National Center for Learning & Teaching (NCLT)

Enhancing Undergraduate Students’ Nano-literacy through an Instructional Module

This project examines the impact of an introductory nanotechnology unit on undergraduates' perception of and attitude towards nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Drane, D., Chen, K., & Swarat, S. (2008). Enhancing undergraduate students’ nano-literacy through an instructional module. Paper presented at the National Association of Research in Science Teaching Annual Conference, Baltimore, MD.

Drane, D., Swarat, S., Hersam, M., Light, G., & Mason, T. (2009).  An evaluation of the efficacy and transferability of a nanoscience module. Journal of Nano Education,1,(1) 8-14. (Link to publisher website)

Enhancing Undergraduate Students’ Nano-literacy through an Instructional Module

In this project, we examined the effect of a nanotechnology unit on undergraduates' knowledge of and attitudes toward nanotechnology. 69 undergraduates in a materials science course for non-majors completed a 24-item survey on their self-perception of their knowledge about and attitudes toward nanotechnology. The survey was administered before and after the 3-hour introductory nanotechnology unit.

Knowledge and attitude scores were created for each student by summing knowledge and attitude item scores. Analysis of pre-test scores revealed a small, statistically significant, positive correlation between perceived knowledge about nanotechnology and attitudes towards nanotechnology. Students' knowledge scores increased significantly from pre-test to post-test. Although their attitudes towards nanotechnology were positive, there was no statistically significant increase in student' attitudinal scores.