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1. Engaging the public in quantum information science through interactive gamified learning

   Skinner, R; Wesolowski, K; Christman, D; Williams, G; Gonzalez-Maldonado, D; Garcia, L; Harlow, D; Franklin, D; Edwards, E (August 2025, ASTC dimensions)

   Quantum computers are projected to be able to carry out certain complex calculations that our current, classical computers cannot accomplish efficiently. The word quantum refers to the smallest possible unit of something, which in this context relates to the properties of tiny particles like atoms, electrons, and photons. Quantum computers use these properties to perform complex calculations in ways that are fundamentally different from non-quantum computers. In , quantum computers will be faster than classical computers. A quantum computing revolution requires a new generation of scientists and engineers who are familiar with quantum concepts and principles. Yet, educational efforts to teach the basic concepts of this field to a new generation are lacking [2]. A few efforts have been developed to introduce pre-college students to QIS, including an activity on quantum teleportation for secondary school students [3] and a series of coding-based activities for high-school students [4]. However, high-quality activities to promote QIS at the K-12 level are scarce, despite research showing that middle school is a crucial time for students as they begin to contemplate possible career paths [5,6]. This article describes the adaptation of an existing online educational computer game to introduce quantum computing concepts to an interactive science center audience from age seven to adult 

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2. Introduction to Quantum Computing for Everyone: Experience Report

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3545945.3569836  

   Liu, Jonathan; Franklin, Diana (March 2023, Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 1 (SIGCSE 2023))

   Quantum computing presents a paradigmatic shift in the field of computation, in which unintuitive properties of quantum mechanics can be harnessed to change the way we approach a wide range of problems. However, due to the mathematics and physics perspective through which quantum computing is traditionally presented, most resources are inaccessible to many undergraduate students, let alone the general public. It is thus imperative to develop resources and best-practices for quantum computing instruction accessible to students at all levels. In this paper, we describe the development and results of our Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) "Introduction to Quantum Computing for Everyone." This course presents an introduction to quantum computing with few technical prerequisites. In the first half of the course, quantum computing concepts are introduced with a unique, purely visual representation, allowing students to develop conceptual understanding without the burden of learning new mathematical notation. In the second half, students are taught the formal notation for concepts and objects already introduced, reinforcing student understanding of these concepts and providing an applicable context for the technical material. Most notably, we find that introducing the math content in the curriculum's second stage led to no drops in engagement or student performance, suggesting that our curriculum's spiral structure eased the technical burden. 

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3. Unplugged K-12 AI Learning: Exploring Representation and Reasoning with a Facial Recognition Game

   https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v38i21.30376  

   Lim, Hansol; Min, Wookhee; Vandenberg, Jessica; Cateté, Veronica; Mott, Bradford (March 2024, Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence)

   With the growing prevalence of AI, the need for K-12 AI education is becoming more crucial, which is prompting active research in developing engaging and age-appropriate AI learning activities. Efforts are underway, such as those by the AI4K12 initiative, to establish guidelines for organizing K- 12 AI education; however, effective instructional resources are needed by educators. In this paper, we describe our work to design, develop, and implement an unplugged activity centered on facial recognition technology for middle school students. Facial recognition is integrated into a wide range of applications throughout daily life, which makes it a familiar and engaging tool for students and an effective medium for conveying AI concepts. Our unplugged activity, “Guess Whose Face,” is designed as a board game that focuses on Representation and Reasoning from AI4K12’s 5 Big Ideas in AI. The game is crafted to enable students to develop AI competencies naturally through physical interaction. In the game, one student uses tracing paper to extract facial features from a familiar face shown on a card, such as a cartoon character or celebrity, and then other students try to guess the identity of the hidden face. We discuss details of the game, its iterative refinement, and initial findings from piloting the activity during a summer camp for rural middle school students. 

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4. Integrating Computer Science in Middle School Lessons through Block-Based Coding

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3770761.3777229  

   Reddi, Shreelakshya; Perez, Ethan; Cateté, Veronica (February 2026, ACM)

   Students are most commonly introduced to computer science through high school classes focused on teaching coding from the basics. While formal classes focused on foundational programming are essential, early exposure to computer science foundations for students can be essential for a more successful understanding of the concepts, with a stronger foundation and an increased interest in computer science. This project specifically looks at integrating computer science lesson scaffolding (Parsons’ problems and starter code) into school lessons, mainly focused but not limited to science topics, to create exposure to computer science while students learn other school subjects. This is aimed at ensuring that students are able to gain computer science concepts without having to have specialized computer science classes at the schools. In this research, a one-week middle school computer science camp, Ctrl+Alt+Explore, was held to test these various computinginfused lessons on 24 middle school students. Additionally, we aimed at understanding the impact of Parsons problem difficulty and student learning outcomes. In this study, we identified increased student coding knowledge through students creating their own coding projects, suggesting that coding scaffolding can lead to increased computer science learning outcomes. 

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5. The Gamification of XFEL Education Using XFEL Crystal Blaster

   https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12050671  

   Kabayiza, Fiacre; Woodruff, Sarah B; Bauer, William J (May 2022, Crystals)

   Novel groundbreaking techniques, such as serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX), which utilizes X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs), have led to impressive advances in the field of structural biology. However, educating the next generation of scientists on this complex, advanced, and continuously evolving field can be challenging. Gamification has been shown to be an effective strategy for engaging new learners and has a positive influence on knowledge acquisition, student satisfaction, and motivation. Here, we present an educational game, XFEL Crystal Blaster, aimed at increasing middle and high school students’ exposure to advanced topics in crystallography. This simple and accessible game is available on multiple platforms, is intuitive for gamers, and requires no prior knowledge of the game’s content. The assessment of students’ experiences with the game suggests that the XFEL Crystal Blaster game is likely to develop some introductory knowledge of XFELs and X-ray crystallography and increase interest in learning more about X-ray crystallography. Both of these outcomes are key to engaging students in the exploration of emerging scientific fields that are potential career pathways. 

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