IUSE: Collaborative Project: Engaged Student Learning: Design and Development, Level I: Broadening the Path to the STEM Profession through Cybersecurity Learning

该项目的意义和重要性在于网络安全领域STEM人才管道的多样化和拓宽，主要是本科和文科学校（小型机构）。这是通过创建一个课程来实现的，该课程适应不同计算机水平的学生，注重体验式学习，并通过云计算利用机构协作。该项目将减轻小型机构目前在网络安全领域面临的挑战，例如，紧凑的计算机科学课程以及无法支持网络安全教育所需的昂贵基础设施。本项目将研究使用新课程和相关的在线项目，学生是否会达到相同或更高的网络安全学习水平。该项目将通过为小型机构的学生创造一系列强调动手和现实实验的网络安全学习机会来解决上述挑战。首先，该项目将通过多种学习和参与途径引入网络安全主题，吸引不同的学生群体。学生将通过可管理的，独立的课程模块和实验室练习介绍网络安全概念。有兴趣的学生可以进一步学习两个网络安全重点课程和网络安全顶点项目由这个项目创建。使用所有这些材料，学生可以创建一个网络安全集中。其次，该项目将使用全球网络创新环境（GENI）基础设施开发经验实验室和顶点项目任务。GENI为缺乏基础设施来支持复杂计算机实验室的小型机构提供经济实惠的云解决方案。新课程的学习效果将通过每年一次的定量能力评估来评估。学生的网络安全持久性将通过对学生学习期间所修网络安全课程数量的纵向研究来评估。课程的定性评估将采取学生访谈和焦点小组的形式，以衡量学生对课程模块的态度、对学习成果的看法以及对所采用教学法的满意程度。除了与三所大专院校的合作外，该项目还将利用与当地社区学院的关系，进一步发展网络安全人才队伍。这种伙伴关系提供了一组多样化的学生，将支持通过这种方法对学生网络安全学习进行基于证据的评估。

The significance and importance of this project resides in the diversification and broadening of the STEM talent pipeline in cybersecurity in predominantly undergraduate and liberal arts schools (small institutions). This is achieved by the creation of a curriculum that accommodates students of different levels of computer literacy, that focuses on experiential learning, and that utilizes institutional collaboration via cloud computing. This project will mitigate the challenges small institutions currently face in the cybersecurity area, for example, a tight computer science curriculum and the inability to support the expensive infrastructure required for cybersecurity education. Integrated into this project is research as to whether using this new curriculum and the related online projects, students will attain the same, or an increase, level of cybersecurity learning. This project will address the above challenges by creating a range of cybersecurity learning opportunities that emphasize hands-on and realistic experimentation for students in small institutions. First, this project will attract a diverse population of students by introducing cybersecurity topics through multiple paths of study and engagement. Students will be introduced to cybersecurity concepts through manageable, stand alone course modules and laboratory exercises. Interested students can study further by taking two cybersecurity focused courses and cybersecurity capstone projects created by this project. Using all these materials students can create a cybersecurity concentration. Second, the project will use the Global Environment for Network Innovation (GENI) infrastructure in the development of empirical labs and the capstone project assignments. GENI offers an affordable cloud solution to small institutions that lack the infrastructure to support sophisticated computer labs. The learning impact of the new curriculum will be evaluated by quantitative competency assessments that are administered yearly. Student cybersecurity persistence will be assessed by a longitudinal study of the number of cybersecurity courses taken during a student's course of study. Qualitative assessment of the curriculum will take the form of student interviews and focus groups to gauge attitude towards course modules, perception of learning gains and comfort level with the pedagogies employed. In addition to the collaboration of three college level institutions, this project will leverage relationships with local community colleges to further develop a cybersecurity workforce. This partnership provides a diverse set of students that will support the evidence-based evaluation of student cybersecurity learning via this approach.