Teach Them When They Aren’t Looking: Introducing Security in CS1
Nance, K.;
Security & Privacy, IEEE
Volume: 7 , Issue: 5
Digital Object Identifier: 10.1109/MSP.2009.139
Publication Year: 2009 , Page(s): 53 – 55
IEEE Journals
AbstractPlus | Full Text: PDF (336 KB)
I selected the paper “Teach Them When They Aren’t Looking – Introducing Security in CS1”, by Professor Kara Nance of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, for my week 4 journal reading.
The title was intriguing. I am familiar with the cybersecurity curriculum for teaching at the graduate level. But I thought, given the recent charge by the White House and government agencies to push and spread cybersecurity to the undergraduates, high school students, and even the public, that article would give a fresh perspective on the teaching agenda for my field.
The professor describes a course in learning a computer programming language (C++) in which students write programs for solving security related issues such as the failure of file backups and the use of watermarks in identifying where a paper is printed from. The author believes that the assignments for learning about programming language are also effective in helping students to learn associated computer security and software engineering concepts.
A few good teaching techniques are noted. Assignments mimic the real world situations students will encounter in the workplace (e.g. memoranda, real needs and wish lists, deadlines, teamwork, etc.). Discussions are held after each assignment to encourage students to reflect on what they have learned about the team collaboration and individual security awareness. The professor gives assignments that meet prescribed learning objectives, are ordered based on prerequisites, and structured for skill expansion.
The article title “Teach Them When They Aren’t Looking” applies equally well to teaching them Information Security concepts as well as simulated real world team problem solving while they are “looking” at the computer programming skills they are explicitly tasked to learn.