Computer Sciences Commons^™

A Critical Computing Curriculum Design Case: Exploring Tribal Sovereignty For Middle School Students, Kristin A. Searle, Aubrey Rogowski, Colby Tofel-Grehl, Mengying Jiang

Journal of Computer Science Integration

We report on our efforts to design an integrated computing curriculum for middle school students in Montana that is in line with the Kapor Center’s focus on culturally sustaining-revitalizing pedagogies. Montana provides a unique context for doing this work because a state constitutional mandate requires all K-12 students to learn about tribal histories and cultures through Indian Education For All (IEFA). IEFA centers around seven essential understandings about Indigenous peoples in Montana that are integrated across content areas. In addition, implementation of Montana’s CS standards began in the 2021–2022 school year. In the curricular design, we sought to bring together …

Employing An Abolitionist, Critical Race Pedagogy In Cs: Centering The Voices, Experiences And Technological Innovations Of Black Youth, Tiera Tanksley

Journal of Computer Science Integration

This paper proposes a pedagogical extension of culturally responsive praxis called abolitionist, critical race pedagogy in CS. To showcase the power and potentiality of this pedagogy, this paper examines the experiences of 2 cohorts of Black high school students (n = 30) who participated in a critical race technology course that was taught during the dual pandemic of COVID-19 and anti-Black racism. The goal of this summer course was to employ an abolitionist, critical race pedagogy in CS to foster Black students’ ability to critically examine the ubiquity of anti-Black racism within the socio-technical architectures (e.g. code, data, algorithms and …

Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Computational Thinking: Enactment In Elementary Classrooms, Victoria Macann, Aman Yadav

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Technology has increasingly permeated many aspects of everyday life and this evolution raises the need for individuals to understand how the digital world works and what opportunities and risks it brings (Nouri, Zhang, Mannila & Norén, 2019). For this to be an experience for everyone, we need to rethink how we integrate computational thinking (CT) and provide teachers with tools to center their students’ identities, experiences, and cultures in the classroom. In this paper, we present two case studies of primary (elementary) teachers from a full primary (student ages 5–13) semi-rural school in the North Island of New Zealand that …

Simulation-Based Adaptive Interface For Personalized Learning Of Ai Fundamentals In Secondary School, Sara Guerreiro-Santalla, Dalila Duraes, Helen Crompton, Paulo Novais, Francisco Bellas

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This paper presents the first results on the validation of a new Adaptive E-learning System, focused on providing personalized learning to secondary school students in the field of education about AI by means of an adaptive interface based on a 3D robotic simulator. The prototype tool presented here has been tested at schools in USA, Spain, and Portugal, obtaining very valuable insights regarding the high engagement level of students in programming tasks when dealing with the simulated interface. In addition, it has been shown the system reliability in terms of adjusting the students’ learning paths according to their skills and …

Cm-Ii Meditation As An Intervention To Reduce Stress And Improve Attention: A Study Of Ml Detection, Spectral Analysis, And Hrv Metrics, Sreekanth Gopi

Master of Science in Computer Science Theses

Students frequently face heightened stress due to academic and social pressures, particularly in de- manding fields like computer science and engineering. These challenges are often associated with serious mental health issues, including ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), depression, and an increased risk of suicide. The average student attention span has notably decreased from 21⁄2 minutes to just 47 seconds, and now it typically takes about 25 minutes to switch attention to a new task (Mark, 2023). Research findings suggest that over 95% of individuals who die by suicide have been diagnosed with depression (Shahtahmasebi, 2013), and almost 20% of students …

The Underrepresentation Of Black Females In Cybersecurity, Makendra Latrice Crosby

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The significance of cybersecurity methods, strategies, and programs in protecting computers and electronic devices is crucial throughout the technological infrastructure. Despite the considerable growth in the cybersecurity field and its expansive workforce, there exists a notable underrepresentation, specifically among Black/African American females. This study examines the barriers hindering the inclusion of Black women in the cybersecurity workforce such as socioeconomic factors, limited educational access, biases, and workplace culture. The urgency of addressing these challenges calls for solutions such as education programs, mentorship initiatives, creating inclusive workplace environments, and promoting advocacy and increased awareness within the cybersecurity field. Additionally, this paper …

