Advanced Technology Scenario Based Nanotechnician Training

Foothill-De Anza Community College is developing an advanced specialized nanoengineering program focusing on the application of fundamental nanoscience principles to the design, engineering and fabrication of new materials. The curriculum also provides technicians with specialized laboratory skills necessary for the characterization of materials. The curriculum utilizes a scenario based learning model, which has been shown to improve student learning in the institution's other programs, in combination with the Processing, Nanostructure, Properties and Applications (PNPA) rubric developed by the NSF funded National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NCLT). The core of the program is four new courses, Introduction to Nanotechnology, Nanostructures and Nanomaterials, Characterization of Nanomaterials, and Nanofabrication Techniques. The program concludes with a ten-week internship at one of several partnering nanotechnology companies. The courses are designed to support the student learning outcomes of the overall program. The course materials developed in this project are being disseminated in both HTML and ETUDES-NG formats through the Nanotechnology Wikibooks project. Workshops to educate community college faculty about the course materials and the PNPA rubric are being held at NCLT and Penn State University. The project includes a rigorous assessment and evaluation plan led by the Stanford Research Institute.