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No Access Submitted: 26 July 2005 Accepted: 27 January 2006 Published Online: 13 April 2006

  • Nanotechnology and Society: A discussion-based undergraduate course

American Journal of Physics 74, 443 (2006); https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2178845
Charles Tahana)
  • Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
    • Ricky Leung
  • Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
    • G. M. Zenner
  • Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
    • K. D. Ellison
  • Graduate School, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
    • W. C. Crone
  • Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
    • Clark A. Miller
  • LaFollette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
    • more...View Affiliations
    View Contributors
    • Charles Tahan
    • Ricky Leung
    • G. M. Zenner
    • K. D. Ellison
    • W. C. Crone
    • Clark A. Miller
    ABSTRACT
    Nanotechnology has emerged as a broad, exciting, yet ill-defined field of scientific research and technological innovation. There are important questions about the technology’s potential economic, social, and environmental implications. We discuss an undergraduate course on nanoscience and nanotechnology for students from a wide range of disciplines, including the natural and social sciences, the humanities, and engineering. The course explores these questions and the broader place of technology in contemporary societies. The course is built around active learning methods and seeks to develop the students’ critical thinking skills, written and verbal communication abilities, and general knowledge of nanoscience and nanoengineering concepts. Continuous assessment was used to gain information about the effectiveness of class discussions and enhancement of student understanding of the interaction between nanotechnology and society.

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    The authors are grateful to the National Science Foundation through the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center on Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces (DMR-0079983) and through the Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) grant, An Integrated Approach to Teaching Nanotechnology and Society (DMR-0407075). Both programs are at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The authors thank the EPD 690 students for their help in thinking about the complex issues surrounding nanotechnology and society. In particular, the authors thank Anne Bentley and Adam Creuziger for participating in the second portion of the course and creating syllabi and other course materials. One of the authors (C.T.) would like to thank Robert Joynt for allowing him to develop and teach this course while pursuing his Ph.D. in physics.

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    1. © 2006 American Association of Physics Teachers.

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