I-Corps L: Investigating Commercialization Strategies for the CryptoClub

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

There has been a rapid expansion in afterschool programs in the past fifteen years. Although afterschool is not a new idea, the focus on quality enrichment opportunities for all children, not just those who can afford them is relatively new. One challenge in afterschool programs is to find activities that are school-relevant, but not necessarily school-like. It is often reported that there is a shortage of curricular materials that offer mathematics activities designed for informal settings. Afterschool programs often offer tutoring in math topics, using materials from the regular day. Some purchase "Math Kits" with a collection of manipulatives. Some use hands-on science activities that are typically isolated one-lesson activities. There are some STEM curricula with a theme that is sustained over several sessions, such as robotics. Others report that they do not have material for informal math programs.In the proposed "CryptoClub" afterschool program, middle-grade students will explore cryptography while applying mathematics to make and break secret codes. The playfulness and mystery of the subject will be engaging to students, and the afterschool environment will allow them to learn at their own pace. Some activities will involve moving around, for example following a trail of encrypted clues to find a hidden treasure, or running back and forth in a relay race, competing to be the first to gather and decrypt the parts of a secret message. Other activities will involve sitting more quietly and thinking deeply about patterns that might help break a code. On the other hand, in the proposed CryptoClub Online approach, the CryptoClub Website will provide additional opportunities for applying and learning cryptography in a playful way. It currently includes cipher tools for encrypting and decrypting, message and joke boards where users decrypt messages or submit their own encrypted messages, historical comics about cryptography, and adventure games that involve secret messages.