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Final Evaluation Report
The Southwest Center for Microsystems
Education
NSF # 0402651
NSF # 0830384
By:
David M. Hata
SCME External Evaluator
April 8, 2010
2
Final Evaluation and Assessment Report
The Southwest Center for Microsystems Education
NSF # 0402651 and NSF # 0830384
This evaluation report covers the period September 1, 2004, to December 31, 2009. This
time period includes the duration of NSF # 0402651 and NSF # 0830384.
This evaluation report is divided into the following sections:
SCME Mission and Goals
SCME at A-TVI/CNMCC and UNM
SCME Project Leadership
CNM Microsystems Program
Microsystems Technologist Competencies
Faculty Enhancement Workshops
Educational Materials Development
Collaboration with ATE Centers and Projects
Lessons Learned
SCME Mission and Goals
SCME Mission Statement:
“The Southwest Center for Microsystems Education will serve as a sustainable
resource center that identifies Microsystems technologist competencies, creates and
disseminates educational materials and models, and provides professional
development activities to develop a skilled microsystems workforce that can support
research and development and manufacturing environments.”
SCME Goals:
Increase educational capacity to produce technologists skilled in assisting
microsystems research, design, and commercialization activities.
Increase the general public’s awareness of the microsystems industry.
SCME at ATVI/CNMCC and UNM
The Southwest Center for Microsystems Education was established at Albuquerque
Technical Vocational Institute (ATVI) in Albuquerque, NM, on September 1, 2004. Dr.
Matthias Pleil has served as Principal Investigator, and Dr. John E. Wood and Mr. Fabian
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Lopez have served as Co-Principal Investigators since the Centers inception. One Co-
PI’s listed on the original proposal,
Dr. Harry Weaver (UNM, retired), is no longer actively involved in SCME center
activities.
In addition to the PI and Co-PI’s, Sandia National Labs (SNL) provided a center director.
SCME’s first center director, Dr. Al West, served from November, 2004 to December,
2006. Dr. Osborn (SNL) then served as center director from December, 2006, to March,
2008. Currently, the position of center director is unfilled and the duties have been
distributed to the PI, CoPI’s and program specialist.
The Microsystems Technology Program at Central New Mexico Community College
(formerly Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute) served as the educational
foundation for SCME. Both certificate and associate degrees were available to students.
The Microsystems Technology Program will be described in detail later in this report.
Since its 2004 inception at the Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute (ATVI), the
SCME has closely partnered with The University of New Mexico’s College of
Engineering, and the Manufacturing Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Programs
in particular. The history of this close partnership dates back to the mid 1990’s when
ATVI began its Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology program, and in 1998 when
UNM received an ATE Grant, partnering with CNM and five other community colleges
and universities. In early 2006, ATVI changed its name to Central New Mexico
Community College (CNMCC or CNM as it is referred to today).
In April 2007, a pre-proposal was submitted to the National Science Foundation’s
Advanced Technological Education Program. CNM’s administration encouraged Dr.
Pleil to apply for the continuation grant for the Center and gave their approval for
submission of a full proposal the following October.
In 2006, CNM went through a change in administration including the President, VP of
Academic Services, and the Applied Technology Dean. Lacking institutional history and
a commitment to having a NSF-funded, regional ATE center at CNM, the Interim
College Vice President declined to approve the submission of a continuation proposal in
October, 2007, which would provide three additional years of funding for SCME. The
College Vice President also did not support a request for a no-cost extension year for
SCME.
Rather than phasing out the SCME at CNM, the PI, Director, and Co-PI’s as well as
CNM, UNM and NSF agreed to a plan to transition the regional center to The University
of New Mexico. As director of the UNM Manufacturing Engineering Program (MEP),
Dr. John Wood, Co-PI on the NSF grant, agreed to sponsor the transfer of the SCME to
the University of New Mexico and the Mechanical Engineering Department. A proposal
was submitted to NSF to use the remaining funds in CNM’s grant to operate SCME at
UNM through August of 2009. The proposal (DUE #080384) was approved, and
although, the new grant started officially on April 1, 2008, from April 1, 2008, to May
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30, 2008, SCME had no real operating funds in place. This resulted in a layoff for the
program specialist, Anna Garden for two months, and Dr. Pleil having to be funded under
other projects at UNM.
During the first four years of NSF funding, the SCME not only had sub-awards to UNM,
but also to the Maricopa Advanced Technology Education Center (MATEC) and
BioLINK. Through these partnerships, the Center increased the regional and national
capacity to produce technologists skilled in MEMS fabrication (manufacturing), research
support and design. MATEC provided mentorship, curriculum development assistance
and a venue for offering SCME-sponsored workshops. As a result, SCME has sponsored
MEMS workshops each July since 2005 at MATEC’s SAME-TEC Conference and
subsequently, at the HI-TEC Conference in 2009.
