Larger Funded Research Initiatives

National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering

The National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NCLT) is a partnership among 11 institutions, focusing on learning and teaching through inquiry and design of nanoscale materials and applications.

The Searle Center's NCLT team runs research projects within three broad areas:

Developing Assessment Items for Assessing Student Understanding

• Applying Construct-Centered Design to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Development in Nanoscale Science and Engineering

Student Conceptions in Nanoscience

• Identifying Nanoscience Threshold Concepts
• Student Understanding of Surface-Area–to–Volume Ratio
• Atomic Structure as a Threshold Concept
• Student Understanding of Size and Scale

Instructional Development in Nanoscience

• A Rubric for Post-Secondary Degree Programs in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
• Enhancing Undergraduate Students' Nano-literacy Through an Instructional Module