2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Abstract
Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity are at the heart of our recently created new bachelor-level degree in cybersecurity that addresses the national need for cybersecurity specialists. Cloud Computing involves many service models, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, and many deployment models including Public, Private, and Hybrid clouds. Within the services and deployment models lies many concepts and practical implementations that a Cyber-analyst needs to master. We have adopted an immersive approach to teaching Cloud Computing services that introduces standard concepts based on clearly defined objectives from national certification authorities such as CompTIA Cloud+, covering all major services offered by the big three players Amazon (AWS), Google (GCP), and Microsoft (Azure). These services include instances and managed instance groups, storage classes, compute engine, databases, and big data. Theoretical concepts are supplanted with hands-on labs taught by graduate students. In subsequent upper-level courses, students must use some of the services they learned in the upper-level courses to get a real feeling about the setup, operation, monitoring, management and maintenance of a cloud-based business.
In this paper, we cover our academic, hands-on immersive approach to our newly developed QCTaaS framework. In particular, we will present:
• The list of ten teaching modules:
o Description of each module.
o The list of objectives and sub-objectives for each module.
o Topics covered by Cloud+ certification.
• Collaboration with major cloud providers:
o Acquisition of small grant for free student-credit.
o Public cloud platforms used in class.
• The list of hands-on labs:
o Delivery method of each lab
o Design of lab by instructor/graduate students.
 Delivery of lab by graduate students.
 Feedback mechanism.
• Mechanisms for enforcing cloud computing concepts and services:
o Through projects and assignments.
o Through targeted upper-level courses.
o Through individualized capstone projects.
• Resources made available to students:
o Internal and external.
o Free and for pay.
• Cloud+ Certification:
o Institutional resources.
o Externally funded resources.
By presenting our efforts, we hope that other institutions considering expanding their programs of study to include Cloud Computing, Cyber Security and Cloud+ Certification can benefit from our experience by adopting best practices while avoiding pitfalls.
Keywords: Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Pair Teaching, Cloud+, Integrative Lab, Project based Learning.