Games for Teaching/Learning Quantum Mechanics: A Pilot Study with High-School Students
The teaching of quantum physics is challenging, not the least because teachers must overcome the traditional narrative approach, students must gain a conceptual understanding of fundamentals, and citizens must become aware of quantum technologies. Quantum games are powerful tools to overcome obstacl...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/7/446 |
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| author | Maria Luisa Chiofalo Caterina Foti Marisa Michelini Lorenzo Santi Alberto Stefanel |
| author_facet | Maria Luisa Chiofalo Caterina Foti Marisa Michelini Lorenzo Santi Alberto Stefanel |
| author_sort | Maria Luisa Chiofalo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The teaching of quantum physics is challenging, not the least because teachers must overcome the traditional narrative approach, students must gain a conceptual understanding of fundamentals, and citizens must become aware of quantum technologies. Quantum games are powerful tools to overcome obstacles and push one’s limits without fear of failure. We report on a pilot study involving twenty high-school student volunteers, consisting of a compact intervention module on the concepts of quantum states, properties, measurement, superposition, and entanglement within the framework of the Model of Educational Reconstruction, followed by playing a game, quantum TiqTaqToe. The outcomes of this research-based learning environment are discussed via the qualitative analysis of students’ answers to two open questionnaires. We find that students grasped the concepts of superposition and, with special awareness, entanglement, the game proving effective to help students experience their implications in quantum behavior. The informal and stimulating tournament atmosphere favored intertwining of the game with learning goals. Our central message is that the use of quantum game tools fits a teaching/learning environment in manners often not well understood in the literature; it enhances awareness of the nature of new and non-intuitive concepts, increases complementarity with other languages within the process of thinking about physics, boosts student engagement, and improves intervention efficiency and effectiveness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:20:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f04afa5d3924d6284c2b8769df99732 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:20:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f04afa5d3924d6284c2b8769df997322023-12-01T22:04:51ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022022-06-0112744610.3390/educsci12070446Games for Teaching/Learning Quantum Mechanics: A Pilot Study with High-School StudentsMaria Luisa Chiofalo0Caterina Foti1Marisa Michelini2Lorenzo Santi3Alberto Stefanel4Department of Physics, University of Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Applied Physics, Aalto University, 02150 Aalto, FinlandPhysics Education Research Unit, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, ItalyPhysics Education Research Unit, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, ItalyPhysics Education Research Unit, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, ItalyThe teaching of quantum physics is challenging, not the least because teachers must overcome the traditional narrative approach, students must gain a conceptual understanding of fundamentals, and citizens must become aware of quantum technologies. Quantum games are powerful tools to overcome obstacles and push one’s limits without fear of failure. We report on a pilot study involving twenty high-school student volunteers, consisting of a compact intervention module on the concepts of quantum states, properties, measurement, superposition, and entanglement within the framework of the Model of Educational Reconstruction, followed by playing a game, quantum TiqTaqToe. The outcomes of this research-based learning environment are discussed via the qualitative analysis of students’ answers to two open questionnaires. We find that students grasped the concepts of superposition and, with special awareness, entanglement, the game proving effective to help students experience their implications in quantum behavior. The informal and stimulating tournament atmosphere favored intertwining of the game with learning goals. Our central message is that the use of quantum game tools fits a teaching/learning environment in manners often not well understood in the literature; it enhances awareness of the nature of new and non-intuitive concepts, increases complementarity with other languages within the process of thinking about physics, boosts student engagement, and improves intervention efficiency and effectiveness.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/7/446quantum mechanicssecondary schoolstudent learningquantum games |
| spellingShingle | Maria Luisa Chiofalo Caterina Foti Marisa Michelini Lorenzo Santi Alberto Stefanel Games for Teaching/Learning Quantum Mechanics: A Pilot Study with High-School Students Education Sciences quantum mechanics secondary school student learning quantum games |
| title | Games for Teaching/Learning Quantum Mechanics: A Pilot Study with High-School Students |
| title_full | Games for Teaching/Learning Quantum Mechanics: A Pilot Study with High-School Students |
| title_fullStr | Games for Teaching/Learning Quantum Mechanics: A Pilot Study with High-School Students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Games for Teaching/Learning Quantum Mechanics: A Pilot Study with High-School Students |
| title_short | Games for Teaching/Learning Quantum Mechanics: A Pilot Study with High-School Students |
| title_sort | games for teaching learning quantum mechanics a pilot study with high school students |
| topic | quantum mechanics secondary school student learning quantum games |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/7/446 |
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