Teaching Nanotechnology through Research Proposals

Abstract

Nanotechnology has made a huge impact on science, technology, and society. At the same time, educational institutions at all levels have recognized its relevance and introduced courses that aim at familiarizing their students with the basic concepts of nanotechnology. While the importance of teaching nanotechnology, the contents of such courses, and insightful activities in the laboratory have received a lot of attention, the classroom activities that help students grasp the concepts of nanotechnology have been rather underrepresented, especially in higher education. Here, we describe a student activity that focuses on a research proposal as part of a third-year undergraduate nanotechnology course for chemistry majors. Students work in pairs to review a relevant and contemporary topic in nanotechnology and to propose and develop an original research idea. This is presented and defended in the form of an oral presentation before an audience of peers and is written using an article template. The aim of the described approach is to not only help students learn about nanotechnology in a fun and active manner but also to stimulate critical scientific thinking in students as well as to foster the development of their academic, professional, and soft skills. In line with this, the assessment of students relies on the assessment of the oral presentation, engagement in discussion, and the written research proposal.

Room Temperature Surfactant-Free Syntheses of Gold Nanoparticles in Alkaline Mixtures of Water and Alcohols: A Model System to Introduce Nanotechnology and Green Chemistry to Future Chemists and Engineers

“…To assess the understanding of the students, a report of ca. 10− 15 pages for each part was required following the guidelines provided in SI-IIa with the structure (1) Introduction, (2) Materials and Methods, (3) Results and Discussion, and (4) Conclusion. This written evaluation guided by specific questions (SI-IIa) ensures that the students get the right understanding of the phenomena at stake.…”

“…Nanotechnology and Green Chemistry have become important topics of education at conceptual and practical levels. The importance of Nanotechnology is largely addressed with numerous teaching materials already available. , In particular, the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is a textbook example of designed synthesis of nanomaterials. , Since AuNPs are relatively easily synthesized by students, , numerous educational materials use gold to illustrate and teach various concepts and techniques related to chemistry and material science. − Indeed, the size-dependent optical properties of nanosized gold materials make them ideal tools to illustrate the different properties of a same element at the nanoscale or in the bulk . In parallel, Green Chemistry has been largely stressed as a key component in the training of the next generation of chemists, engineers and material scientists. , Here as well, the synthesis of AuNPs is a useful case study since the reduction of gold complexes to nanoparticles can be performed in a range of approaches with a range of chemicals. ,− While the need for improved educational materials and courses to teach Nanotechnology and/or Green Chemistry has been stressed and addressed over the years, recent reports show that there is still room for improvement …”

“…The importance of Nanotechnology is largely addressed with numerous teaching materials already available. 1,2 In particular, the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is a textbook example of designed synthesis of nanomaterials. 1,3 Since AuNPs are relatively easily synthesized by students, 4,5 numerous educational materials use gold to illustrate and teach various concepts and techniques related to chemistry and material science.…”

Training Tomorrow’s Scientists: Embedding Professional Skills in the Physical Chemistry Curriculum with a Guided Grant and Laboratory Project

“…The ability to sell or influence others is a desirable skill according to employers, and grant proposal activities are appropriate parallels for the field of chemistry. Recently, there has been a push to bring persuasive writing into the chemistry curriculum through grant-writing activities. − These activities provide opportunities to practice persuasive writing, but they lack the follow-through of actually carrying out the proposal. Allowing students to pick a project that interests them, and providing them with the agency for their proposals, adds value to their projects.…”

Integrating A Structured Research Proposal into An Undergraduate Glycobiology Class

“…Peer review is an important source of growth and has been discussed in prior papers in this Journal and others. ,,,− Additionally, two-way communication between author and reviewer in these workshops can be useful to student learning . The first two times this glycoconjugates course was offered at UMN Morris, the students and the faculty member participated in an in-person round-robin-style discussion of each student’s rough draft.…”