Quantum Computing in STEM Education Webinars and Workshops

Quantum computers are no longer a distant vision; several are already accessible online and ready to be programmed. Yet hands-on experience with real quantum hardware rarely reaches secondary school classrooms, let alone teacher training itself. In this hands-on mini-workshop, participants connect to a real quantum computer at IQM, a Finnish company, and run programs written with Qiskit, IBM’s open-source quantum computing framework. Working in small groups on prepared Raspberry Pis, participants create an account, obtain an API token, and telecontrol real quantum hardware directly: measuring a single qubit, then letting the quantum computer add 1 and 1 for them. Time permitting, we take a first look at Deutsch’s algorithm, the simplest example of a quantum computer outperforming a classical one. This workshop grows out of Quantum Computing in STEM Education, the Science on Stage project in which twenty teachers from fifteen European countries developed open teaching materials to bring quantum computing into secondary school classrooms.

Quantum technology is one of the most challenging areas of science to introduce into school education because of the abstract nature of its fundamental concepts, their distance from everyday experience, and the need to connect conceptual, physical, mathematical, and experimental approaches. This paper presents “Quantum World Through Play,” an innovative educational project designed to introduce upper-primary and secondary school students to fundamental concepts of quantum physics and quantum computing through games, experiments, simulations, and creative activities. The project was developed within the international Quantum Computing in STEM Education initiative organised by Science on Stage, which brought together STEM teachers from different European countries to develop and exchange educational materials and teaching approaches. The educational model consists of four interconnected workshops: the historical development of quantum physics, learning quantum concepts through board games, exploring mathematical and experimental aspects of quantum phenomena, and connecting quantum physics with art. The project combines physics, mathematics, and creativity and provides an adaptable model for different age groups and levels of prior knowledge. The paper describes the pedagogical design, interdisciplinary structure, and potential educational benefits of the project and proposes a framework for future empirical evaluation.

Budinski, N. (2026). Exploring quantum physics through play: integrating games, experiments, mathematics, and art in STEM education: Using game-based, inquiry-based, and creative approaches to teach quantum concepts. LUMAT-B: International Journal on Math, Science and Technology Education, 11(1), 6. Retrieved from https://journals.helsinki.fi/lumatb/article/view/3537