Educational Design Research for the Development of a Collectible Card Game for Cybersecurity Learning

Michael K Thomas,Rigel Gjomemo,Skip Kumm,Andria Shyjka

doi:10.1007/s41686-019-00027-0

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the notion of formative design in the context of the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of a collectible card game (CCG) for teaching cybersecurity to middle school students. The approach involved a formative design approach, educational design research (EDR) that evolved from design-based research and design experiments commonly employed in fields such as the learning sciences, educational technology, and instructional design. The authors assert that the EDR process used to design an educational CCG is an effective approach for formative learning game design work.

Highlights

The information age has an Achilles heel
On May 11, 2017, President Trump issued an executive order on BStrengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure,^ which included a call for various sectors of the government to: B...assess the scope and sufficiency of efforts to educate and train the American cybersecurity workforce of the future, including cybersecurity-related education [emphasis added] curricula, training, and apprenticeship programs, from primary through higher education [emphasis added] (Trump 2017).^
To aid in the development of the generation of cybersecurity experts in the USA, educators need to increase students’ knowledge of cybersecurity and their enthusiasm for pursuing a career in cybersecurity. Educators can do this by providing young students with opportunities that allow them to experience the habits of mind and habitual actions of cybersecurity professionals in developmentally appropriate, highly motivating, and accurate ways

Summary

Introduction

Governments and enterprise organizations greatly rely upon computer systems and networks for their ability to exchange information and support decision processes This digital infrastructure is vulnerable to attacks by criminals, foreign nations, hackers, and disgruntled employees. According to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS 2015), cybersecurity professionals must possess particular skills These include (1) agility—the ability to shift between roles or needs should a threat warrant different support, (2) multifunctionality—the ability to maintain and execute a variety of activities at any given time, (3) dynamism—the ability to provide for constant learning to effectively approach new endeavors and problems, (4) flexibility—the ability to move into new roles or environments quickly to increase knowledge and skills, and (5) informality—the ability to work in a nontraditional environment (NICCS 2015). The work of cybersecurity involves using an array of tools that are interrelated and are shared in cooperative affinity groups (Gee 2003) or communities of practice (Lave and Wenger 1991)

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion