Challenges in addressing student difficulties with basics and change of basis for two-state quantum systems using a multiple-choice question sequence in online and in-person classes

Hu, Peter; Li, Yangqiuting; Singh, Chandralekha

doi:10.1088/1361-6404/acf5b3

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 65 publications

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“…We have been researching student difficulties and using the research to guide the development of learning tools for concepts covered in undergraduate QM courses [33]. Previous work from our group includes Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorials (QuILTs) on topics such as the Mach-Zehnder interferometer and quantum key distribution, and Clicker Question Sequences (CQSs) on topics such as the basics and change of basis [34], quantum measurement [35], time-development, and measurement uncertainty of twostate quantum systems [35][36][37][38][39]. Even after traditional lecture-based instruction, students may not yet have a strong grasp of important concepts, but further engagement and practice using a research-validated tutorial may help them develop additional fluency with those concepts.…”

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confidence: 99%

Student understanding of the Bloch sphere

Hu,

Li,

Mong

et al. 2024

Eur. J. Phys.

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Quantum information science is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field that is attracting the attention of academics and industry experts alike. It requires talent from a wide variety of traditional fields, including physics, engineering, chemistry, and computer science, to name a few. To prepare students for such opportunities, it is important to give them a strong foundation in the basics of quantum information science, in which quantum computing plays a central role. In this study, we discuss the development, validation, and evaluation of a tutorial on the Bloch sphere, a useful visual tool for developing intuition about single quantum bits (qubits), which are the basic building block of any quantum computer. Students’ understanding was evaluated after they received traditional lecture-based instruction on the requisite topics, and again after engaging with the tutorial. We observe, analyze, and discuss their improvement in performance on concepts covered in the tutorial.

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confidence: 99%

Student understanding of the Bloch sphere

Hu,

Li,

Mong

et al. 2024

Eur. J. Phys.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Investigating and improving student understanding of the basics of quantum computing

Hu,

Li,

Singh

2024

Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.

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Quantum information science and engineering (QISE) is a rapidly developing field that leverages the skills of experts from many disciplines to utilize the potential of quantum systems in a variety of applications. It requires talent from a wide variety of traditional fields, including physics, engineering, chemistry, and computer science, to name a few. To prepare students for such opportunities, it is important to give them a strong foundation in the basics of QISE, in which quantum computing plays a central role. In this study, we discuss the development, validation, and evaluation of a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial, on the basics and applications of quantum computing. These include an overview of key quantum mechanical concepts relevant to quantum computation (including ways a quantum computer is different from a classical computer), properties of single- and multiqubit systems, and the basics of single-qubit quantum gates. The tutorial uses guided inquiry-based teaching-learning sequences. Its development and validation involved conducting cognitive task analysis from both expert and student perspectives and using common student difficulties as a guide. For example, before engaging with the tutorial, after traditional lecture-based instruction, one reasoning primitive that was common in student responses is that a major difference between an N-bit classical and N-qubit quantum computer is that various things associated with a number N for a classical computer should be replaced with the number 2N for a quantum computer (e.g., 2N qubits must be initialized and 2N bits of information are obtained as the output of the computation on the quantum computer). This type of reasoning primitive also led many students to incorrectly think that there are only N distinctly different states available when computation takes place on a classical computer. Research suggests that this type of reasoning primitive has its origins in students learning that quantum computers can provide exponential advantage for certain problems, e.g., Shor’s algorithm for factoring products of large prime numbers, and that the quantum state during the computation can be in a superposition of 2N linearly independent states. The inquiry-based learning sequences in the tutorial provide scaffolding support to help students develop a functional understanding. The final version of the validated tutorial was implemented in two distinct courses offered by the physics department with slightly different student populations and broader course goals. Students’ understanding was evaluated after traditional lecture-based instruction on the requisite concepts and again after engaging with the tutorial. We analyze and discuss their improvement in performance on concepts covered in the tutorial. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

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Challenges in sensemaking and reasoning in the context of degenerate perturbation theory in quantum mechanics

Keebaugh,

Marshman,

Singh

2024

Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.

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We discuss an investigation of student sensemaking and reasoning in the context of degenerate perturbation theory (DPT) in quantum mechanics. We find that advanced undergraduate and graduate students in quantum physics courses often struggled with expertlike sensemaking and reasoning to solve DPT problems. The sensemaking and reasoning were particularly challenging for students as they tried to integrate physical and mathematical concepts to solve DPT problems. Their sensemaking showed local coherence but lacked global consistency with different knowledge resources getting activated in different problem-solving tasks even if the same concepts were applicable. Depending upon the issues involved in the DPT problems, students were sometimes stuck in the “physics mode” or “math mode” and found it challenging to coordinate and integrate the physics and mathematics appropriately to solve quantum mechanics problems involving DPT. Their sensemaking shows the use of various reasoning primitives. It also shows that some advanced students struggled with self-monitoring and checking their answers to make sure they were consistent across different problems. Some also relied on memorized information, invoked authority, and did not make appropriate connections between their DPT problem solutions and the outcomes of experiments. Advanced students in quantum mechanics often displayed analogous patterns of challenges in sensemaking and reasoning as those that have been found in introductory physics. Student sensemaking and reasoning show that these advanced students are still developing expertise in this novel quantum physics domain as they learn to integrate physical and mathematical concepts. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

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Challenges in addressing student difficulties with basics and change of basis for two-state quantum systems using a multiple-choice question sequence in online and in-person classes

Cited by 6 publications

References 65 publications

Student understanding of the Bloch sphere

Student understanding of the Bloch sphere

Investigating and improving student understanding of the basics of quantum computing

Challenges in sensemaking and reasoning in the context of degenerate perturbation theory in quantum mechanics

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