Use of New Media to Engage the Public in the Ethics of Nanotechnology

Edu, Inc. provided expertise and experience in user testing and evaluation of public outreach using new media for this project. In their role as advisor, Edu, Inc., observed that the website successfully satisfied the project goal of producing and testing five new models of interactive media and several feedback mechanisms to allow the public to register personal opinions on ethical scenarios regarding nanotechnology. The evaluators suggest that there is significant anecdotal evidence to recommend four practices tested by the web designers: 1. The potential of web comics as a media to present ethical scenarios 2. The use of video as a media to present ethical scenarios 3. Use of the physical kiosk to gather video responses to ethical scenarios 4. Use of three tools for online feedback: voting, text commenting, and video upload. Edu, Inc. proposes eight lessons learned and questions to ask that can guide and inform NSF ISE as it considers new projects to engage large numbers of people in ethical discourse through interactive new media. The suggestions are based on challenges and successes experienced by the web designers over the 4 year project.