Despite rapid growth of quantum information science and engineering (QIS/QISE) workforce development initiatives, perceived lack of agreement among faculty on core content has made prior research-based curriculum and assessment development initiatives difficult to scale. To identify areas if consensus on content coverage, we report findings from a survey of N=63 instructors teaching introductory QISE courses at US institutions of higher learning. We identify a subset of content items common across a large fraction (>=80%) of introductory QISE courses that are potentially amenable to research-based curriculum development, with an emphasis on foundational skills in mathematics, physics, and engineering. As a further guide for curriculum development, we also examine differences in content coverage by level (undergraduate/graduate) and discipline. Finally, we briefly discuss the implications of our findings for the development of a research-based QISE assessment at the postsecondary level.
@article{arxiv.2308.12929,
title = {Introductory quantum information science coursework at US institutions: Content coverage},
author = {Josephine C. Meyer and Gina Passante and Steven J. Pollock and Bethany R. Wilcox},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2308.12929},
year = {2024}
}
Comments
Submitted to EPJ Quantum Technology, special section on quantum education