At first, it was difficult to see the “blessing” in this sequence of events, but it has
produced an opportunity for Dr. Pleil and Dr. Wood to continue the regional ATE center
at UNM that will build upon the success of SCME at CNM. The National Science
Foundation has funded a three-year continuation grant for SCME that will provide
operating funds into the year 2012.
SCME Project Leadership
Dr. Matthias Pleil, Principal Investigator: Dr. Pleil has served as Principal Investigator
for the entire funding period and provided outstanding leadership for the Center. At the
beginning of the grant period, he served as a full-time instructor under CNM’s Applied
Technology Department in the Manufacturing Technology Program. In March of 2008,
his full-time contract at CNM was terminated, and he accepted a research associate
professor position at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Pleil is also a part-time
instructor at CNM, now in the Schools of Math, Science, Engineering and Applied
Technology.
Mr. Fabian Lopez, Co-Principal Investigator: Mr. Lopez has co-presented at SCME
workshops and co-instructed SCME’s Pressure Sensor Fabrication workshop. He has
also actively recruited students for CNM’s Microsystems Program and coordinated the
New Mexico Robo Rave, a popular student robotics competition.
Dr. John Wood, Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Wood has provided excellent
administrative support and technical guidance for the Center. Dr. Wood is the Director of
the Manufacturing Engineering Program that also directs a cleanroom within the
Manufacturing Training and Technology Center (MTTC) at UNM, which houses a state
of the art cleanroom. This cleanroom is utilized in many of the professional development
workshops, student tours and CNM Microsystems classes. He was instrumental in
SCME’s transition from CNM to The University of New Mexico.
Ms. Anna Garden, Progam Specialist:: Ms. Garden serves as program specialist to Dr.
Pleil. She processes purchase requisitions and requests for reimbursements as well as
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taking responsibility for recruiting workshop participants, making workshop
arrangements, printing workshop materials, and hosting SCME-sponsored workshops and
meetings. Ms. Garden also supervises the student workers, monitors the budget ensuring
that funds are properly assigned.
Dr. Al West and Dr. Thor Osborn: Dr. West and Dr. Osborn served as Center Director
while SCME was located at CNM. While on loan from Sandia National Labs, they
provided outstanding project leadership for the Center and budget management oversight.
They also played key roles in SCME workshops, especially at the SAME-TEC
conferences, and hosting the annual National Visiting Committee meetings.
CNM Microsystems Program
The Manufacturing Technology Program in the School of Applied Technologies at
Central New Mexico Community College offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree
in Manufacturing Technology and a Post-Degree Certificate in Manufacturing
Technology. The following is the program description from CNM’s 2009-11 Catalog
Addendum:
“The Manufacturing Technology AAS program provides students with a broad base
of skills in analog and digital electronics with the focus on MEMS (Micro-Electro
Mechanical Systems) and Semiconductor Manufacturing (SMT). Training is
provided in the fundamental concepts of electronics and micro-machines. The
program of study uses laboratory facilities containing modern equipment for testing,
troubleshooting, calibrating, analyzing and designing electronic and MEMS systems.
The post degree certificate is designed for those who already possess the core
Electronics Technology associate’s degree or a degree in a related technical field
from an accredited college or university.”
Course Prerequisites:
ENG 0950 Essay Writing Accuplacer score or equivalent: 85
MATH 0940 Algebraic Problem Accuplacer score or equivalent: 81
Solving or Elementary Algebra
RDG 0950 Reading and Accuplacer score or equivalent: 80
Critical Thinking
Recommended Course Sequence:
Term 1 Credit Hours
ELEC 1002 Survey of Adv. Technologies Career Pathways . . 1
ELEC 1004 DC and AC Circuits . . . . . . 4
ELEC 1092 DC and AC Circuits Lab . . . . . 2
6
ELEC 1010 Electronics Math . . . . . . 4
ENG 1101 (or 1102) College Writing . . . . . 3
Term 2
ELEC 1101 Digital Circuits Concepts & Design . . . . 3
ELEC 1192 Digital Circuits Concepts & Design Lab . . . 2
ELEC 1201 Semiconductor/Solid State Devices . . . . 4
ELEC 1292 Semiconductor/Solid State Devices Lab . . . 2
Humanities or Social/Behavioral Science Elective . . . 3
Term 3
ELEC 1301 Electromechanical Devices & Systems . . . 3
ELEC 1392 Electromechanical Devices & Systems Lab . . . 4
MATH 1310 (or higher) Intermediate Algebra . . . . 3-4
ENG 1119 (or 2219) Technical Communications . . . 3
Term 4
MEMS 1001 Intro. To MEMS . . . . . . 3
SMT 2001 Manufacturing Technology Theory . . . . 3
SMT 2092 Manufacturing Technology Theory Lab . . . 2
MT 2005 Statistical Controls . . . . . . 3
BIO Science Lecture/Lab . . . . . . 4
Or
CHEM Science Lacture/Lab . . . . . . 4
Or
PHYS Science Lecture/Lab . . . . . . 4-5
Term 5
MEMS 2001 Manufacturing Process . . . . . 5
MEMS 2005 MEMS Design 1 . . . . . 3
MEMS 2015 MEMS Manufacturing Technology Theory . . 3
MEMS 2092 MEMS Manufacturing Technology Lab . . . 2
PC 2015 Power RF . . . . . . 2
Associate of Applied Science in Manufacturing Technology . . 71-73
The Post Degree Certificate in Manufacturing Technology requires taking the courses
in Term 4 and Term 5, a total of 30-31 credit hours.