Demystifying Artificial Intelligence (Ai) For Early Childhood And Elementary Education: A Case Study Of Perceptions Of Ai Of State Of Missouri Educators, Kathryn Arnone, James Hutson, Karen Woodruff

Faculty Scholarship

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society have received a great deal of attention in the past five years since the first Stanford AI100 report. AI already globally impacts individuals in critical and personal ways, and many industries will continue to experience disruptions as the full algorithmic effects are understood. However, with regard to education, adopting in disciplines remains limited largely to Computer Science and Information Technology in postsecondary education. Recent advances with technology are especially promising for their potential to create and scale personalized learning for students, to optimize strategies for learning outcomes, and to increase access to …

How Chatgpt Can Be Used As A Defense Mechanism For Cyber Attacks, Michelle Ayaim

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The powers of OpenAI's groundbreaking AI language model, ChatGPT, startled millions of users when it was released in November. But for many, the tool's ability to further accomplish the goals of evil actors swiftly replaced their initial excitement with significant concerns. ChatGPT gives malicious actors additional ways to possibly compromise sophisticated cybersecurity software. Leaders in a sector that is currently suffering from a 38% global spike in data breaches in 2022 must acknowledge the rising influence of AI and take appropriate action. Cybercriminals are writing more complex and focused business email compromise (BEC) and other phishing emails with the assistance …

Exploring Students' Adoption Of Chatgpt As A Mentor For Undergraduate Computing Projects: Pls-Sem Analysis, Gottipati Swapna, Kyong Jin Shim, Shankararaman, Venky

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

As computing projects increasingly become a core component of undergraduate courses, effective mentorship is crucial for supporting students' learning and development. Our study examines the adoption of ChatGPT as a mentor for undergraduate computing projects. It explores the impact of ChatGPT mentorship, specifically, skills development, and mentor responsiveness, i.e., ChatGPT's responsiveness to students' needs and requests. We utilize PLS-SEM to investigate the interrelationships between different factors and develop a model that captures their contribution to the effectiveness of ChatGPT as a mentor. The findings suggest that mentor responsiveness and technical/design support are key factors for the adoption of AI tools …

Making Data Meaningful: Stakeholder Perceptions On Data Visualization And Data Management Practices Within A Multi-Tiered System Of Supports (Mtss), Domenick Saia

Dissertations

Data-driven decision-making and collaboration are core pillars of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS); however, timely and accessible data use, as well as data literacy and visualization literacy skills, are challenges school leaders and educators face related to implementing such frameworks. I hypothesized efficient data management systems and data visualization tools enable school teams to predict student learning outcomes, readily communicate, and better understand student data. The purpose of this study design was to highlight a need for more efficient data structures that allow school stakeholders to balance their roles within an MTSS framework more effectively. The context of this …

Sustainability Projects With A Community Partner: A Social Norm Nudging Effort, Benjamin Gan, Thomas Menkhoff, Eng Lieh Ouh

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Singapore students from two inter-disciplinary courses worked with stakeholders of a local business association community partner on a series of sustainability topics to learn about climate change, its effects, and actions to mitigate them. They empathized with the association stakeholders, proposed a digital technology solution, tested their prototypes, and presented the final action plans. After the projects were completed, we found climate proficient (83%), motivated (83%), engaged (97%), and satisfied (70%) students; and two influencing predictors: interest/enjoyment and emotional engagement. The study results suggest that getting students interested and emotionally engaged in sustainability projects is an important first step towards …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of A Chatbot Workshop As Experiential Teaching And Learning Tool To Engage Undergraduate Students, Kyong Jin Shim, Thomas Menkhoff, Ying Qian Teo, Clement Shi Qi Ong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we empirically examine and assess the effectiveness of a chatbot workshop as experiential teaching and learning tool to engage undergraduate students enrolled in an elective course “Doing Business with A.I.” in the Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB) at Singapore Management University. The chatbot workshop provides non-STEM students with an opportunity to acquire basic skills to build a chatbot prototype using the ‘Dialogflow’ program. The workshop and the experiential learning activity are designed to impart conversation and user-centric design know how and know why to students. A key didactical aspect which informs the design and flow …

