Making courses more engaging and accessible: A case study using the story-centered curriculum approach Sukhjit Singh, De Anza College Dr. Ray Bareiss, Carnegie Mellon University

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Making courses more engaging and accessible A
case study using the story-centered curriculum
approachSukhjit Singh, De Anza CollegeDr. Ray
Bareiss, Carnegie Mellon University
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The Need for a new Model

• Practitioners need other skills
• Communication, collaboration
• Planning
• Problem solving, decision making
• Independent learning
• Adaptability
• Understanding the business context
• Integration of knowledge and skills from multiple
  subject areas
• Strategies for dealing with information overload

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Limitations of Traditional Model

• Competition vs Collaboration
• Hard to see how Knowledge applied in the
  workplace
• No teamwork
• No work plans or ownership of timeline
• Assessment not tied to skills
• Artificial division of topics across courses no
  interdisciplinary approach

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The SCC Learning Model

• Based on Carnegie Mellon West approach
• Learn-by-doing paradigm
• Simulates the workplace
• Web-based materials
• Evaluation based on authentic deliverables
• No lectures or tests
• Mastery learning

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Improved Flexibility

• Web-based materials allow students to participate
  both in class and online
• Flexibility in team meeting times
• Allows students to balance school, work, family
  commitments

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Case study Enterprise Security at De Anza
College

• Students play the role of Security Consultants at
  C-Bay, an online real estate auction company
• Work in teams on authentic tasks
• Products deliverables to industry standard
• Real-World relevance

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Curriculum Overview
Task Description
Task 1 Policy Critique Identify the top priorities for security implementation, noting areas where business and legal interests may object to heightened security measures.
Task 2 Network Outages   Identify network outage causes and solutions
Task 3 Network Monitoring Draft monitoring procedures, Recommend and configure monitoring software.
Task 4 We've Been Hacked Manage incidents and profile hacker
Task 5 Security Awareness Handle help desk inquiries and security education programs
Task 6 Emergency Response Identify threats and vulnerabilities and emergency response procedures
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Demo
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Recap of Key Elements

• Detailed scenario, authentic context
• Web-based resources
• Self-directed learning
• Apprentice teams address problems with
  mentoring support
• Meetings with mentor and SMEs replace lectures
• Deliverables replace tests

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Student Challenges

• Converting Passive Learners to Active Learners
• Building Soft Skills for Teamwork
• Information overload

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Learning results

• According to SRI Study
• Students need to be prepared to understand the
  absence of a right answer in this course and
  the importance of team-building.
• Students enjoy seeing how other teams solve
  similar problems.
• If the hybrid approach is pursued, it is
  recommended that students do not receive lectures
  until after they engage with ill-structured
  problems.

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What students say about their experience

• The same issue we faced in class, I had at work
  the next week.
• I may not know answers to all questions in
  Enterprise Security, but I sure know where to go
  find the answer.
• Learned teamwork, collaboration, problem solving,
  communication, decision making

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How the instructors experience is different

• More time spent in coaching teams
• Switching between role of manager and coach
• Grade work products 360º assessment
• Train students on soft skills (creating market
  leaders)

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Story-centered model

• Increases engagement and motivation
• Increased flexibility
• Enhances learning, retention, and application
• Embeds learning of knowledge and skills in
  context of real work experience
• Promotes transfer to the workplace
• Enhances teaming and soft skills

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Making courses more engaging and accessible A
case study using the story-centered curriculum
modelSukhjit Singh, De Anza CollegeDr. Ray
Bareiss, Carnegie Mellon University