Program - Symposium ZZ: Communicating Social Relevancy in Materials Science and Engineering Education

Residential buildings account for 40% of the energy consumed in the U.S. Whether building a new high performance home or retro-fitting an existing home to energy star standards, there are several systems in the home that can be addressed in terms of energy efficiency, such as the building envelope (walls, roof and basement), Windows and doors, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning. All of these systems require materials selection and integration to fulfill their purpose effectively. The process of materials selection with respect to quantitative performance factors is known as life cycle assessment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) provides a process for making strategic decisions in a design-build operation, and offers metrics of physical properties relative to environmental economic attributes to evaluate social values within the physical needs for living (documented in ISO 14040:2006). The Union County Housing Authority (UCHA) Energy Efficient Housing Program seeks to reduce utility costs as a way to make homes affordable and sustainable. UCHA's goal for the Energy Efficient Housing Program (EEHP) is to "produce affordable model housing in Union County that is highly energy efficient and uses current technology;" additionally they sought to make the EEHP a model through public engagement and dissemination of project results and findings. To that end, the UCHA has constructed a current state-of-the-art duplex, along with retrofitting a couple of existing homes for significantly improved energy performance. Each of these four homes will soon have owner occupants. The fleet of homes has about one year’s worth of data for performance as empty units. A group of students from Materials Science and Engineering, Energy Engineering, Energy, Business and Finance, and Architecture were charged with designing a web based interface that will allow access for researchers, owner occupants, and the general public to interact with the UCHA program in general and the recently completed energy efficient homes in particular. Furthermore, the website was to be designed to educate the general public and contractors about making material choices and on physical methods related to retro-fitting existing homes for energy efficiency. Finally, the students were to analyze and publish existing data on the homes energy performance as empty units and design the website so that data on the units’ performance based on owner occupant behaviors could be acquired and researchers can compare and contrast the data sets for optimizing performance of the high performance homes. This talk will review the progress made to date on the website and discuss the challenges and strategies associated with directing students from multiple disciplines in engaging the public and private sectors to collect relevant information related to material choices for improved energy performance of housing and then re-distribute in an accessible manner via the internet.

This module will provide teachers with hands-on inquiry learning opportunity to experiment with exciting nanoscience as demonstrated through the interaction of light, energy, and chemical reactions. The experiments will demonstrate basic principles of why nanomaterials, such as Titanium Dioxide, behave different than other materials. Teachers will learn about new technologies at the frontiers of science important to our growing economy to include the development of emerging products and processes. Specifically, the module provides teachers with hands on opportunity to learn basics of how nanoscience is tied to solar energy, self-cleaning glass and renewable energy source generation using solar energy. The experiments and content of this module are appropriate for middle school national science standards for grades 5-8 addressing (1) student abilities to do scientific inquiry, and (2) transfer of energy to include (a) light transmission, absorption and scattering as well as (b) energy as a property of many substances and its association with heat, light, electricity, mechanical motion, sound, atomic nuclei, and the nature of a chemical. Specific to the State of Alabama Standards for 8th grade, the module presented will (1) describe how waves travel through media, and (2) describe the electromagnetic spectrum in terms of frequency (e.g., electro spectrum in increasing frequencies-microwaves, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light). Teachers have had an opportunity to work in a laboratory with researchers and graduate students from the University of Alabama, to learn about important work on-going with federal agencies, and how new concepts are being disseminated.

