QISCIT: A validated concept inventory assessment for quantum information science

TL;DR

This paper introduces QISCIT, a validated assessment tool designed to evaluate understanding of quantum information science concepts without requiring advanced math, aiding educators in preparing a skilled workforce.

Contribution

The paper presents the development and validation of QISCIT, a new 31-item concept inventory for assessing foundational QIS understanding in educational settings.

Findings

QISCIT covers key QIS concepts like entanglement and quantum gates.

Validation involved feedback from 11 experts.

Open sharing of the assessment tool supports QIS education.

Abstract

Quantum information science (QIS) is a critical interdisciplinary field that requires a well-educated workforce in the near future. Numerous researchers and educators have been actively investigating how to best educate and prepare such a workforce. An open issue has been the lack of a validated tool to asses QIS understanding without requiring college-level math. In this paper, we present the systematic development and content validation of a new assessment instrument called the Quantum Information Science Concept Introductory Test (QISCIT). With feedback from 11 QIS experts, we have developed and validated a 31-item version of QISCIT that covers concepts like quantum states, quantum measurement, qubits, entanglement, coherence and decoherence, quantum gates and computing, and quantum communication. In addition to openly sharing our new concept inventory, we discuss how introductory QIS instructors can use it in their courses.