Student use of a quantum simulation and visualization tool

TL;DR

This study explores how Quantum Composer, a quantum simulation and visualization tool, aids students in understanding quantum mechanics, highlighting its benefits and areas needing further instructional support.

Contribution

The paper introduces initial educational research on Quantum Composer, demonstrating its effectiveness and limitations in teaching quantum concepts to students.

Findings

Quantum Composer helps students find correct answers.

Students focus on relevant features of the tool.

Additional support is needed for reasoning development.

Abstract

Knowledge of quantum mechanical systems is becoming more important for many science and engineering students who are looking to join the emerging quantum workforce. To better prepare a wide range of students for these careers, we must seek to develop new tools to enhance our education in quantum topics. We present initial studies on the use of one of these such tools, Quantum Composer, a 1D quantum simulation and visualization tool developed for education and research purposes. In particular, we conducted five think-aloud interviews with students who worked through an exercise using Quantum Composer that focused on the statics and dynamics of quantum states in a single harmonic well system. Our results show that Quantum Composer helps students to obtain the correct answers to the questions posed, but additional support is needed to facilitate the development of student reasoning behind these answers. We also show that students are able to focus only on the relevant features of Quantum Composer to achieve the task.