There exists a dearth of access to graduate level experiences in materials science and engineering within the developing world. Furthermore, access to cutting-edge technologies is especially challenging at the K-12 level in these countries. In this work, a problem-based, hands on set of modules for integrating Holographically-formed Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (H-PDLC) Bragg Grating thin films into the Kenyan secondary physics and chemistry curriculum is proposed. Through funding provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), a pilot study of the integration of these modules and the National Academy of Engineering’s (NAE) Grand Challenges for Engineering into the Kenyan curriculum is carried out as part of a graduate visiting scholar program at a secondary school in a rural town in the Kenyan highlands. 35 students from Forms 2 and 3 (Grade 10 and 11 equivalent) were introduced to the underlying principles behind creating an image, light waves, holography, polymers and liquid crystals. Students were then provided a series of hands-on, problem based activities. In the first activity, students’ experience with electromagnetic waves was enhanced by creating their own holographic setup. Then, students’ knowledge of materials and materials science was addressed through activities using photo-initiated polymerizations and thermotropic liquid crystals. Finally, students were given the ability to create their own single pixel drive circuitry and test out their setup by modulating PDLC and H-PDLC thin films. All activities were developed and carried as a professional development tool and international experience for NSF GK12 fellows. H-PDLC thin films are electro-optically modulating, wavelength-specific filters used in fiber optic communications, beam stearing, reflective display and spectroscopic applications. As a result, the underlying technical and materials science principles connect very well with a number of the NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering, such as Preventing Nuclear Terror, Providing Access to Clean Water and Engineering the Tools of Scientific Discovery (optical spectroscopy), Enhancing Virtual Reality (holographic imaging, display technologies), and Securing Cyberspace (encrypted optical communications). All activities were directly integrated into the Kenyan countrywide Physics, Chemistry and Math Curricula for Forms 2 and 3. A visual tool (Matatu Map) to demonstrate the interconnectivity of these topics with the NAE Grand Challenges was developed and provided for the students. The efficacy of these integrated modules in communicating real world materials science and engineering challenges was examined using qualitative and quantitative (Likert-based self-assessment) means. Lastly, efficacy of this experience in assisting graduate students to learn to communicate effectively to a broad audience is explored. A method for expanding the use of this experience with other graduate students is proposed.

The Center for Probing the Nanoscale, an NSF-funded Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center at Stanford University, aims to attract increasing numbers of students to STEM disciplines and provide a scientifically literate populace by enhancing the knowledge base and teaching skills of their classroom teachers. Teacher professional development programs are crucial for strengthening K-12 science education. We have chosen to focus on middle school since it is the apparent beginning of the science and engineering pipeline problem. According to 2007 data from the National Center for Education Statistics, student performance in physical science relative to international norms drops between 4th to 8th grade from above average to average. Reported enthusiasm for science also drops substantially from 64% of 4th graders interested in science to 50% in the 8th grade, according to data from the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Our Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers (SIMST) deepens teachers’ knowledge of physical science and communicates the relevance of nano science and technology to daily life. The goals are to help teachers inspire thousands of middle school students, increase their comfort level with teaching science, and provide a peer support network. SIMST targets teachers from a broad range of middle schools, primarily from the California Bay Area. School diversity is a key factor in acceptance of teachers to increase the participation of teachers from high-need schools. More than half of SIMST teachers serve schools with a majority of students from minority groups underrepresented in the sciences or who are on reduced lunch programs. At the week-long Institute, teachers learn about the physical concepts underlying nanotechnology and nanoscience through content lectures by Stanford scientists, inquiry-based activities, and tours of research laboratories and facilities. Ready-to-use, low-cost kits and modules that explicitly address state and national science content standards are provided to teachers for classroom implementation. These activities are meant to aid in designing lessons adapted for the needs of individual classrooms. During SIMST, collaborative sessions facilitate the integration of these hands-on activities into lesson plans. This presentation will discuss the best practices and effective activities for education and outreach developed during seven years of SIMST.

