SaTC: EDU: Microlessons to Build Readiness in the Cybersecurity Workforce

对美国企业和政府的网络威胁对国家安全和行业竞争力都构成了挑战。需要更好的解决方案来培训保护这些网络的网络安全专业人员，特别是缺乏时间和资源参加课程的职业中期专业人员。这项研究将开发和测试使用智能手机应用程序的可行性，以用户定制的，连贯的和灵活的方式提供简明的学习内容，微型课程，以支持工作场所学习新的网络威胁和道德黑客程序。这项工作推进了学习科学家对课程设计过程的理解，这些课程设计过程需要将长形式的技术课程内容转换为自主成人学习者设计的简短课程和测验。它还有助于计算机科学家使用人工智能来跟踪学习者的进度，并对学习过程中的下一步提出建议。研究将分为三个主要阶段。首先，研究人员将选择社区学院认证项目中使用的现有在线网络安全学习材料，并将其转化为1到4分钟的微课程集合。研究人员将组织内容，确保其符合行业标准，并提供应用内徽章。研究人员还将创建一套智能课程建议，指导学习者通过黑客用于发起攻击的推理，以及防御者用于检测，诊断，监控和缓解攻击的推理。课程建议将根据每个学习者的需求，现有知识和过去的经验进行调整。其次，该研究将在一个名为PERLS（普及学习系统）的智能手机平台上提供一组微课程序列测试。这套初步课程将包括200至350个不同的微课程、测验、学习自我反思、网络安全工具指导性实践体验，以及智能、个性化的内容推荐。第三，该研究将以原型的试点测试为高潮，最多有15名工作专业人员寻求更新他们的网络安全技能。该试点将通过测验和学习者的自我反思来跟踪工具的使用频率和学习进度。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Cyber threats to U.S. businesses and governments challenge both national security and industry competitiveness. Better solutions are needed for training the cybersecurity professionals who protect these networks, particularly the mid-career professionals who lack the time and resources to take courses. This research will develop and test the feasibility of using a smartphone application to deliver concise learning content, microlessons, in a user-tailored, coherent, and flexible way to support workplace learning about new cyber threats and ethical hacking procedures. This work advances learning scientists' understanding about the curriculum design processes required to convert long-form, technical lesson content into brief lessons and quizzes designed for self-directed adult learners. It also contributes to computer scientists' methods of using artificial intelligence to track learners' progress and make recommendations on the next steps in the learning process. The research will have three main phases. First, researchers will select and transform existing online cybersecurity learning materials used in community college certification programs into a collection of 1- to 4-minute microlessons. The researchers will organize the content, ensure it is consistent with industry standards, and provide in-app badges. Researchers will also create set of intelligent lesson recommendations that guide learners through the reasoning that hackers use to stage attacks and that defenders use to detect, diagnose, monitor, and mitigate attacks. Lesson recommendations will adjust according to each learner's needs, existing knowledge, and past experience. Second, the research will deliver a test set of microlesson sequences on a smartphone platform called PERLS (Pervasive Learning System). This initial set of lessons will include between 200 and 350 different microlessons, quizzes, self-reflections on learning, and guided hands-on experiences with cybersecurity tools, as well as intelligent, personalized content recommendations. Third, the research will culminate with a pilot test of the prototype with up to 15 working professionals seeking to update their cybersecurity skills. This pilot will track tool usage frequency and learning progress as measured through quizzes and learners' self-reflections. The results will be shared through cybersecurity education and professional associations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.