Search

Randomized benchmarking (RB) protocols are the most widely used methods for assessing the performance of quantum gates. However, the existing RB methods either do not scale to many qubits or cannot benchmark a universal gate set. Here, we introduce and demonstrate a technique for scalable RB of many universal and continuously parametrized gate sets, using a class of circuits called randomized mirror circuits. Our technique can be applied to a gate set containing an entangling Clifford gate and the set of arbitrary single-qubit gates, as well as gate sets containing controlled rotations about the Pauli axes. We use our technique to benchmark universal gate sets on four qubits of the Advanced Quantum Testbed, including a gate set containing a controlled-S gate and its inverse, and we investigate how the observed error rate is impacted by the inclusion of non-Clifford gates. Finally, we demonstrate that our technique scales to many qubits with experiments on a 27-qubit IBM Q processor. We use our technique to quantify the impact of crosstalk on this 27-qubit device, and we find that it contributes approximately 2/3 of the total error per gate in random many-qubit circuit layers.

The mistakes made when attempting tasks often prove to be some of the most invaluable learning experiences. Despite this, outcome and results driven assessment formats largely penalise student performance errors or reward students who succeed by chance. The consequences of this paradigm are visible effects on student relationships with assessment. The student-tutor consensus approach to assessment was introduced to capture student learning achieved "from" assessment to complement the measurement of performance outcomes. This approach parallels student and tutor judgement in a grade negotiation, affording the student an opportunity to share with their assessor what they have learned from the assessment activity. This student self-awareness was then considered alongside the conventional outcome-based score awarded by the tutor to generate a final grade for the assessed activity. Our study evaluated the perceptions of 90 undergraduate students enrolled in the bachelor of paramedic studies, who participated in this novel assessment approach as part of a final-year capstone topic. The results comprehensively indicated value for all aspects of the assessment approach, as well as a recognition that the skills will be useful in their future professional roles.

Abstract A key factor impacting upon sustainable development are the perceptions people hold of their local social, economic and ecological environment. These perceptions influence how communities fashion the local landscape [...]

Instead of concentrating on improving educational quality for children and adolescents, present reform machinations are centered on school leadership and accountability issues. This article discusses three educational reform paradoxes (equity, teacher empowerment, and school effectiveness) that are ignored in most reform reports. Included are 14 references. (MLH)

The recent increased emphasis on quality in higher education may reflect larger issues of legitimacy and authority inherent in the modern democratic state. Several traditional and emergent perspectives on the legitimacy of higher education and the use of ad hoc committees to define, advocate, and implement reforms are examined. (Author/MLW)

William Torbert's The Power of Balance incredibly and uncomfortably challenges the reader and the reviewer. Here is an author who lives a constant dialectic where there is no peace found [...]

Byline: Anne Wallis, Anneke Richards, Kevin O'Toole, Brad Mitchell Developing tools for measuring progress toward sustainability has proven a challenging task. Indicators offer an excellent means to explore the success or otherwise of management strategies. They also allow reporting social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability. To ensure that the tools developed are effective in measuring the progress toward sustainable futures, an evaluation of the methods and the indicators used must be undertaken so that with progress there is learning and with the new knowledge methods can be redesigned to better advance sustainability. This paper discusses a study carried out in the south west region of Victoria, Australia, using indicators as the basis for developing a tool to measure progress toward sustainability. By evaluating the methods and indicators used in the study this paper provides an insight into the challenges encountered and the lessons learned. Issues explored include selecting indicators, collating data, integrating social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability and using an adaptive approach.

By David Damrosch. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1995.225 pp. $32.50 ($15.95) REVIEWED BY HRAD L. MITCHELL, The Ohio State University Strange but wonderful things can happen when you mix [...]