Improving Student Self-Confidence in Quantum Computing with the Qubit Touchdown Board Game

TL;DR

Qubit Touchdown is an engaging educational board game that effectively increases high school students' confidence and interest in quantum computing, making complex concepts accessible and fun.

Contribution

The paper introduces Qubit Touchdown, a novel educational game that enhances student engagement and self-confidence in learning quantum computing.

Findings

Students' interest in quantum computing increased slightly.

Students' self-confidence in learning quantum computing improved significantly.

Students found the game accessible and enjoyable.

Abstract

Qubit Touchdown is a two-player, competitive board game that was developed to introduce students to quantum computing. A quantum computer is a new kind of computer that is based on the laws of quantum physics, and it can solve certain problems faster than normal computers because it follows a different set of rules. Qubit Touchdown's game play mirrors the rules of (American) football, with players taking turns moving the football to score the most touchdowns, and no knowledge of quantum computing is needed to play the game. We evaluated the game with 107 public high school students in Precalculus, Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics, and/or AP Physics 1 courses, assessing whether their interest in and self-confidence in their ability to learn quantum computing changed as a result of playing the game and learning about its connections to quantum computing. We also assessed whether the game was easy to learn and enjoyable. We found that students' interest in quantum computing increased slightly ($p<0.05$), but students' self-confidence in their ability to learn quantum computing saw greater gains ($p<0.001$); students also widely considered the game accessible and fun. Thus, Qubit Touchdown could be an effective resource to introduce students to Quantum Computing and boost their confidence in learning about the field. Free printables of the game are available, and professionally produced copies can be purchased on demand.