Nanotechnology has been touted as the next ‘industrial revolution’ of our modern age. In order for successful research, development, and social discourses to take place in this field, education research is needed to inform the development of standards, course development, and workforce preparation.
In addition, there is a growing need to educate citizens and students about risks, benefits, and social and ethical issues related to nanotechnology and research on this area are becoming more and more popular every day. The emerging field of nanoscience and nanotechnology is leading to a technological revolution in the new millennium. The application of nanotechnology has enormous potential to greatly influence the world in which we live. From consumer goods, electronics, computers, information and biotechnology, to aerospace defense, energy, environment, and medicine, all sectors of the economy are to be profoundly impacted by nanotechnology. In the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan, several research initiatives have been undertaken both by government and members of the private sector to intensify the research and development in nanotechnology. [1] Hundreds of millions of dollars have been committed. Research and development in nanotechnology is likely to change the traditional practices of design, analysis, and manufacturing for a wide range of engineering products. This impact creates a challenge for the academic community to educate engineering students with the necessary knowledge, understanding, and skills to interact and provide leadership in the emerging world of nanotechnology. [2] Nanotechnology deals with materials, devices, and their applications, in areas such as engineered materialselectronics, computers, sensors, actuators, and machines, at the nano length-scale. Atoms and molecules, or extended atomic or molecular structures, are considered to be the basic units, or building-blocks, of fabricating future generations of electronic devices, and materials. At the nano-meter length scales, many diverse enabling disciplines and associated technologies start to merge, because these are derived from the rather similar properties of the atomic- or molecular- level building blocks. For example, on the one hand, the DNA molecular strands are these days proposed as the self-assembling templates for bio-sensors and detectors, molecular electronics, and as the building blocks of all biological materials. On the other hand, some synthetic inorganic materials, such as carbon, boron-nitride or other nanotubes or nanowires, may also have similar functionalities in some respects, but could also be exceptionally strong and stiff materials. The crosscorrelation and fertilization among the many constituent disciplines, as enabling technologies for molecular nanotechnology, are thus essential for an accelerated development. Researches and developments in nanotechnology will change the traditional practices of design, analysis, and manufacturing for a wide range of engineering products. This impact creates a challenge for the academic community to educate students with the necessary knowledge, understanding, and skills to interact the unique risks, benefits and ethics of these unusual technological applications are described in relation to nanoeducation goals. Finally, we outline needed future research in the areas of nanoscience content, standards and curricula, nanoscience pedagogy, teacher education, and the risks, benefits, and social and ethical dimensions for education in this emerging field.
In addition, there is a growing need to educate citizens and students about risks, benefits, and social and ethical issues related to nanotechnology and research on this area are becoming more and more popular every day. The emerging field of nanoscience and nanotechnology is leading to a technological revolution in the new millennium. The application of nanotechnology has enormous potential to greatly influence the world in which we live. From consumer goods, electronics, computers, information and biotechnology, to aerospace defense, energy, environment, and medicine, all sectors of the economy are to be profoundly impacted by nanotechnology. In the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan, several research initiatives have been undertaken both by government and members of the private sector to intensify the research and development in nanotechnology. [1] Hundreds of millions of dollars have been committed. Research and development in nanotechnology is likely to change the traditional practices of design, analysis, and manufacturing for a wide range of engineering products. This impact creates a challenge for the academic community to educate engineering students with the necessary knowledge, understanding, and skills to interact and provide leadership in the emerging world of nanotechnology. [2] Nanotechnology deals with materials, devices, and their applications, in areas such as engineered materialselectronics, computers, sensors, actuators, and machines, at the nano length-scale. Atoms and molecules, or extended atomic or molecular structures, are considered to be the basic units, or building-blocks, of fabricating future generations of electronic devices, and materials. At the nano-meter length scales, many diverse enabling disciplines and associated technologies start to merge, because these are derived from the rather similar properties of the atomic- or molecular- level building blocks. For example, on the one hand, the DNA molecular strands are these days proposed as the self-assembling templates for bio-sensors and detectors, molecular electronics, and as the building blocks of all biological materials. On the other hand, some synthetic inorganic materials, such as carbon, boron-nitride or other nanotubes or nanowires, may also have similar functionalities in some respects, but could also be exceptionally strong and stiff materials. The crosscorrelation and fertilization among the many constituent disciplines, as enabling technologies for molecular nanotechnology, are thus essential for an accelerated development. Researches and developments in nanotechnology will change the traditional practices of design, analysis, and manufacturing for a wide range of engineering products. This impact creates a challenge for the academic community to educate students with the necessary knowledge, understanding, and skills to interact the unique risks, benefits and ethics of these unusual technological applications are described in relation to nanoeducation goals. Finally, we outline needed future research in the areas of nanoscience content, standards and curricula, nanoscience pedagogy, teacher education, and the risks, benefits, and social and ethical dimensions for education in this emerging field.