In an effort to convey the excitement and opportunities surrounding this discipline to senior undergraduate students and junior graduate students, nanotechnology engineering course employing the nontraditional pedagogical practices of collaborative group learning, interdisciplinary

In an effort to aid other instructors who are interested in developing nanotechnology courses, list of course resources has been supplied in Appendix This paper examines the unique challenges facing educators in this dynamic, emerging field and describes an approach for the design of nanotechnology engineering course developed specifically addresses these controversies through group activities that require students to perform critical evaluations of nanotechnology issues. Consequently, students seeking nanotechnology careers must also learn to critically evaluate current research and advances in nanotechnology to determine validity and rigor in todays scientific community.

Clinton announced the National Nanotechnology Initiative NNI to the public in Consequently, educators have begun to organize engineering courses and curricula designed to tram this new workforce For example, contradictory articles published in recent special issue of Scientific American on nanotechnology illustrate the controversial nature of ongoing nanotechnology research. The preponderance of misinformation in popular sources of nanotechnology information has also led to significant misconceptions among students and the general public.

The NNI provides funds to diverse range of federal funding agencies including the National Science Foundation estimates that million workers will be needed worldwide in nanotechnology in 1015 years In an effort to convey the excitement and opportunities surrounding this discipline to senior undergraduate students and junior graduate students, nanotechnology engineering course at Northwestern University.

just as professionals are called upon to evaluate one another through peer review, this course uses peer assessment for assigned group activities so that students have the opportunity to critically evaluate current research and advances in nanotechnology to determine validity and rigor in todays scientific community.

Nanotechnology is an inherently interdisciplinary field that has generated significant scientific and engineering interest in recent years. The preponderance of misinformation in popular sources of nanotechnology information has also led to significant misconceptions among students and the general public. For those students who are interested in developing nanotechnology courses, list of course resources has been supplied in Appendix In an effort to convey the excitement and opportunities surrounding this discipline to senior undergraduate students and junior graduate students, nanotechnology engineering course at Northwestern University.

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