EDU: Collaborative: Branching Interactive Graphic Stories for Cybersecurity Education

The purpose of the Branching Interactive Graphic Stories for Cybersecurity Education (BIGSCE) project is to determine how a technology for creating branching ("choose-your-own-adventure") comic book stories, called Comic-BEE, can be used to teach middle school students about cybersecurity. BIGSCE is potentially transformative, informing the development of new approaches to teaching and learning cybersecurity: branching graphic stories can incorporate culturally relevant pedagogy, and therefore have the potential to reach a broader and more diverse body of students. The goal of BIGSCE is to explore how this innovative technology can enhance cybersecurity education, with the following aims. 1) Attract a broad and diverse workforce to the field of cybersecurity, starting in middle school. 2) Use expert-created comics to evaluate a learner's knowledge, skill, and ability in the area of cybersecurity. 3) Deepen students' understanding of cybersecurity challenges and consequences using a comic creation activity. BIGSCE will also contribute new understanding of how to effectively use branching graphic stories as a learning and assessment tool for middle school students. BIGSCE will be conducted at a community center in an economically-challenging district in New York state--New Cassel of Long Island. Over a 2-week period, students will read stories created by cybersecurity experts, and then create their own stories about cybersecurity using Comic-BEE, guided by instructors. Learning will be determined by observing students in the classroom, and evaluating the choices that they make in the stories, and the stories that they create. Students will also fill out pre- and post- questionnaires determining their sense of self-efficacy and interest in cybersecurity careers.