Development of nanoconcept inventories: A big task!

CHED 367

Alan K. Szeto, aszeto@purdue.edu1, Clara S. Cahill, claracah@umich.edu2, Nathan A. Unterman, nunterman@glenbrook.k12.il.us3, Lincoln J. Lauhon, lauhon@northwestern.edu4, Gregory Light5, Denise L. Drane5, George M. Bodner, gmbodner@purdue.edu1, Joseph S. Krajcik, krajcik@umich.edu2, and Eric A. Hagedorn, ehagedorn@utep.edu6. (1) Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (2) School of Education, University of Michigan, 610 E. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, (3) Science Department, Glenbrook North High School, 2300 Shermer Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-6700, (4) Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 3019 Cook Hall, Evanston, IL 60208, (5) Searle Center for Teaching Excellence, Northwestern University, 627 Dartmouth Place, Evanston, IL 60208, (6) Department of Physics, University of Texas, El Paso, 500 W. University Dr, El Paso, TX 79968
What is a concept inventory? What purposes can it be developed to serve? What should a nano concept inventory assess, and how are those concepts unique to nanoscience and engineering? The National Center for Learning and Teaching (NCLT) in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NSE) has taken significant steps in developing a collection of nano concept inventories for high school and undergraduate students. These concept inventories cover the key ideas in NSE, as identified by a work circle consisting of nanoscientists, nanoengineers, and nanoeducators from multiple institutions under NCLT. In this presentation, we will suggest answers to the questions we raised above and describe our process and progress in developing and testing our nano concept inventories.
 

Research in Chemical Education
8:30 AM-12:15 PM, Tuesday, August 21, 2007 Seaport -- Constitution Room, Oral

Division of Chemical Education

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007