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Project:

I-Corps: CyberExercises, Instructional Modules Development for Exercise-based Teaching of CyberSecurity Concepts

Some Quick Facts About the Project:

  • Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2015
  • Title: I-Corps Learning: CyberExwecises, Instructional Modules Development for Exercise-based Teaching of CyberSecurity Concetps, National Science Foundation (NSF) (NSF Project Summary). Awarded August 2015, $50,000.00. The project is for one year. This project investigates the feasibility and the market needs related to cyber security education and training with its focus on two and four-year colleges.
  • Type: A multidisciplinrary project
  • Involved Departments: Computer Science, College of Business, and Education (Texas Tech University)
  • Project Investigators:
  • Other Facts:
    • TBA

Motivation & Research Goals

This I-Corps Learning project aims to investigate the feasibility and the market needs to develop instructional module prototypes for web-based interactive trainings of cyber security concepts. It is anticipated that the perspective modules, pre-planned exercises and scenarios help educators enhance the dissemination of the tacit and explicit knowledge necessary to prepare students for employment positions in cyber security.

The ultimate goals include:

  1. The ultimate goal is to introduce education technology for cyber security awareness through online and interactive instructional modules and training materials and thus addressing the needs for various types of clients and organizations such as community colleges and high schools.
    2. T
  2. he I-Corps team will study and develop possible plans to bring the education technology to market and explore the possibility of the commercialization of the products focusing on two- and four-year colleges as the preliminary target customers.
  3. The planned product delivered to potential customers were he Web-based interactive instructional materials along with a leveling “certification” scheme . The goal of the education technology itself is to provide low cost training, and certification, and prepare educators to teach the given cyber security content/materials.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of the first year of this project include:

  1. Conduct research and feasibility study related to the market for identifying the needs related to cyber security and expertise expected from newly graduated students, technicians, non-security professionals, and IT professionals.
  2. Investigate the market to find out whether there is a potential market for the proposed education technology.
  3. Interview at least 100 customers who could provide insights about the state-of-the-art of the current practice of cyber security education.
  4. Determine the level and the demand for ready–to-use cyber security course instructional modules by community college students and teachers.
  5. Determine the needs for cyber security expertise required by potential employers.
  6. Identify potential customer segments and accordingly the delivery channels.
  7. Refine the education technology plan with respect to findings.
  8. Determine whether to pursue the implementation of the proposed education technology.

Publications:

The descriptive results are collected and a paper is under review.