Evidence-Based Materials for Teaching Quantum Information Science and Technology

该项目旨在通过开发基于证据的课程材料，为量子信息科学与技术（QIST）课程服务，这是一个不断发展的跨学科领域。QIST最近在政府和商业部门的增长正在为量子计算机科学家创造就业机会，这种劳动力需求正在挑战大学在QIST中建立跨学科的本科学位途径。为了应对这一挑战，研究人员将探索学生在QIST关键概念方面的优势和困难，并将开发一套基于证据（研究为基础）的材料，用于本科QIST入门课程。该项目涉及QIST的一个跨学科研究人员和教育工作者团队，横跨物理学、工程学、计算机科学和科学教育，位于一所“R1”（非常高的研究活动）大学，也是一所西班牙裔服务机构。该项目的主要目标是：(1)了解学生在学习QIST主题方面的优势和困难，(2)开发一套前后测试，以评估学生在QIST中的概念理解和推理能力，以及(3)开发一套材料（迷你教程）用于QIST初级/高级课程的入门课程。调查人员将通过网站和研讨会向全国的教师提供前后测试和迷你教程。教师将能够在正在开发的QIST课程和项目中使用这些材料，以帮助扩大QIST的劳动力。NSF IUSE: EDU项目支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过其参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by developing evidence-based curricular materials for use in courses in Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST), which is a growing, interdisciplinary field. Recent growth in QIST in the government and commercial sectors is creating jobs for quantum computer scientists, and this workforce demand is challenging universities to build interdisciplinary pathways to undergraduate degrees in QIST. Responding to this challenge, the investigators will explore students' strengths and difficulties with key QIST concepts and will develop a set of evidence-based (research-based) materials to be used in introductory undergraduate QIST courses.This project involves an interdisciplinary team of researchers and educators in QIST across physics, engineering, computer science, and science education at an "R1" (Very High Research Activity) university that is also a Hispanic Serving Institution. The project's main objectives are (1) to understand students' strengths and difficulties in learning QIST topics, (2) to develop a set of pre- and post-tests to assess students' conceptual understanding and reasoning skills in QIST, and (3) to develop a set of materials (mini-tutorials) to be used in introductory courses in QIST at the junior/senior level. The investigators will make the pre- and post-tests and mini-tutorials available to faculty across the nation through websites and workshops. Faculty will be able to use these materials in QIST courses and programs that are being developed to help expand the QIST workforce. The NSF IUSE: EDU program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through its Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.