This is Not a Game: Early Observations on Using Alternate Reality Games for Teaching Security Concepts to First-Year Undergraduates
Author
Flushman, Tanya R.
Gondree, Mark
Peterson, Zachary N. J.
Date
2015Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
We describe a novel approach to delivering an introductory
computer science course for first-year undergraduates,
using computer security topics to explore core CS
concepts. Our course is a first attempt at merging aspects
of capture the flag-style challenges, puzzle-based learning,
and alternate reality games (ARGs), with the goal of
improving student engagement, increasing awareness of
security as a discipline and professional opportunity, and
providing context for the social relevance of security to
our lives. Our challenges synthesize hands-on problemsolving,
immediate feedback on incremental progress,
scaffolded learning, a loosely-connective narrative, and
a sense of intrigue to draw students into active engagement
with course material. In this paper, we motivate the
use of ARG characteristics to connect course tasks, we
discuss our goals, course design, and a mixed-method
evaluation of our objectives (using reflective journaling,
cognitive interviews, and pre- and post-surveys using an
adaptation of the Computer Attitude Scale instrument),
and summarize our preliminary findings.
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.Collections
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