NSF Award
2324924
Educators and learners in the field of secure quantum communications and quantum networking face a unique challenge. In order to be proficient in these areas, one must draw from a broad set of disciplines. Effective training in such interdisciplinary emerging areas poses several structural and pedagogical challenges. The limited availability of educational resources in these areas often requires educators to collect and curate materials from several sources. Manually developing courses and identifying relevant student learning objectives (SLOs) can be a considerable burden for educators. In addition, learning from courses created this way can be challenging for students. Traditional approaches are not adequate for teaching interdisciplinary areas, since they do not provide the hands-on learning experiences needed to study interactions among disciplines. This project will address the above challenges by developing and disseminating a state-of-the-art experiential learning-based platform, QUINTET: Quantum internet education and training synthesizer. <br/><br/>The QUINTET platform will include: (1) Eight course modules on classical and quantum networking, networking algorithms, quantum internet components and quantum routing, classical and quantum cryptography, and classical and quantum network security; (2) A Learning Objects Repository (LOR) consisting of learning objects that meet SLOs, including modular interactive widgets, relevant text, videos, exercises, and quizzes and tests to synthesize lessons; (3) Use of Kolb’s four phases of experiential learning, including hands-on, virtual quantum network experimentation and universal design for learning, which offers multiple equivalent representations of the same concept for inclusive and accessible learning; (4) New assessment methodology that uses data collection embedded within lesson plans and qualitative assessments that allow instructors and learners to review their performance through reflection zones and active experimentation; and (5) A design in alignment with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Inter-operable, and Reusable) principles and instrumented with a rich set of metadata that allows efficient retrieval and customization of course modules for a variety of learning experiences.<br/><br/>This project is supported by the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program, which funds proposals that address cybersecurity and privacy, and in this case specifically cybersecurity education. The SaTC program aligns with the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Strategic Plan and the National Privacy Research Strategy to protect and preserve the growing social and economic benefits of cyber systems while ensuring security and privacy.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
