EAGER: SaTC-EDU: Mathematically-grounded metaphors to teach AI-related cybersecurity

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators

Abstract

As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly widespread in modern society, the need for children to learn cybersecurity practices that protect against the privacy and security risks created by digital systems is increasingly urgent. This project will address this need by developing and implementing a time- and teacher-friendly learning module that is geared towards middle school students. The learning module will be designed to integrate into existing middle school math curricula. There is a critical need to develop such educational materials, particularly for adolescents from minority groups that are underrepresented in STEM because they unduly experience harm from AI-related cybersecurity issues and are less likely to have school-based experiences that can inform their responses. The project seeks to empower middle school adolescents to manage their own digital identities and risk-taking in an increasingly AI-influenced world. This project will also support graduate students in computing and education to participate meaningfully and gain experience in collaborative, school-based, transdisciplinary research. The project will share materials developed to provide flexible, widespread access to the resources for middle school education stakeholders across the U.S. This project aims to improve middle school students’ use of security “best-practices” in their day-to-day online activities, while enhancing their fundamental understanding of the underlying security principles and math concepts that drive AI and cybersecurity technologies. To this end, the project team is developing a learning module that relies on the educational principle of “metaphors as reification” to teach AI-related cybersecurity. The innovation in this approach entails grounding these metaphors in their underlying mathematical principles. The project transcends research on “explainable AI” by giving end users a fundamental understanding of the mathematical principles behind AI, which constitutes a key advance in cybersecurity training. To investigate middle school students’ AI-related cybersecurity competencies relative to their mathematics knowledge and behaviors, the project team will use a mixed methods, exploratory research approach. A combination of pre- and post-tests of students’ cybersecurity knowledge, behavioral intention surveys, math affinity, observed decision-making in a “cybersecurity drill,” and module-specific test scores, will be used to evaluate the project. This project is supported by a special initiative of the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program to foster new, previously unexplored, collaborations between the fields of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and education. The SaTC program aligns with the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Strategic Plan and the National Privacy Research Strategy to protect and preserve the growing social and economic benefits of cyber systems while ensuring security and privacy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.