Teaching nanotechnology in STEM education for enhancing tudent engagement and comprehension based on active learning strategies

Nanotechnology incorporated into STEM education shows tremendous potential for active learning centered on students. This paper provides an exploration into three active learning applications involving problem-based learning, collaborative projects, and hands-on experiments for effective teaching of the concept of nanotechnology. By focusing on the effective use of student-centered methods, it is possible to provide an interactive environment that triggers curiosity and a deeper understanding of science at the nanoscale. In this process, active learning techniques for nanotechnology education will be matched and then analyzed for their outcomes in terms of students' participation, retention, and the development of critical thinking. Furthermore, faculty and student feedback are discussed regarding the benefit and challenges of adopting active learning. These results suggest that active learning enhances students' interest and increases the depth of understanding in complex concepts pertaining to nanotechnology, therefore enriching an active learning pedagogic practice in a STEM-related curriculum. This study provides evidence contributing toward the development of instructional strategies aimed at enhancing meaningful learning in rapidly evolving fields like that of nanotechnology.