Effectiveness of Mini-Tutorials on Quantum Mechanics Concepts for a Smooth Transition to Quantum Computing

Quantum computing (QC) is an emerging field that underpins many cutting-edge technologies and is increasingly integrated into physics curricula. Despite its significance, there remains a lack of empirical research on effective instructional strategies for QC. To bridge this gap, we investigate the impact of research-based mini-tutorials on students' understanding of key QC concepts, specifically, the Stern-Gerlach experiment, quantum entanglement, and single-qubit gates, as connections between Quantum mechanics and QC. We conducted this study in an upper-level undergraduate introductory QC course, where we video-recorded class interactions during the mini-tutorials. Additionally, we administered pre- and post-tests to assess the students' knowledge growth in these target areas as leveraged by the mini-tutorials and conducted post-interviews to capture their feedback on this approach. The findings provide insights into the effectiveness of mini-tutorials as an instructional strategy for QC education and offer recommendations for optimizing quantum mechanics instruction to facilitate a smooth transition to QC learning.