Qubit by Qubit: Insights and Best Practices for Designing and Scaling a Virtual Global Quantum Course*

COVID-19 may have accelerated the roll-out of virtual learning around the world, but we at Qubit by Qubit have been teaching students virtually before the pandemic and will continue to do so long after. To date, we have taught quantum to over 40,000 students hailing from over 125 countries, and are currently in the third iteration of our two-semester Introduction to Quantum Computing course. Since its inception in 2020, the course has been offered virtually with live instruction from researchers at top universities, including UC Berkeley, MIT, and Harvard. Though our students speak different first languages; are demographically diverse; and have varying knowledge of Python and physics, we have done the seemingly impossible - maintain an 80%+ course retention rate.

In this talk, we will discuss best practices for designing and scaling a global, virtual, and accessible quantum course. We will break down the course’s instructional design, infrastructure conducive to its global growth, and recruiting practices aimed at creating a diverse cohort of students. Based on years of trial, error, and experimentation, we will also discuss topics such as the importance of live instruction, key components to an inclusive curriculum, and how to foster a sense of global community.