Project-Based Learning in K12 Cybersecurity Education
Project-Based Learning in K12 Cybersecurity Education
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674.25 kB
Author:
Sandra Nite, Wesley Brashear, Trenton Gray, Dhruva Chakravorty
Date:
27 November 2024
Teaching adolescents can be challenging, and cybersecurity education is no different. Teachers need to find ways to engage students in the learning by providing some incentive, such as encouraging a sense of curiosity about something in the world around them. In this paper, we discuss one model of teaching, the 5E Model, that has been effective in helping teachers engage students so they have a desire to learn the material. We will also discuss the Project-Based Learning method of teaching in which students learn the necessary information for the project as they work on the project. Students' incentive to learn is based on the need for the learning in order to solve the problem and complete the project. We combined these two ideas and integrated them into some of the activities in the summer camp as well as the project for the week. We will describe two camp activities and how the 5E Model was used to plan the activities. Then we will describe the final project and how the 5E Model was used as the students developed their projects throughout the week, learning more and more about the cybersecurity concepts around which the camp was focused. We hope to give others who work with adolescents in informal learning some ideas to help keep students engrossed in the learning opportunities provided to them.