The effectiveness of applying an ontology framework to a higher education course on dealing with computer viruses

Computer virus is an abstract term and students study the effectiveness of computer viruses in traditional teaching methods which are poor. This study used an innovative interactive learning system, Network Security Course with Ontology Framework (NSCOF), to enhance students’ knowledge and problem-solving skills when dealing with computer viruses. A total of 86 junior students from a technical and vocational college in central Taiwan voluntarily participated in the study. The study adopted a quasi-experimental approach with a two-group design. The findings were as follows: 1) knowledge-learning achievement: the two groups performed similarly; and 2) problem-solving learning achievement: the treatment group significantly outperformed the control group. The results show that the students solved the problems caused by a computer virus more accurately and quickly after they had studied the teaching material. Integrating this proposed knowledge that is, the ontology of a computer virus into the current pedagogy could increase the effectiveness and efficiency of this field.