Designing An Overseas Experiential Course In Data Science, Hua Leong Fwa, Graham Ng

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Unprecedented demand for data science professionals in the industry has led to many educational institutions launching new data science courses. It is however imperative that students of data science programmes learn through execution of real-world, authentic projects on top of acquiring foundational knowledge on the basics of data science. In the process of working on authentic, real-world projects, students not only create new knowledge but also learn to solve open, sophisticated, and ill-structured problems in an inter-disciplinary fashion. In this paper, we detailed our approach to design a data science curriculum premised on learners solving authentic data science problems sourced …

Peer Learning In An Undergraduate Linear Algebra Course - A Social Network Analysis, Manoj Thulasidas, Kyong Jin Shim, Jonathan Teo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This study employs Social Network Analysis (SNA) to explore peer learning behaviors among undergraduate Linear Algebra students. By examining the relational dynamics within the classroom, SNA unveils patterns of interaction, information flow, and collaboration among students. Our analysis identifies the prevalence and evolution of peer learning, and how it influences the students' academic performance. It also unveils the attributes of the students who engage in peer helping and the formation of small communities through such interactions. The findings of the study can provide valuable insights for educators aiming to enhance peer learning and improve educational practices in Linear Algebra and …

How Helpful Do Novice Programmers Find The Feedback Of An Automated Repair Tool?, Oka Kurniawan, Christopher M. Poskitt, Ismam Al Hoque, Norman Tiong Seng Lee, Cyrille Jégourel, Nachamma Sockalingam

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Immediate feedback has been shown to improve student learning. In programming courses, immediate, automated feedback is typically provided in the form of pre-defined test cases run by a submission platform. While these are excellent for highlighting the presence of logical errors, they do not provide novice programmers enough scaffolding to help them identify where an error is or how to fix it. To address this, several tools have been developed that provide richer feedback in the form of program repairs. Studies of such tools, however, tend to focus more on whether correct repairs can be generated, rather than how novices …

Unmc Ai Task Force Report, Emily Glenn, Rachel Lookadoo, Unmc Ai Task Force

Reports: University of Nebraska Medical Center

In July 2023, University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine leadership charged a task force with investigating facets of artificial intelligence (AI) in an academic health center setting. What must we know, do and plan for regarding generative artificial intelligence in the domains of enhancing education, research, clinical care, business functions and in combating misinformation/disinformation? Task force members were allocated into five subcommittees to investigate key points to inform strategic planning—Enhance Learning, Enhance Research, Enhance Clinical Care, Enhance Business Function and Combat Dis-/Mis-Information and Bias. This work was aligned with the UNMC Strategic Planning process as a “big rock” …

Integrity, Confidentiality, And Equity: Using Inquiry-Based Labs To Help Students Understand Ai And Cybersecurity, Richard C. Alexander, Liran Ma, Ze-Li Dou, Zhipeng Cai, Yan Huang

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have brought society closer to the long-held dream of creating machines to help with both common and complex tasks and functions. From recommending movies to detecting disease in its earliest stages, AI has become an aspect of daily life many people accept without scrutiny. Despite its functionality and promise, AI has inherent security risks that users should understand and programmers must be trained to address. The ICE (integrity, confidentiality, and equity) cybersecurity labs developed by a team of cybersecurity researchers addresses these vulnerabilities to AI models through a series of hands-on, inquiry-based labs. Through …

