Teaching cybersecurity: a project-based learning and guided inquiry collaborative learning approach

Cybersecurity is integral to modern life but it is often overlooked and taken for granted, creating an ever-increasing problem for governments, businesses, and consumers alike and costing billions of dollars in investments losses, disaster recovery expenses, and regulatory fines. Compounding this problem is the alarming shortage of cybersecurity professionals worldwide that has continued to worsen. In 2015, industry experts estimated a shortfall of 1.5 million cybersecurity professionals by 2019. The revised estimate in 2019 was 3 million and growing. For these reasons, educating and training cybersecurity professionals has become a top priority for governments and companies around the world. This research study investigates the performance of established student-centered active learning models. It combines Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Guided Inquiry Collaborative Learning (GICL) learning models to teach cybersecurity. Following Bloom’s Taxonomy pedagogical practices, a PBL-GICL framework and activities were developed for teaching a Cybersecurity Biometrics class. Scaffolding activities included items like lab assignments, guided inquiry questions, and a semester long project where students, through experimentation, designed and developed an optical fingerprint reader using a Raspberry Pi, a camera, a prism, and a 3D printed case. Embedded assessments consisting of a survey, peer reviews, exam questions, and research data from a published study that uses Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) to teach cybersecurity modules, are used to evaluate the following research questions: 1. How does PBL-GICL approach compare to POGIL as a learning model for teaching cybersecurity? 2. How effective is the PBL-GICL approach for teaching cybersecurity concepts? 3. What are the challenges and opportunities in implementing PBL-GICL to teach cybersecurity? Quantitative analysis of the survey data suggests that PBL-GICL performance is comparable to POGIL and exceeds it in categories like teamwork experience, motivation, and engagement. The data also suggests that the PBL-GICL approach is an effective student-centered learning model for teaching cybersecurity concepts. Lastly, several challenges concerning online teaching and opportunities for process improvements to implement PBL-GICL are discussed. These findings are important to mitigate the shortfall of qualified cybersecurity professionals by identifying effective student-centered active learning models that motivate and engage students.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Author dc:creator

• Phuong, Chang

Contributors dc:contributor

• Yang, Li
• Ellis, Jennifer; Xie Mengjun; Qin, Hong
• College of Engineering and Computer Science

• Computer security; Process-oriented guided inquiry learning; Project method in teaching

Licence

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English, eng

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/769

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-1945