First Week of Intro to Nano

fn1_lg_02_cr.doc fn1_1b_pioneers_cr.pptWe started school last week (25 Aug, 2008) with approximately 18 new first semester students. The program can accomodate up to 24 and I have had cohorts with as many as 28. I also have about 10 students beginning their 3rd semester (2nd year).Intro to Nano:The first day I wanted to gather information on how they found out about the program so we can make sure our recruitment efforts are effective. I tell the students about the CVTC Nanoscience Club and introduce them to online web sites where they can find news articles about nanotechnology and network. The Nanoscience club typcially attends conferences on Nanoscience, goes on field trips to high tech manufacturers and conducts social activities such as picnics. This gives the students a chance to network with students from other cohorts.I wanted to have the students create their own definition of Nanoscience.(The degree is called nanoscience technology). I usually define this using the definition found on the NNI website (www.nano.gov). It is interesting how even this has changed over the past four years. The three parts to the definition I use are: 1-100 nm size scale, new properties due to the small size, and the ability to manipulate at the atomic scale.The next main thing I want to cover is the nature of nanotechnology companies and what products they make so that student will get an idea of what jobs there are in the Nanoscience field. I have the students bring in an article in the news about Nanoscience for the next class to share with the class. They also have to write a brief summary of the article.I have them read Feynmann's "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom" and select a quote from that speech that they share with the class. The reason I thought of this was in most of the presentations I have seen on Nanotechnology and Nanoscience someone usually quotes this speech.The next activity was to have the students create a Nanoscience timeline which we post on the wall. This includes major contributors to nanoscience such as Democritus, Feynman, Drexler, Smalley, Kroto, Curl, Heath, Smalley, Seeman, Whitesides and others. The students have to find out who they are, what contribution they made to Nanoscience and when approximately it was made. If the students have trouble I help them because some of the people have made many contributions to science and nanoscience. If a student finishes early I give them another person. When all of them have taped their information to the wall then we go over the timeline as a class and the students tell about what there person is known for. If they leave out something I think is important I can make a comment during the discussion.The next thing I did was to set up a couple of online discussion groups. The first one is to comment on the benefits and problems associated with Drexler's Molecular Assembler (Good vs. Evil).In the next discussion board I have them read the Drexler vs. Smalley debate (Clash of the Nano Titans). Choose a side and have their own debate supporting either Smalley or Drexler.

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Comments

Hans Mikelson September 29, 2008 at 4:10pm

I assigned them sides for this one since most of them had not read the article yet. In the past I got about 50% for each side.
Jose Feneque, DVM September 29, 2008 at 3:10am

It would interesting to know what percentage of your class choose sides with Smalley. Can you provide us with that information?

Thanks.
TINC September 2, 2008 at 10:55pm

thanks :)

This reply was deleted.