Mok, R., & Li, C., & Comeau, B., & Welsh, E., & Fang, N. X., & Liu, J. (2024, June), An Educational Simulation for Understanding Atomic Force Microscopy Image Artifacts  Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--46548

\bibitem{asee_peer_46548}
  Mok, R., \& Li, C., \& Comeau, B., \& Welsh, E., \& Fang, N. X., \& Liu, J. (2024, June), \emph{An Educational Simulation for Understanding Atomic Force Microscopy Image Artifacts}
  Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Portland, Oregon.
  10.18260/1-2--46548

Rachel Mok, Cong Li, Benita Comeau, Emily Welsh, Nicholas Xuanlai Fang, and John Liu.  "An Educational Simulation for Understanding Atomic Force Microscopy Image Artifacts".  2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon, 2024, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2024.  https://peer.asee.org/46548 Internet.  15 Sep, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_46548}
  Rachel Mok, Cong Li, Benita Comeau, Emily Welsh, Nicholas Xuanlai Fang, and John Liu.
  "An Educational Simulation for Understanding Atomic Force Microscopy Image Artifacts".
  \emph{2024 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Portland, Oregon, 2024, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2024.
  https://peer.asee.org/46548 Internet.  15 Sep, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_46548
author = "Rachel Mok, Cong Li, Benita Comeau, Emily Welsh, Nicholas Xuanlai Fang, and John Liu"
title = "An Educational Simulation for Understanding Atomic Force Microscopy Image Artifacts"
booktitle = "2024 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2024"
month = "June"
address = "Portland, Oregon"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/46548}
number = {10.18260/1-2--46548}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a fundamental imaging tool used to visualize minute features, often on the scale of fractions of a nanometer. This is achieved by scanning a tip over a surface and monitoring the motions of the tip in response to forces between the tip and surface. However, the AFM-generated image is not an exact replica of the real surface because tips are not infinitely thin and perfectly sharp. This can be confusing for students new to using the AFM, especially since the interaction between the AFM tip and the surface is imperceptible to the naked eye. It also underscores the risk of students perceiving the AFM as a black box, potentially impeding critical thinking about its fundamental principles and processes, which may lead to misinterpretation of AFM data. To address this learning gap and provide students with a more thorough understanding of AFM working principles, measurement inaccuracies, and the origins of image artifacts, we created and implemented an educational simulation. Students can use this simulation to explore diverse tip geometries on various surface topologies and observe the resulting images generated by the AFM. We have created activities and assessments that guide students to use the simulation to grasp key concepts related to tip-surface interaction and measurement accuracy. This module has now been released in both the undergraduate-level and graduate-level micro/nano-laboratory course (“Micro/Nano Engineering Laboratory”) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). We developed pre- and post-assessments to compare cognitive outcomes and learning experiences between simulation-based learning and traditional paper-based learning. Our user test with 36 students showed a strong preference for the simulation format over the paper format for learning about AFM image artifacts, with students valuing the simulation's interactive nature.
AU  - Rachel Mok
AU  - Cong Li
AU  - Benita Comeau
AU  - Emily Welsh
AU  - Nicholas Xuanlai Fang
AU  - John Liu
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - An Educational Simulation for Understanding Atomic Force Microscopy Image Artifacts
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/46548
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--46548
ER  -