Fig. 1: The remote PC interface during a Zoom conference for a real-time remote lab session. Students can control the tools and processes, while viewing a live feed of the tool in action.
The University of Iowa Microfabrication Facility (UIMF) launched an online course in Micro and Nanofabrication in the fall of 2017, enabled by an Innovation in Teaching Technology Award. The topics of this multi-disciplinary course deal with the fundamentals of micro- and nano-fabrication techniques involved in the manufacture of a wide range of miniature devices with applications in areas as diverse as computing, communications, energy, medicine, genomics and bio-medical. This endeavor will enable students from various colleges and universities and working professionals to remotely access and receive training on several state-of-the-art nanotechnology instruments. The key component in this course is the real-time and remote lab sessions in cleanroom environments designed to provide a more interactive and immersive experience for students.
Students in this course are able to see the tools in action after remotely activating various steps and processes using the tool user interface via a Zoom video conferencing session (e. Fig. 1), assisted by a lab instructor, including the remote operation of a separate high-definition camera (Fig. 2). This experience fully engages the students and deliver an excellent learning and participatory experience. Some quotes from current students in the online nanotechnology course:
Fig. 2: A snapshot of a live real-time, remote lab session showing the lab instructor in the cleanroom, including the high definition camera, too, and tool PC interface that are remotely controlled by students.
“This online course is a great introduction to the theory and practical applications of nanofabrication. Innovation at its finest where you can do a portion of the lab remotely.” Krissy Do, Development Engineer, California Nano Systems Institute, UCLA
“The interactive remote labs are an excellent method to reinforce the lectures and textbook.” Bill Tollefson, Principal System Engineer, Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids
The exposure of students at every educational level from schools, colleges to universities and working professionals to various stat-of-the-art nanotechnology equipment will inspire and spark their interest to initiate or continue their education in this multidisciplinary field. The new UI online course in nanotechnology with real-time and remote labs aims at contributing towards a strong nanotechnology workforce that will lead to transformational knowledge and technologies of the future. (Full version of this article)
