POTSDAM — The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a nearly $400,000 grant to four professors at Clarkson University to incorporate cybersecurity into their computing classes. The funding will help them “create and integrate” identity and access management (IAM)-themed, project-based learning (PBL) curriculum into existing computer-science and software engineering-related curricula, the university said in its […]
POTSDAM — The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a nearly $400,000 grant to four professors at Clarkson University to incorporate cybersecurity into their computing classes.
The funding will help them “create and integrate” identity and access management (IAM)-themed, project-based learning (PBL) curriculum into existing computer-science and software engineering-related curricula, the university said in its Sept. 14 announcement.
This project is under the direction of Daqing Hou, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of software engineering; Jeanna Matthews, professor of computer science; Jan DeWaters, associate professor in the Institute for STEM Education; and Faraz Hussain, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.
The Clarkson team will collaborate with researchers from the University of Texas at San Antonio, the school noted.
Project-based learning (PBL) and other active learning practices have been shown to increase student motivation and engagement, raise examination performance, and reduce failure rates, according to Clarkson.
Students will work on “authentic, real-world” problems similar to what they will encounter on the job, the university said. This approach will broadly expand cybersecurity education to all computing-related students, not only those enrolled in dedicated cybersecurity programs.
The project also seeks to broaden participation in computing disciplines. Ultimately, it will improve student-learning outcomes, including personal competencies, mastery of cybersecurity content, and higher-order thinking skills, Clarkson contends.
The project will design and develop a set of ready-to-use IAM-themed software course projects, along with supporting course modules and active learning activities, which will enable course instructors to assign and support take-home PBL projects.
At least 10 faculty members from multiple institutions will use the developed course materials in their classrooms, impacting more than 1,000 students, Clarkson said.
A pilot study will assess the promise of the developed projects in improving student-learning outcomes.
Clarkson said it will disseminate the overall framework and materials developed through websites, publications in conference proceedings and journals, and workshops.