Abstract
Abstract
As quantum computing education expands into K-12 settings, learning environments that help novice learners understand abstract quantum concepts and explore quantum circuits are increasingly needed. This study developed EduQubit, a web-based quantum computing learning environment, and compared it with IBM Quantum Composer. A pretest–posttest study was conducted with 84 sixth-grade students from four intact classrooms at an elementary school in South Korea. The four classrooms were randomly assigned to the EduQubit or IBM Quantum Composer condition. EduQubit structured learning through step-by-step missions and subsequent open-ended exploration, whereas the IBM Quantum Composer condition relied on teacher guidance for the same learning tasks. The results included conceptual understanding of quantum computing, self-efficacy of quantum programming, subjective workload, and user experience; student interviews were also conducted.Student-level ANCOVA showed significantly higher posttest conceptual understanding in the EduQubit group after controlling for pretest scores (p = .036, partial η2 = .053). In contrast, quantum programming self-efficacy, subjective workload, and user experience did not differ significantly between the two groups. The exploratory classroom-level analysis showed the same directional pattern for conceptual understanding, although only four classrooms were included. Interviews indicated that both environments supported hands-on circuit exploration, but differed in how that exploration was guided and in the difficulties students encountered.These findings suggest that quantum computing learning environments for novice learners may benefit from going beyond circuit-manipulation functionality to structure learners’ exploration, with greater guidance during initial learning and progressively increasing autonomy. Given the small number of classrooms and the short intervention, the findings should be interpreted as exploratory rather than definitive evidence of the effects of the learning-environment.