STEM Education Institute Tuesday Seminar
Mark Tuominen, Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, presents "Nanoscience Education: New Approaches to a New Subject."
We live in a dynamic, three-dimensional world. Shouldn't we teach in the same way? The NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center at UMass Amherst (the Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing) has a mission that includes the design, production and delivery of curriculum materials in nanotechnology. A major component of this effort includes the creation of modular and re-purposable digital videos that include a mixture of real video and 3D animation to convey a clear understanding of complex topics. The goal is to develop curriculum that can more effectively represent real-world concepts in nanoscale science and engineering. The development is performed by a team with a comprehensive set of experience and skills. Also described is the open source paradigm by which these materials are delivered and improved.