| NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | May 6, 2013 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 9, 2015 |
| Award Number: | 1304016 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Heather Watson
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | July 1, 2013 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2018 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $820,583.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $820,583.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2014 = $229,493.00 FY 2015 = $216,811.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1600 E GOLF RD DES PLAINES IL US 60016-1256 (847)376-7099 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
4901 Searle Parkway Skokie IL US 60077-5313 |
| Primary Place of Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Advanced Tech Education Prog |
| Primary Program Source: |
04001415DB NSF Education & Human Resource 04001516DB NSF Education & Human Resource |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
The project is to use remote technology in real-time to enhance nanotechnology education and training, with a goal to accelerate exposure of students in grades 10-14 to the nanotechnology field and to potential careers as nanotechnicians. The project promotes the use of remote technology and nanotechnology education in community colleges and high schools throughout Illinois by focusing on the following key activities: 1) training faculty to use lab and remote technology that permits real-time experimentation when they return to their own institutions, 2) developing and implementing new nanotechnology curriculum and labs in existing STEM courses, 3) encouraging the formation of nanotechnology 2+2 partnerships across the state, and 4) evaluating the effects of the new curriculum and labs on the outcomes of interest.
The remote technology has the potential to be transformative in bringing previously unavailable pedagogy into more classrooms. Exposure to nanotechnology at the high school and community college level encourages more students to explore the field in subsequent post-secondary education. The program design is based on proven models and involves participants in a statewide partnership that enhances collaboration and scientific inquiry. Collaboration with the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition and IL STEM Learning Exchange ensures outreach to traditionally underserved institutions and the program design makes it easily accessible to colleges and schools throughout the region.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
During this project’s four years of training workshops 72 individuals were trained to use basic nanotechnology laboratory instrumentation including scanning electron microscopes, atomic force microscopes, fluorescence microscopes, q-nano particle characterization devices, dip-pen nano-lithography, nanoparticle synthesizing, and other equipment related to spectroscopic and biological techniques.
Over 40% of those who were trained have incorporated nanotechnology concepts and activities into their teaching curriculum at either the high school or community college level while approximately 35% completed the requirements for three hours of graduate credit through a partnership with Aurora University in Aurora Illinois.
27% of those who developed a nanotechnology activity to infuse into their curriculum have accessed the project’s nanotechnology laboratory by remote access during their class sessions and almost 35% have brought their students to the lab for hands-on activities. Over 20 class sessions at local high schools and community colleges have interacted with the lab resulting in exposing over 400 students to nanotechnology concepts and instrumentation.
Throughout the grant, the program hosted annual conferences that invited high school and community college faculty to share resources that they had developed in support of their lesson plans and further promoted curricular development in this area. Many of these activities were held in collaboration with the NSF funded Nano-Link Center for Nanotechnology Education (nano-link.org).
The lab will continue to engage with faculty at various institutions to enable both remote and hands-on access to the instrumentation with the hope that nanotechnology will become a fixed part of the high school and community college curriculum.
Last Modified: 09/21/2018
Modified by: John Carzoli
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