Direct visualization can provide great insights into the structure and function of physical, chemical and biological systems. It is in this spirit that the elegantly simple Scanning Probe Microscopes have captured the imagination of both scientists and the public.

Our objective is simple:To exploit the incredible potential in teaching students about fundamental concepts and to integrate learning across traditionally separated disciplines, while at the same time conveying to them the excitement at the forefront of scientific research. The SPM techniques naturally cut across boundaries of traditional disciplines such as natural sciences, engineering and mathematics, becoming a powerful catalyst for integration into education. Future generations of students can be trained to work with and understand fields other than their specialization, in order to solve complicated technological problems through effective collaborations.

The hands-on approach, the high visual impact, the interactive computer interface, the ability to learn about surfaces, their properties and even manipulate them at the atomic level, can immediately capture and maintain the student's interest. Microscopy is an ideal vehicle to incorporate critical inquiry, collaborative learning, discovery-based approaches, and as a powerful visualization tool allowing the use of multimedia technology-based learning methods. It can help steer students in thinking at the atomic and molecular levels and especially in making the connection between macroscopic-microscopic-atomic interpretations of a given material or phenomenon.

Click here to view the Schematic representation of the Visual Pipeline