Making quantum technologies accessible to schoolchildren

Considering Quantum Physics‘s importance, this field has become a topic of increasing interest among researchers. For this reason, quantum physics (QP) has been introduced into secondary school curricula in very different ways.

Unlike traditional physics, the QP requires a profound way of thinking. Therefore, to make it digestible in school books, conducting holistic studies on students and their learning difficulties is crucial. Additionally, a comprehensive research program is necessary to reconstruct foundational concepts for educational purposes.

Determining the starting point for understanding quantum physics has been a topic of discussion lately. A new study by the University of Leipzig focuses on a promising approach to teaching quantum physics in schools: a Two-state system. The team asserts that the two-state system is the simplest and most important quantum system for describing many situations.

“Using the example of the quantum measurement process, one of the central problems of quantum physics, we show how to develop a survey method that can then be used in the field as part of intervention studies,” says the first author.

“Overall, teaching concepts that focus on two-state systems do indeed appear to be more conducive to learning than the traditional approach.“

According to Professor Philipp Bitzenbauer, there have been no empirical studies of the effectiveness of using two-state systems to develop conceptual understanding in learners until now. Also, there are a few advantages and disadvantages of different teaching approaches based on two-state systems.

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Professor Philipp Bitzenbauer affirms that the two-state system approach could open up avenues to modern quantum technologies, including quantum computing and quantum cryptography.

“My team and I are working to make the ground-breaking potential of quantum technologies accessible to schoolchildren,” says Bitzenbauer.

In a paper published in Physical Review Physics Education Research, the team designed an eight-item instrument to assess students’ conceptual understanding of QP. The innovative approach lies in the design of its items, which allows empirical comparison of students’ learning of quantum measurement.

Researchers conducted a few tests and found that the new instrument is suitable for testing the conceptual understanding of a two-state system.

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Journal Reference

1. Philipp Bitzenbauer, Sergej Faletič, Marisa Michelini, Kristóf Tóth, and Gesche Pospiech. Design and evaluation of a questionnaire to assess learners’ understanding of quantum measurement in different two-state contexts: The context matters. Physical Review Physics Education Research. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.20.020136