Didactic reconstruction of nanoscience

1 Initial situation and aims of the project

The field of "nanoscience" is increasingly being discussed both in specialised science (cf. Buchal, 2005) and in the media. Industry and politics support the development of an independent branch of science and are trying to establish the term "nanotechnology". However, an initial analysis of scientific and grey literature (e.g. advertising brochures) shows that "nano" is not uniformly defined. In general, it refers to functional surface structures between one and one hundred nanometres in size. Nanoscience is therefore concerned with the investigation, production and application of these functional structures. In the transition region between individual atoms or molecules and larger units of atoms or molecules, phenomena occur that cannot be observed on macroscopic objects (cf. BMBF, 2002). There are currently many approaches to integrating nanoscience (or nanophysics) into degree programmes in physics, chemistry, biology, electrical engineering, materials science or microsystems technology. A number of universities and universities of applied sciences offer degree programmes in the field of "nanoscience" in their curricula. Initial efforts are also being made to develop nanoscience lessons for general education schools (e.g. the "Nano-4-Schools" project in Switzerland). However, there is little discussion and therefore no clarification as to which objectives of science lessons, especially physics lessons, can be achieved by teaching about nanoscience. It is assumed that insights into modern natural sciences can be imparted by dealing with what appears to be an attractive and topical field of research. In a study by Hackl et al. (2006), pupils' interest in modern science topics was surveyed. In addition to nanotechnology, the fields of genetic engineering and biotechnology were also put up for discussion. The interest of 482 pupils in grades 8, 9 and 10 from grammar schools in Kiel was analysed by means of a questionnaire. As a result, the students' interest in the three topics is quite high; 82% of those surveyed expressed a desire to learn about genetic engineering in class, 75% would like to learn about biotechnology in class and 77% about nanotechnology. The project systematically investigates the basic concepts of the interdisciplinary scientific field of nanoscience and which areas of modern natural sciences they can be assigned to (e.g. solid state physics and chemistry, materials science, microelectronics). It should also be clarified which of these concepts should be taught against the background of generally accepted or required objectives of science teaching. This includes the educational standards as a reference. Finally, it will be empirically investigated which of the concepts, principles and methods recognised as central and worth teaching can be learned by pupils. The latter presupposes knowledge of pupils' perceptions of "nanophenomena" and concepts.

2 Didactic reconstruction of nanoscience

The objectives outlined correspond to the tasks of didactic reconstruction (cf. Kattmann et al., 1997; cf. Fig. 1 from Komorek, 2006). The compulsory questions relating to the content of nano¬science are therefore as follows:

Mandatory questions for analysing the subject structure

• What specialised statements, concepts and theories exist in the field of nanoscience and what are their limits? Which methods of investigating and manipulating nano-objects are central?
• To what extent is nanophysics an independent branch of physics (i.e. is a separate branch of research based solely on the study of phenomena of a certain size range)?
• Where are nanoscience findings applied across borders (chemistry, materials science, solid state physics, bionics, ...)?
• What is the genesis, function and significance of these specialised nanoscience concepts in which contexts (e.g. nanotechnology, everyday life (e.g. surface coatings))?






Fig.1 Model of didactic reconstruction

• What function do they have in physics or technology? What significance do they have in the contexts of technology, everyday life, society, research, ...?
• What terms are used in nanoscience? To what extent do they hinder learning due to their meaning in everyday language?

• Which scientific-theoretical and epistemological positions underlie certain representations of the factual structure of nanoscience?
• Which fields of research and which fields of application are affected by the findings of nanoscience?
• What are the historical roots of nanoscience research in the 20th century or earlier? (E.g. ideas about miniaturisation (Isaac Asimov); science <--> science fiction)
• What goals of physics teaching can nanoscience lessons achieve (see above)?
• How can the area be elementarised in the sense of Bleichroth (1991) (1. simplification, 2. reduction to the elementary, the exemplary, 3. decomposition into methodical elements)?

Central questions of the empirical studies

• What opportunities do pupils have to learn the concepts of nanoscience?
• What ideas about nanoscience do pupils develop in relation to subject-relevant phenomena (e.g. lotus effect) and subject-related concepts (surface tension of liquid in connection with unevenness in the nanoscale)?
• What ideas (terms, concepts, figures of thought, schemes) of nanoscience do students use in subject-related contexts? What relationships exist between their ideas?
• How do the students' ideas correspond to scientific ideas in the field of nanoscience?
• What ideas do the students have about the structure of the scientific field of nanoscience, its theorisation and its methods?