For the 2009-10 academic year, a curriculum revision was implemented. The
following table shows the correspondence between old and new course number for
CNM’s MEMS courses. See Table 1.
Table 1. Course Number Changes
For CNM’s MEMS Courses
7
New Course Numbers Old Course Numbers
MEMS 1001 Intro. To MEMS MEMS 101
MEMS 2001 Manufacturing Process MEMS 220
MEMS 2005 MEMS Design I MEMS 221
MEMS 2015 MEMS Manufacturing Technology
Theory MEMS 225
MEMS2092 MEMS Manufacturing Technology
Lab MEMS 226L
No longer offered MEMS 223 MEMS Design II
Student Enrollment from 2003 to 2009
Student enrollment for the time period Fall semester 2003 through Summer semester of 2009 (data for Summer 2009 is based on initial enrollment data) is summarized in this section of the report. A total of 551 students have taken a MEMS course during this time period, and CNM student-hours of MEMS instruction totaled 43, 565.
Figure 1 shows total enrollment in the MEMS courses for the time period Fall 2003 to
Summer 2009. Of the 358 students enrolled in MEMS 101 Introduction to MEMS, 24%
enroll in MEMS 220 Manufacturing Process, and of the 85 students who enrolled in
MEMS 220 MEMS Fabrication, only 16 students, or less than 20%, enrolled in MEMS
225 MEMS Advanced Fabrication Theory. This suggests that MEMS 101, being an
exploratory class, served its purpose in increasing awareness of MEMS, and that 1 in 4
students chose to pursue MEMS as a career path. Of the 85 students that enrolled in 200-
level MEMS classes, only 16 completed the courses required for the certificate or
associate degree. Only anecdotal data is available to show that early-leavers left with
marketable skills.
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Figure 1. Total student enrollment by MEMS course from fall 2003 to
summer 2009.
Figure 2. Total MEMS enrollment in CNM MEMS courses by academic year.
358
8552
2416 16
1
10
100
1000
Nu
mb
er
En
rolle
d
MEMS Course
Total Number EnrolledFall 2003 through Summer 2009
by MEMS Course
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009
Nu
mb
er
En
rolle
d
Academic Year
Total Number of MEMS Enrollment by Academic Year
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Figure 2 shows the MEMS enrollment in CNM MEMS courses by academic year for the time period Fall 2003 to Summer 2009. The decline in enrollment during the 2007-2008 academic year coincides with the administrative changes, the weakening of support for the Microsystems Program, and eventual downsizing of full-time faculty teaching in the program. The Microsystems Program survived this transition period and 2008-09 enrollments have returned to 2006-07 levels. For example, enrollment in Intro to MEMS went from 29 in 2007-08 to 69 in 2008-09 as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Enrollment in CNM’s MEMS 101 Introduction to MEMS course
by academic year.
Figure 4 shows CNM student enrollment by course and academic year. The data shows
that enrollments were increasing in MEMS 220 and 221 through the 2005-06 academic
year, and the negative effect on enrollment of administrative changes and decisions at
CNM. Single digit enrollments in 200-level MEMS courses into the 2007-08 and 2008-
09 did not bode well for the program, but the current CNM administration appears to be
willing to give the program an opportunity to rebuild enrollments.
Figure 5 shows the total number of MEMS student-hours provided by CNM MEMS
courses from Fall 2003 to Summer 2009. Note again that the decline in the number of
student-hours coincides with administrative changes at CNM.
64
7166
59
29
69
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009
Nu
mb
er
of
Stu
de
nts
Academic Year
CNM Intro to MEMS Enrollmentby Calendar Year
10
Figure 4. CNM Student Enrollment by Course and Academic Year
20
03
-20
04
20
04
-20
05
20
05
-20
06
20
06
-20
07
20
07
-20
08
20
08
-20
09
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
96
64
14
12
6
105
71
22
12
120
66
29
3 11
11
89
59
7 14
9
55
29
58
5
4
4
86
69
8
6
1
1
1
CNM Student Enrollment by Course and Academic Year
2003-2004
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
11
Figure 5. Total CNM MEMS Student-Hours from Fall 2003 to Summer 2009.
Microsystems Technologist Competencies
A major effort was undertaken in Project Years 1 and 2 to actually observe microsystems
technologists at work at Sandia National Laboratories Microsystems fabrication facility.
