EAGER: SaTC-EDU: A Case- and Play-Based Learning Module for Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence Education for Early Teen Learners

人工智能(AI)和机器学习(ML)正在扩展到我们日常生活的更多方面，以及关键的基础设施。因此，理解这些概念及其与网络安全的关系，对所有学生和国家的劳动力来说都变得越来越重要。为K-12学习者提供围绕网络安全和人工智能教育的引人入胜的学习体验至关重要，特别是在个人发展职业抱负和兴趣的青少年早期。这对个人和国家都是有益的，因为它有助于国家未来STEM劳动力和公民的发展。目前的K-12网络安全教育在很大程度上是通过在教室里的“数字素养”活动或校外倡议来完成的，对于年轻学习者来说，几乎没有真正的编程元素。此外，AI/ML不在这些课程中，尽管K-12学校的人工智能努力分别引起了人们的关注。这一基于案例和游戏的网络安全和人工智能教育模块(CABLE)项目将解决K-12学习者在网络安全和AI/ML教育方面的这一差距。该项目将开发一种真实、引人入胜的学习体验，向8-10年级的学生介绍网络安全的基础知识及其与人工智能的相互作用。拟议的努力将在课程和教育学领域进行创新，系统地整合网络安全、人工智能和ML的想法。这些主题通常是单独教授的，如果有的话，在这些关键的计算机科学(CS)主题中提供集成的学习体验将使十几岁的学习者更有能力。该项目将包括开发一个40小时的学习模块--青少年人工智能与网络安全(ACT)--以激励和吸引13-15岁的学生。ACT模块将用于网络安全营地和/或作为学校课堂上计算机科学和(或)人工智能课程的延伸。课程和教学法将利用协作棋盘或纸牌游戏来引导学生了解网络安全概念。它还将包括一组与网络安全问题(如网络欺诈、网络欺凌、黑客攻击、网络钓鱼)有关的真实、真实的‘案例’的创新集合，青少年可以识别。这些课程将与NetsBlox编程环境中相关的变革性编程练习搭配使用，涉及AI/ML，这将有助于学生理解ML模型和AI/ML技术，包括文本分类、神经网络和生成性对手网络。项目团队还将设计基于网络安全情景的评估，以评估对网络安全和AI/ML概念的理解。该项目由安全和值得信赖的网络空间(SATC)计划的一项特别倡议支持，旨在促进网络安全、人工智能和教育领域之间以前从未探索过的新合作。SATC计划与联邦网络安全研究和发展战略计划和国家隐私研究战略保持一致，以保护和维护网络系统日益增长的社会和经济效益，同时确保安全和隐私。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are expanding into more aspects of our daily lives as well as key infrastructure. As a result, understanding these concepts and their relationship with cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important both for all students and the nation’s workforce. Providing engaging learning experiences for K-12 learners around cybersecurity and AI education is critical, especially during the early teen years when individuals are developing career aspirations and interests. This is beneficial at the level of both individuals and the nation, as it contributes to the development of the nation’s future STEM workforce and citizenry. Current K-12 cybersecurity education is largely accomplished through ‘digital literacy’ activities in classrooms or out-of-school initiatives with few authentic programming elements for younger learners. Moreover, AI/ML do not feature in these curricula even though AI efforts in K-12 schools are separately garnering attention. This case- and play-based learning (CAPABLE) module for cybersecurity and AI education project will address this gap in cybersecurity and AI/ML education for K-12 learners. The project will develop an authentic, engaging learning experience that will introduce students in grades 8-10 to the fundamentals of cybersecurity and its interplay with AI. The proposed effort will innovate in the areas of curriculum and pedagogy to systematically integrate ideas from cybersecurity, AI, and ML. These topics are typically taught separately, if at all, and providing integrated learning experiences in these critical computer science (CS) topics will empower learners in their early teen years. The project will involve development and empirical investigation of a 40-hour learning module—AI & Cybersecurity for Teens (ACT)—to motivate and engage students aged 13-15. The ACT module will be made available for use in cybersecurity camps and/or as an extension to CS and/or AI curricula in school classrooms. The curriculum and pedagogy will utilize collaborative board or card games to orient students to cybersecurity concepts. It will also include an innovative collection of authentic, real-world ‘cases’ related to cybersecurity issues (such as cyberfraud, cyberbullying, hacking, phishing) with which young teens can identify. These will be paired with related, transformative programming exercises in the NetsBlox programming environment and involving AI/ML, which will help build student understanding of ML models and AI/ML techniques including text classification, neural networks and generative adversarial networks. The project team will also design a Cybersecurity Scenario-Based Assessment to assess understanding of cybersecurity and AI/ML concepts.This project is supported by a special initiative of the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program to foster new, previously unexplored, collaborations between the fields of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and education. The SaTC program aligns with the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Strategic Plan and the National Privacy Research Strategy to protect and preserve the growing social and economic benefits of cyber systems while ensuring security and privacy.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.