Central questions on didactic structuring and lesson planning

• How can learning paths be planned from the students' pre-teaching ideas to the scientific ideas in the field of nanophysics?
• What guidelines for teaching can be formulated?
• How can lessons on nanophenomena and nanoscience be designed?

3 Analytical, empirical and constructive work

The analytical and empirical tasks of a didactic reconstruction of nanoscience are currently being worked on:

• Analysing the factual structure

  Currently, specialised literature (textbooks and research articles), textbooks and information publications (e.g. BMBF, 2002) are being analysed. Historical and other sources are also being analysed.

• Analysing didactic efforts to teach nanoscience

  Approaches such as those undertaken by the "Nano-4-Schools" project, the "Nanotruck" travelling around the country, various teaching materials from industry for schools on the subject or, for example, the "Nanokoffer" with student experiments, are currently being analysed from a didactic point of view. The reference points for this are the obligatory questions of didactic reconstruction.

• Empirical studies

  The first conceptualisation studies on nanoscience are currently taking place. These are analysing the perceptions that pupils in grades 9 to 12 have of nanoscience, its methods and applications. Learning process and classroom studies are planned:

1. Conducting a so-called teaching experiment study in which groups of three to four students are interviewed along a series of phenomena or experiments. The survey of ideas and the study of the learning process go hand in hand. A teaching experiment can be compared with the problem-centred interview according to Lamnek and also with the critical interview according to Piaget. The advantage of such a study lies in the good controllability of the processes and the relative flexibility.

2. A teaching concept for the school is developed and trialled together with experienced teachers, whereby the processes involved and the success of the lessons are evaluated. The advantage of such a study lies in its proximity to real lessons.

• Guidelines for teaching

In both cases, guidelines for the study/lesson planning are first developed, incorporating the results of the subject structure analysis and initial empirical studies. This may be based on an initial structuring by Hackl et al. (2006), who suggest as a possible guideline for planning lessons on nanoscience the orientation towards people who deal with nanoscience in different ways, namely

1. as an observer who understands nanophenomena, develops models, e.g. for surfaces of solids, uses methods of observation (light microscope, electron microscope, scanning tunnelling microscope);

2. as a manipulator who implements the findings of observation (e.g. in genetic engineering, which also takes place at the nanoscale);

3. as a "creator" who implements the findings of observation and manipulation (e.g. when developing new surfaces with new properties); the opportunities and risks of technological development play a role here.

Literature

Kattmann, U., Duit, R., Gropengießer, H. & Komorek, M. (1997) The model of didactic reconstruction. ZfDN 3, 3-18. BMBF (2002). Nanotechnology in Germany, Bonn/Berlin. Buchal, Ch. (2005). Fascination nanoworlds. Centre of Nanoelectronic Systems, Jülich. Komorek, M. (2006). Teaching and learning non-linear physics - a didactic reconstruction. Habilitation thesis. Kiel. Hackl R. & Mikelskis-Seifert, S. (2006). Nano-Science: Structure development for teaching. CD for the annual conference of the DPG in Kassel. Bleichroth, W. (1991). Elementarisation as the core of lesson preparation. NiU 39, 4-11.

• 31.01.2007 Lecture at the colloquium "Nanophysics in the classroom"
• 02 - 05 Nov 2006 German Women Physicists' Conference in Berlin
• 25-26 October 2006 Doctoral colloquium of the GDCP in Bad Zwischenahn Subject area: Didactics of chemistry and physics
• 25-26 July 2006 Workshop as part of ProDid in Steinkimmen
• 11.10.2005 Advanced training seminar in Braunschweig at National Instruments "High-end measuring devices cost-effective and easy to integrate - PC-based oscilloscopes, function generators, digital multimeters $ Co"
• 08 - 09 December 2005 Training course in Hamburg at National Instruments "Labview Advanced Programming"
• 25-26 August 2005 Training course in Munich at National Instruments "Labview Basics 2"
• 27-29 June 2005 Training course in Munich at National Instruments "Labview Basics 1"
• 29-30 April 2005 Congress "Virtual Instruments in Practice -VIP 2005" Veranstaltungsforum Fürstenfeld near Munich National Instrument.

Other fields of activity

01.2005-01.2006 Project collaborator in the research project "Development of a local network for carrying out selected physics experiments" Subject area: Computing Science didactics/physics didacticsProject leader: Prof. Eberhard Schwarzer; Dr Walter Franzbecker.09.2004-03.2006 Participant in the project "Play, fun and physics" Subject area: Physics didactics Project leader: Dr Roland Hermann.