Information Research Corporation, based in Fairmont, WV, is currently developing software applications for a haptics device. The Novint Falcon, a rugged, low-cost haptic controller, provides high-fidelity, three-dimensional force feedback with a controller that moves right /left, forwards/backwards, and up/down. When a user holds the Falcon’s grip and moves a cursor to interact with a virtual object, motors in the device turn on and are updated approximately 1000 times per second, letting them feel haptic effects such as texture, shape, weight, dimension, and dynamics. The Falcon provides control and interaction with a virtual environment in a realistic way. The eTouchSciences software apps provide a 3-D environment that presents meaningful educational experiences in middle school level subjects including chemistry, biology, mathematics, nanoscience, physics, earth sciences, life sciences, and astronomy. Audio and high resolution graphic feedback accompanies the tactile feedback to provide students with a rich multi-modal experience that is exciting and effective for all students, but especially those with low vision or who are blind. Two nanoscience apps currently under development by a summer undergraduate researcher will focus on introducing i) the concept of nanoscale and ii) forms of carbon. Forms of carbon will introduce the student to the different crystal structures of carbon (graphite and diamond) and how this relates to macroscopic physical properties. The student will also be able to construct a carbon nanotube out of one layer of graphite. This project will culminate in Spring 2013 with one-day training for middle school teachers in West Virginia to learn about the device and apps. Teachers will receive a device and will be able to provide feedback and suggest new ideas for applications. Ultimately, teachers, developers, students and other educators will participate in an online forum and store in order to buy/sell/develop applications for use with a Novint Falcon device. Funding for this project is provided by US Department of Education SBIR FastTrack Contract #ED-IES-11-C-0028, West Virginia University STEM SURE program, West Virginia Space Grant Consortium, WV EPScoR, and NSF Cooperative Agreement 1003907

The general public is typically positive towards ‘Nano’. People have the sense that some cool and powerful ‘stuff’ is happening there, but have also heard rumblings that nano may be dangerous. In both cases they often have limited and anecdotal information from which to draw informed conclusions. We are developing and will present lessons learned from a new demonstration, currently for 1-on-1 and small group science expo table use, that appears to captivate and lead to active learning for ages seven to adult. ‘Making Nanoparticles with Ouzo’ involves: -introducing issues in measuring and seeing particles (droplets of cooking oil in water/detergent) below 0.1 to 1 mm -introducing light as having wave properties like water waves, but with wavelengths in the nm range -introducing green (510 nm) and red (650 nm) laser pointers as ‘rulers’ -introducing the liqueur Ouzo and its anetole additive as a blend of water, alcohol and water insoluble but invisible nanoparticles (So you should be asking me: ‘Prove that statement.’) -demonstrating that the anetole particles do not initially scatter laser light, but do as water is added and particle sizes increase, first with the green (attractive light scattering bars along the laser beam), then with the red laser, and then all visible wavelengths. -allowing a (preferably young) visitor to ‘make nanoparticles’ by warming up a cold sample of cloudy anetole particles (micron size) in warm water until they vanish. (Most people ‘get it’, and that successful counterintuitive leap nicely spurs interest and enthusiasm.) A lot of information is presented, but a surprising amount of it seems to stick, if it is presented and built in story form from widely appreciated concepts, with samples and props people can see and hold, with a few diagrams and written descriptions, and with time for people to ask questions and understand along the way. Enthusiasm from the presenter also can be contagious. Visitors often end up discussing applications, and possible issues, of nanoparticle dispersions.

In this paper, we discuss the development of a curriculum module focused on the biomineralization of calcium carbonate in abalone shells. Mother-of-pearl is the best-known example of a natural nano-composite that exhibits structural characteristics that exceed those of its constituent components. Indeed, this material is about 95% calcium carbonate and a few percent organic biopolymer. Its laminated structure leads to a roughly two-fold increase in strength and a three order of magnitude increase in toughness. In this module, materials properties of bulk calcium carbonate are compared to those of the abalone shell. The enhancement of materials properties through bottom up nanoassembly processes is discussed. Development of curriculum modules at the nano-bio interface is part of our ongoing effort to increase the academic achievement of Alabama Black Belt middle school students in mathematics and science and to attract increasing numbers of students to STEM disciplines by enhancing the knowledge base and teaching skills of their classroom teachers. Our program attempts to enhance the existing middle school science curriculum and our modules involve conducting experiments and analyzing data in order to better understand issues associated with nano-biology. Our curriculum design process is collaborative (involving master teachers) and data-driven (including independent assessment). In this paper, we describe our experiences to date, including a discussion of preliminary assessment results.

