Introducing Quantum Technologies at Secondary School Level: Challenges and Potential Impact of an Online Extracurricular Course

Year: 2022

Authors: Bondani M., Chiofalo ML., Ercolessi E., Macchiavello C., Malgieri M., Michelini M., Mishina O., Onorato P., Pallotta F., Satanassi S., Stefanel A., Sutrini C., Testa I., Zuccarini G.

Autors Affiliation: Ist Foton & Nanotecnol, CNR, IFN, I-22100 Como, Italy; Univ Pisa, Dipartimento Fis, I-56122 Pisa, Italy; Alma Mater Studiorum Univ Bologna, Dipartimento Fis & Astron Augusto Righi, I-40126 Bologna, Italy; Univ Pavia, Dipartimento Fis, I-27100 Pavia, Italy; Univ Udine, Unita Ricerca Didattica Fis, I-33100 Udine, Italy; Ist Nazl Ottica, CNR, INO, C O SISSA Scuola Int Super Studi Avanzati, I-34136 Trieste, Italy; Univ Trento, Dipartimento Fis, I-38123 Trento, Italy; Univ Insubria, Dipartimento Sci & Alta Tecnol, I-20100 Como, Italy; Univ Federico II, Dipartimento Fis E Pancini, I-80126 Naples, Italy.

Abstract: Stimulated by the European project QTEdu CSA, within the flagship Quantum Technologies, a community of researchers active in the fields of quantum technologies and physics education has designed and implemented an extracurricular course on quantum physics concepts and quantum technologies applications for high school. The course, which featured eight interactive lectures, was organized online between March and May 2021 and attended by about 250 students from all over Italy. In this paper, we describe the main tenets and activities of the course. Moreover, we report on the effectiveness of the course on students’ knowledge of the basic concepts of quantum physics and students’ views about epistemic aspects and applications of quantum technologies. Results show that the designed activities were effective in improving students’ knowledge about fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics and familiarizing them with quantum technology applications.

Journal/Review: PHYSICS

Volume: 4 (4)      Pages from: 1150  to: 1167

KeyWords: quantum physics; structural equation modeling; secondary school students
DOI: 10.3390/physics4040075

ImpactFactor: 1.600
Citations: 11
data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2024-11-24
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