Nanotechnology Professional Development Partnership: A Web-Based, Live-Streaming Approach for Optimizing Impact, Effectiveness, and Cost

拥有纳米技术的工人正迅速成为经济发展的关键。因此，社区和技术学院越来越多地开设纳米技术课程。对于这些教授纳米技术的教师来说，加强、发展和不断更新他们的知识是很重要的。专业发展项目对这些教育工作者至关重要；然而，面对面和“物理”实践研讨会是昂贵的，并且有时间限制，这使得许多教育工作者无法参加。为了解决这个问题，宾夕法尼亚州立大学的纳米技术教育和利用中心将与社区和技术学院合作，形成纳米技术专业发展伙伴关系（NPDP），并开发一个实时流媒体研讨会项目模型，其中课程和实验室培训以非常低的成本以网络形式提供。这种研讨会模式将实现直接互动，教师在其工作地点的参与，以及移动参与者的出勤灵活性。从这个项目中获得的资源和最佳实践将在全国范围内共享。该项目将增加各种机构的纳米技术教育工作者获得专业发展的机会，帮助加强教育工作者队伍，并随后加强学生和国家纳米技术技术人员队伍的技术准备。宾夕法尼亚州立大学、常青藤技术社区学院（IN）、福赛斯技术社区学院（NC）、伊利社区学院（NY）、北西雅图学院（WA）、亚特兰大技术学院（GA）和西北Vista学院（TX）合作的NPDP目标是开发一个高质量的直播和完全互动的专业发展研讨会模型和资源，并将其应用于纳米技术教育工作者队伍。研讨会将通过Adobe Connect和Zoom网络广播进行。重点将是培训和为教育工作者提供有关纳米制造工艺和工具、纳米技术应用以及安全和洁净室协议的课程材料。讲习班还将包括实验室和洁净室培训，其特点是基于网络的纳米表征工具的远程访问，例如扫描探针显微镜和透射电子显微镜，以及模拟实验和数据分析练习。这种研讨会方法是最佳的，因为它将提供与教师和同行直接和即时的互动方面；在线方面的会话时间和地点的灵活性；以及克服成本和资源方面挑战的能力。工作坊模式将适用于其他STEM领域。该项目将提供新的具有成本效益的方法，使更广泛的纳米技术教育工作者，包括中学教师，更容易获得专业发展和继续教育。

Workers with nanotechnology skills are rapidly becoming a key to economic development. Thus, nanotechnology courses are increasingly offered at community and technical colleges. It is important for these faculty members who teach nanotechnology to enhance, develop, and continually update their knowledge. Professional development programs are essential for these educators; however, face-to-face and "physical" hands-on workshops are expensive and pose time constraints which can make them inaccessible for many of these educators. To address the issue, the Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization at Pennsylvania State University will collaborate with community and technical colleges to form a Nanotechnology Professional Development Partnership (NPDP) and develop a live-streaming workshop program model in which course and laboratory training are delivered in a web-based format at very low cost. This workshop model will enable direct interactions, participation of faculty from their workplace locations, and attendance flexibility for mobile participants. Resources and best practices derived from this project will be shared nationwide. The project will increase access to professional development for nanotechnology educators at a variety of institutions, help to strengthen the educator workforce, and subsequently enhance the technical preparation of students and the nation's nanotechnology technician workforce.The goal of the NPDP collaboration between Pennsylvania State University, Ivy Tech Community College (IN), Forsyth Tech Community College (NC), Erie Community College (NY), North Seattle College (WA), Atlanta Technical College (GA), and Northwest Vista College (TX) will be to develop a quality live-streaming and fully interactive professional development workshop model and resources, and apply it to the nanotechnology educator workforce. The workshops will be delivered via Adobe Connect and Zoom webcasts. The focus will be training and providing course materials for educators on nanofabrication processes and tools, nanotechnology applications, and safety and cleanroom protocols. The workshops will also include laboratory and cleanroom training featuring web-based remote access to nano-characterization tools, such as scanning probe microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, as well as simulated experiments and data analysis exercises. This workshop approach is optimum since it will offer the direct and instantaneous aspects of interaction with instructors and peers; the online aspects of session time and location flexibilities; and the ability to overcome challenges related to cost and resources. The workshop model will be applicable and adaptable to other STEM areas. The project will contribute new cost-effective methods to make professional development and continuing education more readily available to a wider audience of nanotechnology educators, including secondary school teachers.