Maine Virtual Cybersecurity Collaborative Learning Laboratory

南缅因州大学、位于肯特堡的缅因州大学和约克县社区学院正在合作开展一个为期两年的项目，以试点和评估实施机构间虚拟网络安全协作学习实验室的可行性。 在传统的教室或实验室里，学生得到教师和/或其他学生的支持，身体的直接性对学生产生了积极的影响。学习、决策和成果。 网络安全虚拟实验室是共享资源，可最大限度地降低复制网络安全教育计划的成本，并允许来自多个机构的学生远程使用领先机构的硬件。 在虚拟网络安全实验室工作的学生可以作为一个小组的一部分，在距离物理硬件和其他学生很远的地方工作。 该项目将开发程序和实践，以可靠和具有成本效益的方式填补虚拟实验室和物理实验室之间的差距。研究设计允许在三个学期内进行五轮四小时的模拟，评估实施机构间实验室的可行性。 评估研究将采用混合方法，重点是访谈，调查，观察和使用数据，以评估教师和学生对虚拟网络安全实验室的态度和使用情况，以及三个机构在实验室实施中的合作程度。对学生表现数据的定量分析将允许对虚拟实验室的承诺进行初步评估，以实现与保护和防御网络安全场景相关的预期学习成果。

The University of Southern Maine, the University of Maine at Fort Kent, and the York County Community College are collaborating in a two-year project to pilot and evaluate the feasibility of implementing an inter-institutional virtual cyber security collaborative learning laboratory. In a traditional classroom or laboratory, the student has the support of the faculty and or other students and the physical immediacy positively impacts the students? learning, decisions and outcomes. Cybersecurity virtual laboratories are shared resources that minimize the cost of replicating cybersecurity educational programs and allow students from several institutions to remotely use the hardware at the lead institution. A student working in a virtual cyber security laboratory can work as part of a group at great distances from the physical hardware and other students. This project will develop procedures and practices to fill in the gaps between virtual and physical laboratories in reliable and cost effective ways.The research design allows for the evaluation of the feasibility of implementing the inter-institutional laboratory in five, four-hour rounds of simulations over three semesters. Evaluation research will utilize a mixed-method approach, with an emphasis on interviews, surveys, observations, and usage data to assess faculty and student attitudes toward and use of the virtual cybersecurity laboratory, and the extent of cooperation among the three institutions in the implementation of the laboratory. Quantitative analysis of student performance data will allow for preliminary assessment of the promise of the virtual laboratory for achieving the expected learning outcomes related to Protect and Defend cyber security scenarios.