National Center for Learning & Teaching (NCLT)

A Rubric for Post-secondary Degree Programs in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

In this project, we are proposing the "P-N-P-A" (Processing-Nanostructure-Properties-Application) framework to be used in nanoscale curricula as a critical tool for program and course construction and evaluation in higher education.

Wansom, S., Mason, T., Hersam, M., Drane, D., Light, G.,Cormia, R., Stevens, S., & Bodner, G. (2009). A rubric for post-secondary degree programs in nanoscience and nanotechnology. International Journal of Engineering Education,25(3), 615-627. Link to publisher website.

.

A Rubric for Post-secondary Degree Programs in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Based upon a set of "big ideas" identified by recent NCLT workshops and a resulting study report, a broad curricular framework has been developed for degree programs in nanoscale science and engineering (NSE). The framework is built around four essential areas in NSE: Processing (how nano-entities are fabricated), Nanostructure (how the structure of nano-entities can be imaged and characterized), Properties ( the resulting size-dependent and surface-related properties of nanostructured materials/devices), and Applications ( how nanomaterials and nanodevices can be designed and engineered for the benefit of society), or "P-N-P-A".

We argue, based on an analysis of emerging NSE degree programs in the U.S., that improvements need to be made in the programmatic balance among the P-N-P-A nodes, with particular attention being paid to essential features such as the interdisciplinarity of NSE and its societal impact (ethics, safety, and so on). A significant challenge for achieving programmatic balance is providing students access to advanced instrumentation, which is an essential element for student mastery of the "nanostructure" area.