Using Work Keys job profiling methodology, the skills, knowledge, and attributes that
they utilize in their daily activities were cataloged. The data obtained was compared with
similar information gathered for semiconductor workers by MATEC. Along with an
industry survey, the underlying skill set needed for microsystems technologists was
determined. The educational materials design team used the information gathered to
insure that the learning modules created would incorporate the requisite knowledge and
skills for MEMS technicians/technologists.
Faculty Enhancement Workshops
SCME’s main strategy to develop a skilled microsystems workforce has been to equip
secondary and post-secondary teachers and instructors in MEMS applications and
fabrication. This is amplified by the number of students they then teach. Twenty-two
professional development workshops have been offered since SCME’s inception in 2004.
These professional development activities include one-day overview workshops, one- and
two-day intensive workshops, and one-week fabrication workshops in the MTTC at
UNM. The following is a list of workshops sponsored by SCME:
Two-day MEMS Workshop at the 2005 SAME-TEC Conference
72007875
9165
6675
4185
6465
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
20
03
-20
04
20
04
-20
05
20
05
-20
06
20
06
-20
07
20
07
-20
08
20
08
-20
09
Ho
urs
Academic Year
Total CNM MEMS Student HoursTotal: 42,565hrs
12
One-day “Introduction to MEMS” Workshop, January 22, 2006
One-day “Introduction to MEMS” Workshop, April 29, 2006
Two-day “MEMS I and II” Workshop at the 2006 SAME-TEC Conference
One-day “Introduction to MEMS” Workshop, September 23, 2006
One-day “Introduction to MEMS” Workshop, February 10, 2007
One-day “Introduction to MEMS” Workshop at City College of San Francisco,
May 4, 2007
One-week Pressure Sensor Workshop, UNM, June 4-8, 2007
One-week “Microsystems for STEM Relevancy” Workshop, UNM, July 13-19,
2007
Two-day MEMS Workshop at the 2007 SAME-TEC Conference, July 23-24 ,
2007
One-week Pressure Sensor Workshop, UNM, November 12-16, 2007
One-day “Introduction to MEMS” Workshop, November 17, 2007
One-week Pressure Sensor Workshop, UNM, July 7-11, 2008
One-day “Demonstrating Microsystems in the Classroom” Workshop at the 2008
SAME-TEC Conference
One-week Pressure Sensor Workshop, UNM, November 10-14, 2008
One-day “Introduction to MEMS” Workshop, November 15, 2008
One-day “Introduction to MEMS” Workshop, January 24, 2009
One-day “Introduction to MEMS” Workshop, at Hudson Valley Community
College (NY), May 5, 2009
One-day “Advanced MEMS” Workshop, May 30, 2009
Half-day Workshops, “Innovators Wanted” and “Model Kits,” at the 2009 HI-
TEC Conference, July 19-20, 2009
One-week Pressure Sensor Workshop, UNM, October 13-17, 2009
One-week Pressure Sensor Workshop, UNM, November 2-6, 2009
To evaluate each workshop, a three-level, Kirkpatrick-type evaluation methodology has
been used. The following is a brief summary of the methodology used.
Level 1, “Reaction,” is used to determine how participants feel about the
workshop that they have just attended. Each participant is asked to complete a
post-workshop survey as the last workshop activity. We want to know that they
were “satisfied” with the workshop, and we want to let them know that their
feedback is important. Almost all workshop participants expressed a high degree
of “satisfaction” with the workshop that they attended.
Level 2, “Learning,” was measured in two ways. First, on a pre-workshop survey,
each participant was asked to write two objectives that they had for participating
in the workshop and to rate their current understanding of the material (topics) to
be covered in the workshop (using a 10-point scale). Then, on a post-workshop
survey, each participant was asked if their two objectives for the workshop were
met and to rate their understanding of the workshop material (topics) at the end of
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the workshop. Using this “self-assessment” method, data was obtained to show
that learning had taken place.
Level 3, “Behavior,” was measured after the workshop. It is our hope that the
acquisition of knowledge and skills through workshop participation would
produce a change in behavior in the classroom, i.e. that instructors would value
MEMS instruction and incorporate MEMS topics and learning activities into the
courses that they teach. To measure the amount of MEMS instruction
incorporated by workshop participants into the classes that they taught, each
workshop participant was queried at the end of spring semester and fall semester.
They were asked what MEMS topics that they incorporated, how many
instructional hours were devoted to MEMS topics, and how many students
received this MEMS instruction. They were also asked to supply aggregate
student demographic data including gender and ethnicity.
A total of 293 participants (unduplicated head count) attended SCME sponsored
workshops. Of the 293 participants, 97 were from secondary schools, 141 from two-year
colleges, 28 from four-year colleges and universities, and 15 from other organizations
plus 11 international and 1of unknown affiliation. Workshop participants represented 33
states in the U.S. and the distribution is shown in the map in Figure 6. Since SCME is a
regional ATE center serving the southwestern U.S., it is expected that SCME would serve
faculty in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas as well as the western states of California,
Oregon, and Washington, but SCME’s reach resembled a national ATE center as
workshop participants also came from the upper Midwest, Northeast, and Southern states.