After more than two decades of basic nanoscience research, nanotechnology is delivering its promise to benefit our society. To have students well prepared for the advent of the nano-era, effective education in nanoscience and nanotechnology at their early age is pivotal. Here a module on Nano was developed by the cross disciplinary team from the University of Alabama to engage and demonstrate K-12 grade students the “Power of Nano”. As material structures are scaled down to exceedingly small dimensions, particularly to the magic number - nanometer, surface area to volume ratio increases dramatically. In the module, this unique size effect is exposed to the participants using a variety of examples. To promote student-centered learning, the module utilizes the 5E instructional model consisting of engage, explore, explanation, elaborate, and evaluation phases and aligns with the Nationals Science Education Standard and Next Generation Science Standards. Through hands-on activities, PowerPoint presentation, and 3D visualizations, middle and high school students will be given a set of knowledge tools to impart critical concepts on Nano and perceive the “Power of Nano” in terms of size effect!

Nanobiotechnology is a new field that probes the intersection of nanomaterials with biological molecules and cells. Innovations in nanobiotechnology are driving new medical and industrial applications. While undergraduate students have no doubt heard of the importance of nanotechnology, relatively few can appreciate how the scale of matter affects the fundamental science or behavior of a system. Further, our undergraduate curricula do not include enough exploration-based laboratory courses in which students work towards solving a problem in collaborative teams. By emphasizing the way that society can benefit from improvements in nanomaterials research and applications, we can capture the interest of more students, especially those from underrepresented minority groups. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the best way to attract females and minorities to engineering, in general, is to show them how the work they choose can positively impact society. This presentation discusses the creation at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) of an inquiry-based laboratory module that is designed to expose students to nanomaterials, increase specific skills in nanomaterial synthesis and characterization, augment their interest and confidence in pursuing the subject matter, and encourage them to pursue higher-level nano-courses as well as research projects. Faculty at the departments of Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering at WPI introduced a Nanobiotechnology Laboratory Experience class for sophomores. Based on Felder and Silverman’s 5-E Instructional Model which has students Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate, this three-credit course comprises two major sessions: 1. Lecture and conference for learning background, principles and experimental tools and discussing experimental design and lab results; 2. Lab activities for learning and using experimental tools, such as scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and nanoparticle synthesis and characterization, to carry out the experimental design. The course was offered during the Spring 2011 and Spring 2012. A total of 29 students completed the course. Students increased knowledge of nanomaterials and nanobiotechnology, sustained high interest in subject matter, enhanced written and oral communication skills, and reported higher self-rating of their ability to solve open-ended problems after taking this course. In this presentation, the challenges and experience on offering such an interdisciplinary undergraduate laboratory course will be summarized. The evaluation results and students’ feedback will be presented. The improvements and future work will be discussed.

The paper describes a set of online educational modules developed to introduce students to OLEDs (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes) and to help them understand the underlying concepts and principles behind the design and operation of the diodes. OLED’s are one of the most excited contemporary technologies and are increasingly heavily used in many gadgets familiar to every teenager. In order to make learning science and engineering fun, an interactive multimedia-rich format is used. The fundamental principles underlying the design, application, and production of OLEDs and OLED-based devices are demonstrated and explained in the context of touch screen ultrathin displays and energy-efficient lightnings. The web-based resources are comprised of the following five major modules: - The module “Applications” uses video clips combined with flash animations to show various applications of OLEDs in devices like TVs, cell phones, tablets, and flexible displays as well as energy-efficient lighting. The videos demonstrate where and how the OLEDs are used in each device to show just how prominent OLED technology is, even today. The module materials help students comprehend the advantages and shortcomings of OLEDs. The first module is also aimed to spark students’ interest and motivate them to learn more about the OLED technology and the underlying fundamental principles. - The second module is designed to assist students in understanding the layered structure of an OLED. The simulation allows users to split a diode into its component layers, which are easy to see, and then the student can explore each of the layers one by one. The module also helps students understand multicolored OLEDs. - The third module is an online lab in which students are required to prepare a simple OLED, by using virtual materials and tools. The simulation enables the user to walk through the process step by step and prepare a very basic virtual OLED. - The fourth module helps students understand the operation of an active matrix OLED (AMOLED) flat panel display which uses switching thin-film transistors (TTF) and storage capacitors for each pixel and line by line multiplex scanning. This is one of the most difficult concepts to understand and explain to high school students. The users learn the subject by playing a simple computer game. - The last module visualizes the detailing of the electron transfer in OLEDs, delocalization of pi electrons, as well as other related processes occurring at the microscopic level and helps students understand the fundamental scientific concepts behind the operation of OLEDs. Preliminary testing has shown that students like the interactive simulations and find the embedded game engaging. The students believe that the simulations have given them a better understanding of the applications, benefits, shortcomings, and the great potential of OLED technology.

