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.