Developing an E-book and Other Interactive Instructional Materials for Technician Education in Vacuum Technology

该项目将开发一种支持真空技术教育的电子教科书(电子书)。真空技术是许多行业的关键和使能技术，半导体制造业是最大的行业之一。根据半导体行业协会2019年的报告，全球半导体行业是全球经济中的关键增长部门，2018年美国半导体行业占全球市场份额的近一半。2018年，美国半导体行业销售额超过2000亿美元，该行业直接就业人数超过24.1万人。目前，一批社区大学正在为美国半导体行业培养制造技术人员。对于社区大学来说，为这个行业培养技术人员是一项挑战，特别是在真空技术等复杂技术领域。其中一个挑战是寻找技术员级别的教科书和装备学习环境，以促进行业所需技能的发展。预计电子书将通过其文本及其相关的动画、教程、视频演示和互动评估来满足这一需求。该项目将把大卫·M·哈塔的文本《真空技术导论》的前四章转化为一本现代电子书。这种形式将增加学生和在职工人获得真空技术教学资源的机会。此外，该项目将开发一份实验室指南，帮助社区大学教师为他们的学生开发动手学习环境。本实验室指南将介绍实施真空培训系统的选项，以及实验室实验的设备设置和操作的视频演示。所有材料将在伊利社区学院、诺曼代尔社区学院和其他合作学院进行课堂测试。伊利社区学院和诺曼代尔社区学院将通过知识共享许可许可电子书和相关资源，并在专业协会真空涂层协会和真空设备供应商Lesker，Inc.的帮助下传播它。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will develop an electronic textbook (E-book) to support vacuum technology education. Vacuum technology is a critical, enabling technology for many industries, with semiconductor manufacturing being one of the largest. According to the 2019 report from the Semiconductor Industry Association, the global semiconductor industry is a key growth sector in the global economy, with the US semiconductor industry accounting for almost half the global market share in 2018. US-based industry semiconductor sales exceeded $200 billion in 2018 and the industry employs over 241,000 direct jobs. Currently, a cohort of community colleges prepares manufacturing technicians for the US semiconductor industry. Preparing technicians for this industry is a challenge for community colleges especially in complex technologies such as vacuum technology. One of the challenges is finding technician-level textbooks and equipping learning environments that facilitate the development of industry-needed skills. The E-book is expected to fill this need through its text and its associated animations, tutorials, video demonstrations, and interactive assessments.This project will convert the first four chapters of the text "Introduction to Vacuum Technology" by David M. Hata into a modern electronic book. This format will increase access to vacuum technology instructional resources for both students and incumbent workers. In addition, the project will develop a laboratory guide to help community college instructors develop hands-on learning environments for their students. This laboratory guide will present options for implementing vacuum training systems, along with video demonstrations of equipment set-up and operation for laboratory experiments. All materials will be classroom-tested at Erie Community College, Normandale Community College, and other partner colleges. Erie Community College and Normandale Community College will license the e-book and associated resources through a Creative Commons license, and disseminate it with help of The Society of Vacuum Coaters, a professional society, and Lesker, Inc., a vacuum equipment supplier. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.