The Impact of Learning Style Adaptivity in Teaching Computer Security

Teaching computer security is one of the most challenging tasks in computer science, because of the need to successfully integrate abstract concepts and practical applications. Several e-learning systems have been developed to address this issue. However, they usually provide the same material in the same sequence irrespective of the characteristics of the students, such as their knowledge level and learning style. In this paper, an approach to learning style adaptivity is proposed for the teaching of computer security. An e-learning system was developed to provide more personalised and adaptive learning, based on the information perception style of the Felder-Silverman model. This is the dimension of learning style, which has received the least attention in published research. In the approach, a personalised sequence of learning material is generated based on an individual learning style. The approach is evaluated in order to determine its effectiveness in learning provision. An experiment conducted with sixty subjects produced significant results. They indicate that matching computer security learning material, according to the learning style of the students, yields significantly better learning gain and student satisfaction than without matching.

[1]  R. Felder,et al.  Learning and Teaching Styles in Engineering Education. , 1988 .

[2]  Kim Buch,et al.  Accommodating diverse learning styles inthe design and delivery of on-line learning experiences , 2001 .

[3]  R. Felder,et al.  The Effects of Personality Type on Engineering Student Performance and Attitudes , 2002 .

[4]  Yi-Shun Wang,et al.  Assessment of learner satisfaction with asynchronous electronic learning systems , 2003, Inf. Manag..

[5]  Antonija Mitrovic,et al.  An Intelligent SQL Tutor on the Web , 2003, Int. J. Artif. Intell. Educ..

[6]  F. Coffield.  Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning: a systematic and critical review , 2004 .

[7]  Ji Hu,et al.  Tele-lab IT security: an architecture for interactive lessons for security education , 2004, SIGCSE '04.

[8]  R. Felder,et al.  Applications, Reliability and Validity of the Index of Learning Styles* , 2005 .

[9]  Cynthia E. Irvine,et al.  A video game for cyber security training and awareness , 2007, Comput. Secur..

[10]  Peter Brusilovsky,et al.  User Models for Adaptive Hypermedia and Adaptive Educational Systems , 2007, The Adaptive Web.

[11]  Sushil K. Sharma,et al.  Teaching information systems security courses: A hands-onapproach , 2007, Comput. Secur..

[12]  Lauri Malmi,et al.  Enhancing learning management systems to better support computer science education , 2008, ACM SIGCSE Bull..

[13]  Georgios Theodoropoulos,et al.  An Animated Cryptographic Learning Object , 2008, 2008 Fifth International Conference on Computer Graphics, Imaging and Visualisation.

[14]  Analía Amandi,et al.  eTeacher: Providing personalized assistance to e-learning students , 2008, Comput. Educ..

[15]  Dong Hu,et al.  Teaching Computer Security using Xen in a Virtual Environment , 2008, 2008 International Conference on Information Security and Assurance (isa 2008).

[16]  Zoran Budimac,et al.  E-Learning personalization based on hybrid recommendation strategy and learning style identification , 2011, Comput. Educ..

[17]  Peter Brusilovsky,et al.  Adaptive Technologies for Training and Education: Adaptive Hypermedia for Education and Training , 2012 .

[18]  Yavuz Akbulut,et al.  Adaptive educational hypermedia accommodating learning styles: A content analysis of publications from 2000 to 2011 , 2012, Comput. Educ..

[19]  Konstantina Chrysafiadi,et al.  Student modeling approaches: A literature review for the last decade , 2013, Expert Syst. Appl..

[20]  Ivan Marsá-Maestre,et al.  Design and evaluation of a learning environment to effectively provide network security skills , 2013, Comput. Educ..

[21]  Abdullah Konak,et al.  Using Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle to improve student learning in virtual computer laboratories , 2014, Comput. Educ..

[22]  Rachid Anane,et al.  Adaptivity in E-Learning Systems , 2014, 2014 Eighth International Conference on Complex, Intelligent and Software Intensive Systems.

[23]  Rachid Anane.  The Learning Object Triangle , 2014, 2014 IEEE 14th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies.

[24]  Rachid Anane,et al.  An E-Learning Investigation into Learning Style Adaptivity , 2015, 2015 48th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.