SaTC: EDU: Cybersecurity Education Using Interactive Storytelling with Social Robots

8-12岁的儿童上网的时间越来越长，他们在电脑、平板电脑和智能手机上消费数字媒体。从小教育儿童认识网络存在的危险，对于防范此类危险和帮助儿童成为负责任的数字公民至关重要。该项目将开发和实施一种有前景的网络安全教育方法，利用互动故事来促进儿童学习在线安全、隐私和保障。该项目将在一个社交机器人上讲述这些故事，这个机器人可以通过一套规则自动与学生互动。使用社交机器人作为学习伙伴将为学生提供互动体验，并将促进更多的参与和对网络安全的兴趣。这项工作有四个目标：(1)反复设计一组涉及关键网络安全概念的互动故事；(2)制作关于社交机器人的故事的原型；(3)增加学生对关键网络安全概念的知识，了解网络安全的重要性，以及对网络安全职业的潜在兴趣；以及(4)创建监测项目目标和参与者成果的工具。这项工作将设在学校和以社区为基础的组织中，服务于不同的人群，包括传统上在计算机领域代表性不足的学生。正在进行的研究以及形成性和终结性评估将有助于确定为推进网络安全教育和扩大学生对计算的参与而学到的见解和教训。鉴于劳动力对网络安全的广泛关注，这项工作将成为推动K-12教育变革的典范，以一种支持学生使用尖端技术学习的方式。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。

Children ages 8-12 spend an increasingly large amount of time online consuming digital media on computers, tablets and smartphones. Educating children at an early age of the dangers that exist online is critical for safeguarding against such dangers and helping children become responsible digital citizens. This project will develop and implement a promising approach to cybersecurity education that utilizes interactive stories to advance children's learning of online safety, privacy and security. The project will deliver these stories on a social robot, which can autonomously interact with students through a set of rules. The use of social robots as learning companions will provide students with an interactive experience and will promote greater engagement and interest in cybersecurity. There are four goals driving this work: (1) iteratively design a collection of interactive stories addressing key cybersecurity concepts; (2) prototype the stories on a social robot; (3) increase student knowledge of key cybersecurity concepts, understanding of the importance of cybersecurity, and potential interest in cybersecurity careers; and (4) create instruments for monitoring project goals and participant outcomes. The work will be situated in schools and community-based organizations, serving a diverse population, including students who are traditionally underrepresented in computing. Ongoing research as well as formative and summative evaluation will help identify insights and lessons learned for advancing cybersecurity education and broadening student participation in computing. Given the wide attention on cybersecurity in the workforce, this work will serve as a model for promoting changes in K-12 education in a manner that supports students' learning by using cutting edge technologies.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.