1
4
9
1
4
13
6
7
5
3
29
104
1
4
1
3
1
3
10
3
12
11
1
1
4
11
41
111
3
U.S. Workshop Participants - 2005-09
Data column: Total Participants by State
1 - 2
2 - 4
4 - 5
5 - 10
10 - 29
29 - 104
14
Figure 6. Map shows the geographic distribution for U.S. participants in SCME-
sponsored workshops from 2005 to 2009. (CNM data excluded.)
Of the workshop participants included in the U.S. map shown in Figure 6, the majority of
workshop participants came from two-year colleges. Figure 7 shows the geographic
distribution of two-year college faculty. The distribution mirrors the distribution in
Figure 6 and shows that SCME has impacted two-year college faculty from California to
New England and Washington to Florida.
Figure 7. Map shows the geographic distribution to two-year college faculty who
participated in SCME-sponsored workshops from 2005 to 2009.
(CNM faculty excluded.)
In contrast, at the secondary level, SCME’s impact has been limited primarily to two
states, namely New Mexico and New York (Troy, through a partnership with Hudson
Valley Community College). See Figure 8. In New Mexico, one-day “Introduction to
MEMS” workshops have been offered to middle school and high school teachers with the
hopes of getting some of their students to enroll in the Microsystems Program at CNM.
It is too early to tell if this strategy will work. The map shown in Figure 8 does suggest
that SCME might consider expanding it’s outreach to middle school and high school
teachers in the neighboring states of Arizona, Colorado, and west Texas as well as
partnering with a proposed regional ATE center at Hudson Valley Community College.
4
9
3
10
1
7
2
2
9
15
1
4
1
3
1
9
11
11
1
3
11
37
91
3
Participants- 2005-09
Data column: Community College
1 - 2
2 - 4
4 - 5
5 - 10
10 - 29
29 - 104
15
Figure 8. Map shows the geographic distribution to secondary teachers who participated
in SCME-sponsored workshops from 2005 to 2009.
All workshop participants with valid e-mail addresses were surveyed at the end of Fall
semester and Spring semester during each academic year. Since Fall term of 2005, 63 of
the 242 workshop participants (up to and including those who attended the SCME-
sponsored MEMS workshop at the 2008 SAME-TEC Conference) had used workshop
material in the classes that they taught. We include only the respondent data in this
analysis for those who have had a year to implement materials in their classrooms. Of
the 63 workshop participants incorporating MEMS instruction in their classes, 17 were
high school teachers, 41 were community college instructors, and 5 were from four-year
colleges or universities. Figure 9 shows the number of workshop participants teaching
MEMS in their classes by semester and academic year.
1
1
12
82
1
Participants - 2005-09
Data column: High School
1 - 2
2 - 4
4 - 5
5 - 10
10 - 29
29 - 104
16
Figure 9. The number of workshop participants teaching MEMS topics in their
classes by semester and year.
The following maps and bar graphs show the number of students impacted as a result of
MEMS instruction delivered by workshop participants. Figure 10 shows the number of
students impacted by MEMS instruction by semester excluding CNM.
Figure 10. Students impacted by MEMS instruction by semester.
(CNM students excluded.)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Nu
mb
er
of
Te
ach
ers
Semester/Year
Teachers Teaching MEMS
Four-Year College or University
Community College
High School
050
100150200250300350400
Stu
de
nts
Students Impacted by MEMS Instruction by Semester
High School
Community College
Four-Year College/University
17
The number of high school students, a more captive population, reaches a plateau of
approximately 250 students in 2007 and remains at this level through Fall semester 2008.
Community college enrollment, on the other hand, is sensitive to economic factors, and
after reaching a peak enrollment during Fall semester of 2007, shows a steady decline
through Spring semester of 2009, following national trends and economics.
Figure 11. Total number of students impacted by state.
(CNM students are excluded.)
The number of students (non-CNM students) impacted by state shows not only a
concentration in the southwestern U.S., but also impacts on students in the upper
Midwest, Northeast, and South. The distribution of community college students (non-
CNM students) shown in Figure 12 is similar to the student distribution shown in Figure
11. At the secondary level, the map shown in Figure 13 shows only two concentrations,
one in the southwest and one in the northeast.
106
190
79
47
6
9
78
105
1588
15
24
30
102
15
12
278
194
155
121
Total Number of Students Impacted
Data column: Total Students by State - 2005-09
0 - 7
7 - 48
48 - 122
122 - 195
195 - 279
279 - 1588
18
Figure 12. Community college student distribution by state 2005-09.
Excludes CNM students.
Figure 13. Secondary school student distribution by state.
