Precollege nanotechnology education: a different kind of thinking

Abstract

AbstractThe introduction of nanotechnology education into K-12 education has happened so quickly that there has been little time to evaluate the approaches and knowledge goals that are most effective to teach precollege students. This review of nanotechnology education examines the instructional approaches and types of knowledge that frame nanotechnology precollege education. Methods used to teach different forms of knowledge are examined in light of the goal of creating effective and meaningful instruction. The developmental components needed to understand concepts such as surface area to volume relationships as well as the counterintuitive behavior of nanoscale materials are described. Instructional methods used in precollege nanotechnology education and the levels at which different nanoscale topics are introduced is presented and critiqued. Suggestions are made for the development of new nanotechnology educational programs that are developmental, sequenced, and meaningful.