The Penn State Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization (CNEU) has thirteen years of experience in forming, supporting, and sustaining resource-sharing partnerships for nanotechnology education and workforce training. This partnership approach started at Penn State has evolved into the NSF National Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge (NACK) Network. The NACK Network is a nation-wide team of research universities, which have the needed nanotechnology facilities and expertise, and teaching institutions, which have such a critical role to play in nanotechnology education but often lack facilities and faculty expertise. To match the country’s education resources with its workforce development needs, the NACK Network encourages and supports the formation of hubs across the US in which community colleges, with the support and partnership of research universities, join together to give a hands-on meaningful nanotechnology experience in a shared location. This may be at one of the community colleges, at the research university partner, or use some combination of both. The NACK Network also provides faculty development opportunities and nanomaterials engineering education support materials for these community and technical colleges. The latter include power point and videoed lectures and labs. In this contribution we intend to share NACK’s experiences in: i) leading the development of education partnerships and enabling 2-year and 4-year nanotechnology degrees to be offered across the United States; ii) conducting nanotechnology education workshops for secondary and post-secondary faculty; iii) conducting camps for secondary school students; iv) developing web resources including downloadable lectures, demos, kits and modules; v) providing distant education training, virtual laboratory experience, and remote web accessibility to material characterization tools; vi) offering regular webinars informing the public about nano-material engineering and applications in engineering and health professions; and vii) conducting nanotechnology short courses for incumbent workers in industry. The NACK experience is that there are cultural issues, which must be overcome in developing an effective nanotechnology education partnership between a research university and a teaching institution. One such cultural problem is the reluctance of researchers to give up time on characterization tools or processing tools to turn them over for educational functions. Another is the worry of researchers that students taking experimental courses in nanomaterial engineering and nanofabrication will degrade facilities and compromise clean room integrity. The Penn State experience is that these and many other issues need to be recognized and addressed for the successful establishment of effective nanotechnology manufacturing workforce education.

This presentation reports the development of a novel multidisciplinary NanoScience Certificate Program (NCP) at University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) intended to prepare undergraduate students to emerging nanotechnology markets, industry trends, cutting edge research and technology developments. The rationale for the NCP is to integrate and expand nanotechnology-relevant courses within a comprehensive curriculum. The established certificate program includes the following seven new upper level undergraduate courses: (i) Introduction to Nanoscience, (ii) Engineering of Nanomaterials, (iii) Nanofabrication and Nanoelectronics, (iv) Introduction to Bio-Nanotechnology, (v) Environmental Nanotechnology, (vi) NanoOptics, (vii) Capstone Design. This program is designed to address the needs for a multidisciplinary undergraduate education at UTB which extends beyond traditional courses within disciplines which are taught by various departments. The NCP courses and course materials are developed by faculty from Physics, Engineering and Chemistry departments. The designed courses will expose students to the nanotechnology areas as part of integration of nanoscience in UTB’s undergraduate programs. During the lecture series, students will be expected to gain understanding in nanotechnology, nanoscale manufacturing techniques, various advanced nanomaterials and nano-devices development, as well as ethical and health issues and handling procedures of nanomaterials. To complete the NCP and receive a Certificate in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, students must complete 12 credit-hours of NCP courses. Our ultimate goal is to establish and maintain at UTB a practical, modular, scalable, transferrable and implementable educational STEM platform in nano-sciences, engineering and nanotechnology.