106
190
42
9
45
95
100
15
24
30
102
15
258
194
113
121
Community College Students
Data column: Community College
0 - 7
7 - 48
48 - 122
122 - 195
195 - 279
279 - 1588
79
10
148842
High School Students - 2005-09
Data column: High School
0 - 7
7 - 48
48 - 122
122 - 195
195 - 279
279 - 1588
19
Another metric, “student-hours of instruction,” was developed to measure “broader
impact.” One student-hour of instruction is defined as one student receiving one hour of
instruction, in this case, MEMS instruction. The total number of student-hours in any
semester is arrived at by multiplying the number of students in each class by the number
of hours of MEMS instruction delivered in that class and then totaling the number of
student-hours for all classes taught by SCME workshop participants.
Figure 14. Total number of student-hours of MEMS instruction by semester.
Excludes CNM.
In general, the graph shown in Figure 14 shows that MEMS instruction, as measured in
students-hours of MEMS instruction, is typically greater in the Fall semester as opposed
to the Spring semester. The graph also shows that the number of students-hours is
typically greater in a fewer number of high schools than in a larger number of community
colleges. This can be attributed to larger class sizes in secondary schools as well as the
greater number of instructional hours available to secondary teachers.
Figures 15, 16, and 17 show the distribution of student-hours of MEMS instruction by
state. The distribution for community colleges shown in Figure 16 is similar to the total
distribution of student-hours shown in Figure 15. In Figure 17, the distribution for
secondary schools shows two concentrations, one in the southwest and the other in the
northeast. On the post-secondary level, SCME impact resembles a national center. On
the secondary level, SCME’s impact is more regional.
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
Stu
de
nt-
Ho
urs
Student-Hours of Instruction by Semester
High School
Community College
Four-Year College/University
20
Figure 15. Distribution of total student-hours by state. Excludes CNM.
Figure 16. Distribution of student-hours of instruction delivered by community
colleges by state. Excludes CNM.
0
3680
3559
79
0
265
54
104
249
0
963
2350
0
488
0
72
46
0
440
0
060
00
24
0
1880
00
709
5920
317
Total Student-Hours of Instruction
Data column: Total Student-Hours of Instruction by State - 2005-09
0 - 105
105 - 489
489 - 964
964 - 1881
1881 - 2351
2351 - 3680
3680
3559
235
104
150
953
862
488
72
46
440
60
1040
709
550
317
Student-Hours of Instruction - 2005-09
Data column: Community College
0 - 105
105 - 489
489 - 964
964 - 1881
1881 - 2351
2351 - 3680
21
Figure 17. Distribution of total student-hours delivered by
secondary schools by state.
To summarize SCME’s “broader impact,” 1,459 post-secondary students received 13,265
student-hours of MEMS instruction, and 1,619 students at the secondary level received
16, 706 student-hours of MEMS instruction. Combining the impact at the secondary and
post-secondary levels, 3,078 students received 29,971 student-hours of MEMS
instruction.
Student Demographics
Student demographic data was collected from workshop participants who used the
MEMS workshop material in their classes. This data included the number of male and
female students and their ethnicity. The following charts and graphs summarize this data.
Gender
The gender distribution shown in Figure 18 resembles a typical gender distribution for
technical classes as our nation’s community. That is, the student population is
predominantly male (86%). The gender distribution for secondary schools shown in
Figure 19 shows a more balanced distribution, although the percent of males is still
greater than females. Thirty-seven percent of high school students, receiving MEMS
instruction from teachers having attended one or more SCME workshops, were female.
79
10
148842
Student-Hours of Instruction 2005-09
Data column: High School
0 - 105
105 - 489
489 - 964
964 - 1881
1881 - 2351
2351 - 3680
22
This suggests that there is great potential for SCME to influence future career decisions
for females while they are still in high school.
Figure 18. The gender distribution for community college students
impacted by MEMS instruction.
Figure 19. The gender distribution for secondary students
impacted by MEMS instruction.
86%
14%
Community College
Male
Female
63%
37%
High School
Male
Female
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Ethnicity
Workshop participants were asked to provide ethnicity data for their students, i.e. the
number of Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American students in
the classes receiving MEMS instruction. The ethnic distribution for community college
students receiving MEMS instruction shown in Figure 20, shows that the student
population is 70% Caucasian and 24% from underrepresented groups in STEM
education.
Figure 20. The ethnic distribution of community college
students who received MEMS instruction. Excludes CNM.
Figure 21 shows the ethnic distribution for secondary school students who received
MEMS instruction. In this case, only 26% of the student population is Caucasian. The
percentage of students of Hispanic (55%), Native American (14%), and African
American (4%) heritage totaled 73%. The reason for this is the concentration of students
from New Mexico and Arizona, states that have higher percentages of students from
underrepresented ethnic groups. These percentages also point to the significant
opportunity that SCME has for reaching students in underrepresented ethnic groups in
STEM education before they graduate from high school.
70%
11%
6%7%
4% 2%
Community College
Caucasian
Hispanic
Asian/Pacific Islander
African American
Native American
Other
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Figure 21. The ethnic distribution of secondary school
students who received MEMS instruction.
