Cross-Discipline Approach to Quantum Computing in High Schools: Building towards a Quantum Computing Workforce

美国于2018年12月签署了《国家量子倡议法案》，以确保美国在技术和量子信息科学方面保持竞争力。量子信息科学是技术的基础（例如，蜂窝电话），国防，导航（例如，全球定位系统），能源系统，银行安全，等等。对于未来的劳动力来说，理解量子力学的基本原理是至关重要的，接触这些知识应该从K-12年级开始开始。目前，大多数美国教育工作者对量子信息科学的教学缺乏内容背景和信心。此外，并不是所有的K-12学生都学习物理，甚至更少的学生会在大学主修物理。认识到量子力学相关性的教育工作者可能没有足够的资源、课程或内容背景来有效地向学生介绍或教授量子信息科学。该奖项支持通过暑期研讨会、实践社区和利益相关者会议分阶段开发量子信息科学课程。该奖项支持三项活动：（1）为教师开发和实施暑期研讨会，重点是跨学科方法，向高中教师和学生介绍量子信息科学。研讨会将利用两态自旋系统的矩阵形式主义，然后使用计算机笔记本进行线性系统的动手计算，从而将数学，物理和计算结合起来。 (2)建立实践社区。 这将包括教师参与科学内容和教学内容的设计和部署，因为他们为学生创建课程和课程材料。将对前两项活动进行评估，以探讨教师的内容知识增长和他们遇到的障碍。 (3)召开利益攸关方会议。本次会议将是一个场所，阐明当前的努力，描述经验教训，探索行业合作伙伴当前和未来的劳动力需求，并制定一个有组织的和研究驱动的路径，以改善K-12量子信息科学。该项目由NSF的发现研究PreK-12（DRK-12）计划支持，在教育人力资源理事会。DRK-12旨在通过研究和开发创新资源，模型和工具，显着提高preK-12学生和教师的科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的学习和教学。该项目由材料研究部、物理部和数理科学理事会多学科活动办公室共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The National Quantum Initiative Act was signed in December 2018 to ensure the United States remains competitive in technology and quantum information science. Quantum information science is fundamental to technology (e.g., cell phones), national defense, navigation (e.g., GPS), energy systems, banking security, and more. It is critical for the future workforce to understand basic principles of quantum mechanics and exposure to that knowledge should begin in grades K-12. Currently, most U.S. educators lack content background and confidence in teaching quantum information science. Furthermore, not all K-12 students take physics and even fewer will major in physics in college. Educators who recognize the relevance of quantum mechanics may not have adequate resources, curriculum, or content background to effectively introduce or teach quantum information science to students. This award supports the phased development of quantum information science curricula through summer workshops, communities of practice, and a conference of stakeholders.This award supports three activities: (1) Development and implementation of summer workshops for teachers that focus on a cross-disciplinary approach to introducing quantum information science to high school teachers and their students. The workshops will utilize a matrix formalism for two-state spin systems and then use computer notebooks for hands-on computation of linear systems, thus integrating mathematics, physics, and computation. (2) Building a community of practice. This will include teachers engaged in the design and deployment of both science content and pedagogical content as they create lessons and curricular materials for their students. Evaluations of the first two activities will be conducted to explore the content knowledge growth of teachers and the barriers they encounter. (3) Convening a conference of stakeholders. This conference will be a venue to articulate current efforts, describe lessons learned, explore the current and future workforce needs of industry partners, and chart an organized and research-driven pathway for improvement in K-12 quantum information science.This project is supported by NSF's Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) program, in the Directorate for Education & Human Resources. DRK-12 seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. This project is co-funded by the Division of Materials Research, the Division of Physics and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.