IA Tutorials and Workshops for Educators

Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey CA

Investigators

Abstract

We will increase the capacity of the United States higher education enterprise to produce professionals in the fields of Information Assurance (IA) and computer security by hosting a two-year series of workshops for education in Information Assurance. The target audience of the workshops is college-level educators who have responsibility for teaching curricula that are, or could be, related to Information Assurance issues. The format for each workshop is three sequential sessions: a tutorial session, a refereed paper session, and a working session. This sequence allows newer practitioners to become knowledgeable about the basics of IA, provides an opportunity for experienced practitioners to present new ideas for discussion, and allows both groups to interact in a problem solving context to develop solutions for point issues presented by the workshop. The tutorial sessions educate faculty about the fundamentals of information assurance and computer security and improves their instructional capability in these areas. The paper session provides a forum for presentation and discussion of recent pedagogical and technical advances in the field. Activities in the working session encourage creative interaction regarding current issues for education in Information Assurance. A significant effect of the periodic gathering and commingling of experienced and inexperienced practitioners is to enhance the sense of community for IA educators, fostering collaboration and dialogue among institutions offering courses and programs in Information Assurance. The multi-year format allows faculty to spend time in their own environment and return to the workshop with experiential questions and insight. The output of the workshops will include model materials for classroom presentation and demonstration, as well as example materials for laboratory experimentation. A particular emphasis is ensuring participation of demographic groups currently underrepresented in the IA education community. The net effect of the proposed activities is to directly increase the national capacity for education in Information Assurance as well as to extend the knowledge and expertise of IA to a range of participants that is more representative of the national profile.