course encourages team interaction and building of network.