Computing Specializations: Perceptions of AI and Cybersecurity Among CS Students

Shuchi Grover Derek Babb B. Broll

2 Maret 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity are becoming increasingly intertwined, with AI and Machine Learning (AI/ML) being leveraged for cybersecurity, and cybersecurity helping address issues caused by AI. The goal in our exploratory curricular initiative is to dovetail the need to teach these two critical, emerging topics in highschool, and create a suite of novel activities, 'AI & Cybersecurity for Teens' (ACT) that introduces AI/ML in the context of cybersecurity and prepares high school teachers to integrate them in their cybersecurity curricula. Additionally, ACT activities are designed such that teachers (and students) build a deeper understanding of how ML works and how the machine actually "learns". Such understanding will aid more meaningful interrogation of critical issues such as AI ethics and bias. ACT introduces core ML topics contextualized in cybersecurity topics through a range of programming activities and pre-programmed games in NetsBlox, an easy-to-use block-based programming environment. We conducted 2 pilot workshops with 12 high school cybersecurity teachers focused on ACT activities. Teachers' feedback was positive and encouraging but also highlighted potential challenges in implementing ACT in the classroom. This paper reports on our approach and activities design, and teachers' experiences and feedback on integrating AI into high school cybersecurity curricula.

Fahad Tamton Tom Yeh Yang Wang + 5 lainnya

1 Mei 2023

Today’s cybersecurity and AI technologies are often fraught with ethical challenges. One promising direction is to teach cybersecurity and AI ethics to today’s youth. However, we know little about how these subjects are taught before college. Drawing from interviews of US high school teachers (n=16) and students (n=11), we find that cybersecurity and AI ethics are often taught in non-technical classes such as social studies and language arts. We also identify relevant topics, of which epistemic norms, privacy, and digital citizenship appeared most often. While teachers leverage traditional and novel teaching strategies including discussions (treating current events as case studies), gamified activities, and content creation, many challenges remain. For example, teachers hesitate to discuss current events out of concern for appearing partisan and angering parents; cyber hygiene instruction appears very ineffective at educating youth and promoting safer online behavior; and generational differences make it difficult for teachers to connect with students. Based on the study results, we offer practical suggestions for educators, school administrators, and cybersecurity practitioners to improve youth education on cybersecurity and AI ethics.

Eliana Stavrou Christos Kallonas Andriani Piki

8 Mei 2024

We are navigating an era of ongoing technological transformations characterized by a growing need for developing digital skills, including cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy. The skills gap in cybersecurity has been acknowledged by the academic and business community at large, which faces an ongoing challenge in terms of finding and attaining talents. Even though different initiatives have been launched to upskill and reskill individuals, they are either ineffective in developing the required competencies or fail to motivate participants to learn and advance their competencies in relation to a cybersecurity job role. A key factor hindering these efforts is the adoption of a generic training approach rather than tailoring learning to the needs of individual learners. It is imperative to identify novel ways to motivate and engage learners, fostering a lifelong learning mindset that is essential for cybersecurity professional development and progression. This work aims to investigate how generative AI can be leveraged to empower professionals to take ownership of their learning by assisting them to create a personalized cybersecurity study plan. The objective is to inspire the design of innovative solutions focusing on accelerating skills development and contributing to increasing the supply of skilled cybersecurity professionals.

Dennis Goßler Nils Stein Natasha Randall + 2 lainnya

1 Maret 2024

It is not possible to reliably prevent the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, nor would that be desirable as AI offers many benefits for students. We recommend that appropriate AI usage be taught within software engineering courses and AI tools integrated into examinations. In order to most effectively support today’s students, software engineering curricula must embrace AI.

C. Hundhausen James Crabb A. Gebremedhin

7 Maret 2024

This work examines the state-of-the-art of cybersecurity education in the United States by considering two sources of data. The first source consists of Programs of Study for cybersecurity programs at Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity designated by the National Security Agency. Statistics were aggregated from a sample of one hundred CAE-C institutions, trends and gaps are identified, and improvements are proposed. The second source is peer-reviewed research published in the field of cybersecurity education over the last decade. A review of this literature shows a strong focus on identifying instructional content and developing educational tools while simultaneously indicating a shortage of research into rigorous evaluation of the instructional approaches being used to teach cybersecurity. Our review of these two sources of data highlight two paths to improving cybersecurity education in the United States. First, institutions offering cybersecurity degrees could work more closely with groups such as NIST, ACM, and IEEE to ensure their curricula match the needs of industry and they are graduating work-ready cybersecurity specialists. While CAE-C designation provides certain requirements for the amount of cybersecurity content included in curricula, designated institutions vary widely in the types of programs they offer and how many cybersecurity-specific courses they provide. Second, cybersecurity education could benefit from an influx of ideas from educational psychology regarding instructional theories such as cognitive load theory.