TSYS School Researchers Jianhua Yang, Linqiang Ge and Christopher Lovelock Develop Cybersecurity Curriculum for Middle Schoolers

New research by TSYS School faculty Jianhua Yang, Linqiang Ge and Christopher Lovelock states that in order to increase the diversity of the U.S. cybersecurity workforce, teaching cybersecurity knowledge and skills to middle school girls is a promising approach. Despite most middle school students lacking basic computer science knowledge, their study, which appears in the current issue of Athens Journal of Technology & Engineering, proposes a broadening of cybersecurity awareness through outreach activities, educational games and storytelling. The curriculum they designed aims at providing interactive learning, exposure, and ongoing support to every student, encouraging engagement through accessible methods. For some background, CSU has held a summer camp titled, “Broadening Cybersecurity Awareness for Middle School Students via GenCyber Outreach, Games, and Storytelling,” four times under the support of the National Security Agency since 2017. The goal of the GenCyber summer camp was to increase the students’ interests in cybersecurity careers and knowledge and foster their leadership skills as cybersecurity ambassadors. In two of these, 2021 and 2023, they recruited middle school girls as summer campers. The method used for pre-camp activities was “learning through seeing”. Through field trips to the cybersecurity centers at TSYS and Synovus, students observed firsthand how data are stored, processed, and secured. They also had opportunities to hear about what professional women who work in cybersecurity for Synovus and Global Payments do and how they are prepared for their careers. The method used for camp activities is “learning through doing, playing, and telling”. During the five-day camp, students engaged in interactive cyber games and participated in two storytelling activities. The instructor and teaching assistants worked collaboratively to provide a student-centered learning environment to engage students facilitate development of cybersecurity knowledge and skills through GenCyber outreach, games, and storytelling. Evidence of student learning was demonstrated through informal observation, student-created products, and pre- and post-program cybersecurity quizzes. Surveys from the 2021 and 2023 GenCyber camps showed that the program significantly impacted participants, with many expressing a strong interest in pursuing cybersecurity as a career.