2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

An Experience Report on Using a Cyberlearning Environment for Cybersecurity Courses

Presented at Software Engineering Division (SWED) Technical Session 2

An Experience Report on Using a Cyberlearning Environment for Cybersecurity Courses

Abstract:
The increasing cyber threats to online systems have resulted in the need for a more inclusive approach to educating the broader population on preventative measures to reduce the impact of these threats. It is estimated that the cybercrime cost to the world will be $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. No longer can cybersecurity courses be specialized courses in university curricula, but some of these courses need to become core courses for all students. These courses should not only be tailored for university and college students but is required to thread the curricula starting in elementary schools.

This paper describes our experiences conducting a collaborative cybersecurity project to increase access to undergraduate cybersecurity education. The project was funded by the NSF and Cyber Florida. The project was a collaboration between two Florida public universities. One university is a large urban Hispanic Serving Institution. We describe how SEP-CyLE (Software Engineering Programming Cyberlearning Environment), in conjunction with other cybersecurity systems, was used to develop basic cybersecurity materials, labs, and activities for undergraduate students and instructors. SEP-CyLE motivates students to learn in an interactive environment where they can provide feedback to their peers while employing three learning and engagement strategies (LESs). These LESs include collaborative learning, gamification, and social interaction. The cybersecurity learning content in SEP-CyLE is in the form of digital learning objects.

We present the objectives of the project, describe how the objectives were met, briefly describe SEP-CyLE, and provide data showing students' interactions with SEP-CyLE. The data retrieved from SEP-CyLE provides insight into how the learning environment was used, students' performance on the learning objects, and the impact of the LESs on students' overall performance in an introductory cybersecurity course.

Authors

Dr. Ingrid Buckley Florida Gulf Coast University [biography]

Dr. Ingrid Buckley is an Associate Professor in the Software Engineering and Computing Department at Florida Gulf Coast University. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Buckley’s research interests focus on software engineering education, fault-tolerant software design, software quality, and cybersecurity education. She has received funding from the National Science Foundation and the Cyber Florida Capacity Building Program. Additionally, Dr. Buckley has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed conference and journal papers, contributing to research in pedagogy.
Bogdan Carbunar Florida International University [biography]

Bogdan Carbunar is an Associate Professor in the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences at FIU, and directs the Cyber Security and Privacy Research (CaSPR) Lab, where he develops secure and usable systems. His research interests are at the intersection of security, privacy, and distributed systems, where he derives novel insights through the use of machine learning, applied cryptography, and user studies. He holds a PhD in computer science from Purdue University
Dr. Juan P Sotomayor http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2086-2551 Florida International University [biography]

Dr. Juan P. Sotomayor received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Florida International University, where he also completed his Master’s degree. His research interests include software testing, model-driven software development, and computer science education. His work explores innovative testing strategies and the utilization of open-source tools to enhance the reliability and efficiency of microservices. He also contributed to the development and maintenance of the Software Engineering and Programming Cyberlearning Environment (SEP-CyLE). He is currently a full-time instructor at Keiser University - Pembroke Pines. He is a member of ACM and IEEE Computer Society.
Dr. Peter J Clarke http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0892-1907 Florida International University [biography]

Peter J. Clarke received his B.Sc. degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill) in 1987, his M.S. degree from SUNY Binghamton University in 1996, and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Clemson University in 2003. His research interests are software engineering, software testing, model-driven software development, and computer science education. He is an associate professor in the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences at Florida International University. He is a member of the ACM (SIGSOFT, SIGCSE, and SIGAPP), IEEE Computer Society, and the Association for Software Testing (AST).

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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