Scanning Probe Microscopy: Internet Resource Development and Integration into Undergraduate Curriculum

Abstract The Internet has become a very valuable educational resource. It allows a person to be able to reach a very large, diverse audience across the world with ease. With NSF Combined Research-Curriculum Development (CRCD) funding, we have begun to use the Internet as an educational and technical resource for people wanting to learn about Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM). We have set up a web page with informative information for people of all levels of SPM knowledge. We are actively combining SPM research and education into the materials science and engineering undergraduate curriculum. We also use the web page as a way to publish our findings to help other universities integrate SPM into their curriculums. The URL is: http://spm.aif.ncsu.edu The web page is divided into seven main components. Each component has a specific intended audience and purpose. We have designed some components for people who have never heard of SPM and others for people who run SPM labs.