Building A Diverse Cybersecurity Workforce: A Study On Attracting Learners With Varied Educational Backgrounds, Mubashrah Saddiqa, Kristian Helmer Kjær Larsen1 Helmer Kjær Larsen, Robert Nedergaard Nielsen, Jens Myrup Pedersen

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Cybersecurity has traditionally been perceived as a highly technical field, centered around hacking, programming, and network defense. However, this article contends that the scope of cybersecurity must transcend its technical confines to embrace a more inclusive approach. By incorporating various concepts such as privacy, data sharing, and ethics, cybersecurity can foster diversity among audiences with varying educational backgrounds, thereby cultivating a richer and more resilient security landscape. A more diverse cybersecurity workforce can provide a broader range of perspectives, experiences, and skills to address the complex and ever-evolving threats of the digital age. The research focuses on enhancing cybersecurity education …

Pushing The Boundaries Of Learning: Smu School Of Computing And Information Systems Celebrates Its 20th Birthday, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Over 400 people – namely alumni, faculty members and students – gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) of the Singapore Management University (SMU) on 20 Oct 2023. Over the past two decades, the school has grown from strength to strength. Its alumni stand at over 6,000, its undergraduate population at over 2,300 and its postgraduate at close to 700, including about 130 doctoral students. SCIS is ranked #4 globally for Software Engineering based on output in year 2022 on CSRankings, an influential metric on research publication in computing areas. SCIS’ postgraduate …

Depaul Digest

DePaul Magazine

College of Education Professor Jason Goulah fosters hope, happiness and global citizenship through DePaul’s Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education. Associate Journalism Professor Jill Hopke shares how to talk about climate change. News briefs from DePaul’s 10 colleges and schools: Occupational Therapy Standardized Patient Program, Financial Planning Certificate program, Business Education in Technology and Analytics Hub, Racial Justice Initiative, Teacher Quality Partnership grant, Intimate Partner Violence and Brain Injury collaboration, School of Music Career Closet, Sports Photojournalism course, DePaul Migration Collaborative’s Solutions Lab, Inclusive Screenwriting courses. New appointments: School of Music Dean John Milbauer, College of Education Dean Jennifer …

Designing Depaul

DePaul Magazine

DePaul’s comprehensive, collaborative plan creates a road map that positions the university for monumental impact.

Short History Of The Unl Digital Commons, Paul Royster

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

From 2005 through 2023, the UNL Digital Commons grew to be a leading example of an institutional repository. This presentation reports on personnel, history, strategy, and outstanding examples of series or contributors.

Announcement about the session:

UNL Digital Commons began in 2005 and grew into America’s 3rd-largest and most-trafficked institutional repository. Approaching 100 million downloads and spreading UNL scholarship and branding across the globe, the UNL Digital Commons boasts works from a wide variety of affiliated faculty, researchers, and students. Their participation is opening the dissemination of scholarship in radical and fundamental ways. In this session, Paul Royster traces this …

Leveraging Vr/Ar/Mr/Xr Technologies To Improve Cybersecurity Education, Training, And Operations, Paul Wagner, Dalal Alharthi

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The United States faces persistent threats conducting malicious cyber campaigns that threaten critical infrastructure, companies and their intellectual property, and the privacy of its citizens. Additionally, there are millions of unfilled cybersecurity positions, and the cybersecurity skills gap continues to widen. Most companies believe that this problem has not improved and nearly 44% believe it has gotten worse over the past 10 years. Threat actors are continuing to evolve their tactics, techniques, and procedures for conducting attacks on public and private targets. Education institutions and companies must adopt emerging technologies to develop security professionals and to increase cybersecurity awareness holistically. …

Teacher Candidates’ Conceptions And Practices Of Computational Thinking For Equity, Heather F. Clark, Symone A. Gyles, Imelda Nava-Landeros

