Educating the Next Generation of Quantum Computing Developers

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

The NSF's Accelerating Discovery: Educating the Future STEM Workforce supports efforts that can position the future STEM workforce to make bold advances in the NSF Big Ideas (https://www.nsf.gov/about/congress/115/10bigideas.jsp). This Accelerating Discovery project will support the Quantum Leap and the Work at the Human-Technology Frontier Big Ideas by developing a research-focused undergraduate program in quantum computing and quantum information science. Quantum computing is one of the fastest growing technology fields to emerge in the 21st century. Over the last thirty years, it has grown from an abstract idea to demonstrated hardware rivaling the best supercomputers for selected problems. This project is designed to educate the next generation of STEM workers for this evolving field. It is critical to engage these students' interest early in their careers before they are lost to more established fields. Without STEM workers who are trained in quantum computing, our nation would be at a competitive disadvantage compared to countries that are now investing heavily in these areas. This project aims to recruit and prepare the next generation of quantum computing developers. It will do so by building upon and expand a pilot program begun in 2018 at The University of Texas at Austin to introduce incoming first-year students to quantum computing and quantum information science. The project will be conducted as part of the University of Texas at Austin's successful Freshman Research Initiative, which provides entering first-year students with a unique research-oriented learning experience. Participation in the Freshman Research Initiative has been demonstrated to improve student performance and increase participation of students in STEM, including students from groups that are underrepresented in many STEM fields. The project will build upon the success of the 2018 pilot by developing a more comprehensive program that integrates the first-year student experience with upper division coursework and senior projects. These courses and experiences will be integrated into a certificate program in quantum computing, which will provide graduating students with the training and formal recognition needed to launch a career in quantum technology. This project will assess the impact of the quantum computing education on student development and persistence in the sciences, using assessment instruments and strategies developed for the Freshmen Research Initiative. The goal of this assessment will be to determine which specific aspects of the certificate program contribute most to improved student performance in STEM majors. This project will produce a body of instructional material and impact analysis focusing on early post-secondary STEM students who have little-to-no prior knowledge of quantum physics or quantum computing. The intended result is a unique program in quantum computing that can be scaled to a national level. The curricular materials developed in the project will be included in a Massively Open Online Course available through edX, to support access to the public and adoption by other institutions. 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.