As use of computer technology is integrated into school classrooms, some area curriculum designers believe in the importance of teaching students about cybersecurity.
Iowa State University Information Assurance Center staff have developed a security literacy curriculum for sixth through 12th graders.
Dr. Doug Jacobson, professor of electrical and computer engineering at ISU and the center’s director, said the idea to create a curriculum for secondary school students emerged from a course previously designed for college-age individuals.
The original course targeted those who are unfamiliar with computers.
“We got to talking more and decided college is kind of late to be doing some of this stuff,” Jacobson said.
Teaching younger students about computer security is important, as computer ownership among that demographic is common, he said.
The new ISU curriculum includes free lesson plans for teachers, video modules, in-class discussion questions and assessments.
There are two levels of the material, Jacobson said.
The first, called Cyber-Toons, consists of one to two-minute videos geared toward middle schoolers.
Videos explore topics related to scenarios students may encounter throughout their everyday use of computers and the Internet.
The second level includes five to 10-minute video modules.
The videos may be used in flipped classrooms, where students watch videos before class begins. Discussion in class builds upon the content explored in the videos.
That curriculum is appropriate for high schoolers, said Jacobson.
He noted modules can be integrated into regular classroom lessons because the content is applicable to a range of disciplines.
For example, password creation could be reviewed in math class; avoidance of phishing scams in psychology class.
Both Cyber-Toons and the longer modules are slated for release at the start of school.
Center staff are also developing materials for high school or college teachers who want to offer a full-length course on security literacy.
It will be available in January and center staff will hold informational workshops, said Jacobson.
An ISU website in the works, www.hackerville.org, which simulates malware and showcases a fake bank website where a phishing scheme could occur.
Many of the concepts behind ISU’s online curriculum are implemented in the Marshalltown Community School District, said David Stanfield, instructional design specialist.
“We consider the security portion to be in an ‘umbrella’ that contains a broader sense of digital literacy skills and online safety,” he said.
In the Marshalltown district, administrators purchased software that assesses students’ 21st century skills, including online safety awareness.
That software includes a digital literacy curriculum, through which students learn digital citizenship skills, Stanfield said.
Similar to the ISU model, security literacy could be introduced in a standalone lesson, reinforced in a classroom context.
“That responsibility is extending out into the classroom setting with all teachers because [technology] is being used more regularly and frequently in places where maybe it wasn’t before,” he said.
Teaching digital literacy skills is a new concept for school staff, Stanfield noted, but one they must grapple with, particularly as more districts provide students with personal computer equipment in one-to-one initiatives.
It is important to give people enough information so they can make important decisions independently, rather than have them rely on awareness campaigns, Jacobson said.
Awareness by itself – for instance, telling people to routinely change their passwords – doesn’t provide background information, necessary as cyberattacks evolve, he explained.
“We’ve got to come up with a top 10 list every few months,” Jacobson said. “Our argument is if we give people some of that underlying knowledge, they can extrapolate the next threat.”
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