Educational Materials Development
A search for educational materials to support MEMS instruction at the secondary and
community college educational levels produced few materials. Hence, to support
classroom instruction in MEMS applications and fabrication methods, SCME has created
a suite of educational materials in the form of learning modules and activity kits. To
date, SCME has produced 33 learning modules consisting of 132 SCOs (Shareable
Content Objects) and 8 kits.
The 33 learning modules are listed in Table 2.
Table 2. Learning modules developed by the SCME and the
Number of SCOs per learning module.
1. Hazardous Materials, 5 SCOs
18. Mapping Biological Concepts:
DNA Overview 5 SCOs
2. Chemical Lab Safety Rules, 3 SCOs 19. Mapping Biological Concepts, 3 SCOs
DNA to Protein
3. Material Safety Data Sheets, 6 SCOs 20. Mapping Biological Concepts, 3 SCOs
Cells-The Building Block of Life
4. Chemical Labels/NFPA, 5 SCOs 21. Mapping Biological Concepts, 6 SCOs
Biomolecular Applications for
BioMEMS
5. Personal Protective Equipment, 3 SCOs
22. BioMEMS Diagnostics, 3 SCOs
26%
55%
1% 4% 14%
0%
High School
Caucasian
Hispanic
Asian/Pacific Islander
African American
Native American
Other
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6. MEMS: Making Micro Machines, 6 SCOs 23. BioMEMS Therapeutics, 3 SCOs
Overview
7. Units of Weights & Measure, 4 SCOs
24. Regulations of BioMEMS, 4 SCOs
8. A Comparison of Scale 5 SCOs 25. Clinical Laboratory Techniques &
MEMS 3 SCOs
9. Intro. To Transducers, Sensors,
Actuators, 4 SCOs
26. MEMS for Environmental & Bio-
terrorism Applications 3 SCOs
10. MEMS Innovators Wanted Kit,
1 SCO
27. Crystallography for Microsystems
4 SCOs
11. Wheatstone Bridge, 4 SCOs
28. MTTC Pressure Sensor 5 SCOs
12. MEMS Applications, 3 SCOs 29. Photolithography Overview for
Microsystems 5 SCOs
13. MEMS History, 3 SCOs 30. Etch Overview for Microsystems
5 SCOs
14. Microcantilever, 8 SCOs 31. Deposition Overview for Microsystems
3 SCOs
15. Micropumps, 4 SCOs 32. Oxidation Overview for Microsystems
1 SCO
16. What are BioMEMS?, 3 SCOs 33. MEMS Micromachining Overview
4 SCOs
17. BioMEMS Applications, 5 SCOs
The eight activity kits produced by the SCME grant include:
MEMS: Making Micro Machines Video Kit
Pressure Sensor Kit
KOH Etch and Lift-off Kit
Cantilever Kit
Rainbow Wafer Kit
Crystallography Kit
MEMS Innovators Kit
Wheatstone Bridge Kit
To date, SCME has created an abundant resource of educational materials to support
MEMS instruction at both the secondary and post-secondary level. Current SCME
practice is to give away, at no cost, the learning modules and activity kits to workshop
participants and to interested individuals requesting them. They also promoted through
SCME website, www.scme-nm.org.
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At the 2009 HI-TEC Conference, SCME presented a “Model Kits” Workshop to
showcase the eight activity kits. Using a science fair format, workshop participants
circulated among tables where SCME staff showcased the various activity kits.
Participants interacted with the materials and had time to speak with each of the
presenters. The presenters including Co-PI’s, instructional developers, the MTTC Fab
Manager, SCME student techs, and Ruth Carranza, creator of “MEMS: Making Micro
Machines” film. At the conclusion of the workshop, each participant was given one of
the activity kits to take back to their classrooms. A follow-up survey of workshop
participants conducted at the end of Fall semester 2009 showed that 24 out of 34
workshop participants (70%) had either used the activity kit in their course during Fall
semester of 2009 and/or were planning to use the activity kit during the coming Spring
semester.
To better ascertain broader impact, SCME is continuously improving their tracking
system. SCME needs to know who has received learning modules and/or activity kits.
Recipients of the learning modules and activity kits must be queried at the end of fall and
spring semesters to capture instructional use and student demographic data. SCME now
directs participants to the website to register for workshops and download the modules
they wish to use. This is tracked on the website through the document management
system. Kits that are given away at workshops continue to be manually tracked.
Collaboration With Other ATE Centers and Projects
The University of New Mexico (UNM)
During the first three years of the grant, while SCME was at CNM, UNM was a major
collaborator. UNM provided access to their cleanroom fabrication facility located at the
Manufacturing Training and Technology Center (MTTC). It is at the MTTC that one-
week, pressure sensor fabrication workshops are held. Mr. Harold Madsen provides the
cleanroom instruction with Dr. Pleil and Mr. Lopez.