Journal of Computer Science Integration

This study documents novice science and math teachers’ developing pedagogical approaches to integrating computational thinking (CT) and data into their courses to support educational equity and social justice. The 10 novice teacher candidates (TCs) studied were part of an urban teacher residency program that empowered them with an asset-based pedagogy we describe as “CT for Equity.” Drawing on coursework and interviews as data, we asked three questions: What are teachers’ conceptions of CT? What are their CT instructional practices? And how did their students respond to those practices? To explore conceptions of CT, we used Kafai et al.’s (2020) articulation …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Experiential Learning In Cyberbiosecurity And Agriculture Through Workforce Development, Kellie Johnson, Tiffany Drape, Joseph Oakes, Joseph Simpson, Ann Brown, Donna M. Westfall-Rudd, Susan Duncan

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Cyberbiosecurity and workforce development in agriculture and the life sciences (ALS) is a growing area of need in the curriculum in higher education. Students that pursue majors related to ALS often do not include training in cyber-related concepts or expose the ‘hidden curriculum’ of seeking internships and jobs. Exposing students through workforce development training and hands-on engagement with industry professionals can provide learning opportunities to bridge the two and is an area of growth and demand as the workforce evolves. The objectives of this work were 1) to learn key concepts in cybersecurity, including data security, visualization, and analysis, to …

Ai In The College Classroom: From Communication To Animation, Stefanie Powers, Erika Grodzki, Gary Carlin, Hung Chum Kao

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Mixed-Method Study Exploring Cyber Ranges And Educator Motivation, Cheryl Beauchamp, Holly M. Matusovich

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

A growing number of academic institutions have invested resources to integrate cyber ranges for applying and developing cybersecurity-related knowledge and skills. Cyber range developers and administrators provided much of what is known about cyber range resources and possible educational applications; however, the educator provides valuable understanding of the cyber range resources they use, how they use them, what they value, and what they do not value. This study provides the cyber range user perspective of cyber ranges in cybersecurity education by describing how K-12 educators are motivated using cyber ranges. Using mixed methods, this study explored educator motivation associated with …

Like Treating The Symptom Rather Than The Cause - The Omission Of Courses Over Terrorism In Nsa Designated Institutions, Ida L. Oesteraas

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The National Security Agency (NSA) awards Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) designations to institutions that commit to producing cybersecurity professionals who will work in careers that reduce vulnerabilities in our national infrastructure. A review of the curricula in the 327 institutions and their degree programs reveal that only two programs offer a required course about terrorism. Given the fluid nature of terrorism and its threat to national infrastructure, the omission is concerning. It is recommended that NSA-certified cybersecurity programs begin implementing educational content that aim to teach about this emerging crime and justice issue. One suggestion is to embrace the …

Integrating Certifications Into The Cybersecurity College Curriculum: The Efficacy Of Education With Certifications To Increase The Cybersecurity Workforce, Binh Tran, Karen C. Benson, Lorraine Jonassen

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

One only needs to listen to the news reports to recognize that the gap between securing the enterprise and cybersecurity threats, breaches, and vulnerabilities appears to be widening at an alarming rate. An un-tapped resource to combat these attacks lies in the students of the secondary educational system. Necessary in the cybersecurity education is a 3-tiered approach to quickly escalate the student into a workplace-ready graduate. The analogy used is a three-legged-stool, where curriculum content, hands-on skills, and certifications are equal instruments in the edification of the cybersecurity student. This paper endeavors to delve into the 3^rd leg of …

Cybersecurity Challenges And Awareness Of The Multi-Generational Learners In Nepal, Raj Kumar Dhungana, Lina Gurung Dr, Hem Poudyal

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Increased exposure to technologies has lately emerged as one of the everyday realities of digital natives, especially K-12 students, and teachers, the digital immigrants. Protection from cybersecurity risks in digital learning spaces is a human right, but students are increasingly exposed to high-risk cyberspace without time to cope with cybersecurity risks. This study, using a survey (N-891 students and 157 teachers) and in-depth interviews (27 students and 14 teachers), described the students' cybersecurity-related experiences and challenges in Nepal. This study revealed that the school’s cybersecurity support system is poor and teachers has very low awareness and competencies to protect students …