New Perspectives in Science Education

Between 2000 and 2010 the number of German high school students participating in student exchange programs increased from roughly 12.000 students in 2000 to approximately 20.000 scholars in 2010. In the following years a slight decrease was reported due to the transition from 13 to 12 years of school education in some of the federal states. Confronted with an increasing workload, students and parents are reevaluating the benefits of conventional exchange programs, leaning towards shorter stays abroad.[1]

At the same time surveys show that 94 % of former exchange students are rating their experiences as extremely helpful or rather helpful for their academic life and 80 % of the students whose exchange programs date back seven years or longer have lived abroad again, the main reasons being internships and university exchange programs.[1] With the importance of the English language as the lingua franca for scientific communication and the international labor market for scholars and scientists growing annually, the demand for students with international experience is increasing, too.[2]

Independently, research efforts regarding advancements in the field of nanotechnology are continually increasing, while nanotechnology has been named one of the key technologies of the 21^st century. As such, the U.S. government, the European Union as well as several smaller countries developed and implemented strategic plans for the promotion of nanoscience education, albeit most efforts were made at the graduate and PhD level.[3,4]

The Nano School Lab (NSL) is an effort to close the gap between decreasing numbers of students staying abroad and increasing demands for qualified and internationally experienced scientists with a background in nanotechnology. Within this contribution we present a NSL during which students between the ages of 15 and 20 will get the opportunity to gain insight into recent research efforts in nanotechnology. Among others, the course topics covered will include the fabrication and application of nanomaterials as well as the connection between nanoscience and society.

References

[1] M. Weichbrodt (2013). Ein Leben lang mobil? - Langfristige Schüleraustauschprogramme und die spätere Mobilität der Teilnehmer als Element gesellschaftlicher Transnationalisierung, MV Wissenschaft, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. [2] P. G. Altbach, J.Knight (2007). The Internationalization of Higher Education: Motivations and Realities. Journal of Studies in International Education 11, 290. [3] National Science and Technology Council; Committee on Technology; Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science (ed.) (2004). National Nanotechnology Initiative. Strategic Plan. Online: http://nano.gov/sites/default/files/pub_resource/2011_strategic_plan.pdf, accessed: 11.01.16. [4] European Commission (ed.) (2005). Nanosciences and nanotechnologies: An action plan for Europe 2005-2009. Online: https://ec.europa.eu/research/industrial_technologies/pdf/policy/action_ plan_brochure_en.pdf, accessed: 11.01.2016