In March of 2008, SCME moved from CNM to UNM and UNM became the center’s
SRO. Office space for Dr. Pleil, Ms. Garden, and several student aides is provided in the
MTTC at UNM.
MATEC, Maricopa Advanced Technology Center, Tempe, AZ
During the first two years of the grant, MATEC provided curriculum support mentoring
for SCME’s educational materials development team headed by Ms. M. J. Willis and Ms.
Barbara Lopez. MATEC also provided a venue for SCME’s MEMS workshops at
MATEC’s annual SAME-TEC Conference and provided logistical support for the
workshops.
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BioLink, San Francisco, CA
BioLink’s contribution has been in providing subject matter expertise in co-developing
BioMEMS learning modules for SCME. Dr. Celeste Carter, Dr. Linnea Fletcher, Dr.
Elaine Johnson have made significant contributions in the development of these materials
as well as making presentations at SCME workshops.
Silicon Run Productions, Mountain View, CA
Silicon Run Productions (SRP) produced a new MEMS video entitled “MEMS Making
Micro Machines.” The MEMS video debuted at the 2009 Semicon West tradeshow in
San Francisco, CA, on July 15, 2009. Dr. Pleil serves as chair of the SRP’s ATE grant
advisory committee and as content expert for the MEMS and nanotechnology films.
Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY
SCME has participated in HVCC’s ATE planning grant for a regional nanotechnology
center. Dr. Pleil presented a one-day, “Introduction to MEMS” workshop at HVCC on
May 5, 2009.
Lessons Learned
Impact on Student Learning
A regional ATE center does not have direct impact on student learning, unless students
come directly to seminars, workshops, and other SCME-sponsored activities. A regional
center does directly impact teachers who then have a direct multiplying impact on
students in the classes that they teach. Therefore, it is SCME’s role to equip teachers to
teach MEMS applications and fabrication methods through a variety of professional
development activities and the educational materials that SCME can provide to these
teachers.
SCME plans to provide additional tools to educators which will enable them, as well as
SCME, to ascertain the level of student learning. Currently, the learning module
assessments are provided in written form for the teachers to use. In the future, SCME
plans to pilot an online resource learning management system that teachers can use and
send their student to which includes the already-developed learning modules, streaming
lectures, animations, and assessments. Note: this is already being done at CNM through
the delivery of the MEMS courses. Of course, the success of this depends on the
participants.
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Professional Development for Teachers
A variety of professional development activities are needed to equip teachers to teach
MEMS topics and processes. These professional development activities range from one-
day overview workshops to hands-on MEMS fabrication workshops in a cleanroom, to
science-fair type workshops where teachers can peruse new teaching materials, e.g.
learning modules, activity kits, and films.
During the past five years, SCME workshops have transitioned from seminar-type
workshops in 2005 with invited speakers to hands-on workshops, e.g. “Model Kits” and
“Innovators Wanted” workshops in 2009. As SCME workshops have changed, teachers
have attended multiple SCME workshops to refresh and gain new understandings of
MEMS applications and fabrication methods. This has not only improved their ability to
convey MEMS instruction to their students, but also broadened the range of learning
activities that they could incorporate into their classes.
SCME is continuously striving to improve. Using participant feedback, they have
adjusted to the needs of their stake holders by changing the delivery, dissemination and
promulgation vehicles. SCME needs to continue this process and provide additional
resources to facilitate classroom instruction.
Classroom Materials
Teachers are constantly searching for educational resources to use in their classrooms that
will increase student learning. SCME workshop participants were no different. The most
common request on post-workshop surveys was the request for new teaching materials.
SCME has responded to their request and now has a suite of instructional materials that
includes 33 learning modules, 132 Shareable Content Objects (SCOs), and 8 activity kits.
It also became evident that, due to the recession facing many states, secondary and post-
secondary institutions do not have money to purchase these learning modules and activity
kits. As a result, SCME has been funding and should continue funding the distribution of
educational materials at minimal cost to educational institutions.
Institutional Support
Institutional support for an ATE project or center can change during the grant period.
SCME experienced this change in institutional support. At the beginning of the grant
period, SCME experienced strong support from the College President, Vice-Presidents,
and Deans at TVI (CNM). However, three years into the grant, changes in top
administrative positions including the College President and Vice-President for
Academic Affairs and the Dean of Applied Technology caused SCME to lose
institutional support and interest in continuing an ATE regional center at Central New
Mexico Community College.
29
Quick thinking and thinking-outside-the-institution resulted in a change in SRO from
CNM to The University of New Mexico. Although this resulted in a delay of one
calendar year in getting continuation funding for SCME, the center did survive and now
is fully operational at its new home at UNM. CNM is still collaborating with SCME and
is supporting improvements to the Manufacturing Technology program by sponsoring
DACUM-based curriculum improvement efforts. Despite being painful, this change will
allow greater use of UNM facilities, namely the cleanroom facility at UNM’s MTTC, and
greater focused time for Dr. Pleil to serve as both Principal Investigator and Center
Director.
