Addressing the social context of nanotechnology in the classroom

In recent years, nanotechnology has emerged as an exciting new arena of scientific research and technological innovation. At the same time, prominent technology leaders, nanotechnology boosters, science fiction authors, policy officials, and environmental organizations have raised important questions about the technology's potential social, ethical, and environmental implications. We have developed several teaching modules and two full courses that offer students from engineering as well as other disciplines an opportunity to engage in discussions about the broader place of new technologies in modern society. Our nanotechnology and society educational materials range from short teaching modules exploring the impact of a new technology on different social groups using a role-playing exercise, to two complete courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels that focus on theories and approaches to understanding the social dimensions of technology, applied to the case study of nanotechnology. The courses have drawn students from a wide range of disciplines, including the life, physical, and social sciences, humanities, and engineering.