Wusylko, C., Xu, Z., Dawson, K., Antonenko, P., Koh, D., Lee, M., Benedict, A. & Bhunia, S. (2022). Using a comic book to engage students in a cryptology and cybersecurity curriculum. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, DOI: 10.1080/15391523.2022.2150726

This article describes the use of a comic book to anchor a cryptology and cybersecurity curriculum for upper elementary students. Perceptions about the comic book from 138 students across 11 afterschool programs were examined using survey, classroom observation, and interviews. Data analysis revealed that the comic book created a “macrocontext” to situate learners in an exciting adventure about cryptology and cybersecurity. Students found the characters relatable, and their perceptions were tightly tied to other components of the curriculum. Reading the word bubbles was challenging at first, but got easier over time. This study illustrates how comic books can anchor unfamiliar STEM content for younger learners.

Wusylko, C., Dawson, K., Xu, Z., Antonenko, P. & Doh, D.H. (under review). Online Professional Development to Prepare Afterschool Educators to Teach an Elementary STEM Curriculum: Results of a Design and Evaluation Study.

Online professional development (OPD) is a popular professional learning option, especially for those with monetary and time constraints such as afterschool educators. This study reports on the design, implementation, and evaluation of an OPD on preparing 18 afterschool educators to teach a content heavy, transmedia, STEM curriculum on cryptology and cybersecurity to 223 students. The design of our OPD is grounded in andragogy, incorporates OPD best practices, and uses a community of inquiry and online interaction framework. We evaluated the OPD on all four levels (reaction, learning, transfer and results) of Kirkpatrick’s (1979) evaluation framework. Educators in general had positive reactions to the OPD, and while reporting they were comfortable with the content, still expressed the desire to review trickier concepts before implementing. When implementing, educators reported they retained content, but still struggled with difficult concepts. 18 educators completed the OPD with 17 implementing in their program. 100% of educators who started the curriculum completed it with their students. Students’ knowledge assessment scores significant increased (Mpre = 5.51, SDpre = 1.79, Mpost = 7.46, SDpos t= 2.39, t = 9.07, df = 143, p < 0.001). Suggested strategies for designers of OPDs with similar curricular and program needs are included.

Xu, Z., Dawson, K., Antonenko, P., Koh, D. & Wusylko, C. (2022). Blended, Transmedia Learning: Investigating the Engagement of Elementary Students in a Cryptology and Cybersecurity Curriculum. Journal of Online Learning Research, 8(3), 393-424.

This convergent mixed method study investigates learner engagement during a blended, transmedia curriculum called CryptoComics, which is designed to teach 3rd-5th graders about cryptology and cybersecurity. Curriculum design is presented through the lens of four engagement facilitators: (1) anchoring the curriculum with a comic book, (2) blending digital and unplugged media, (3) supporting situational interest via a transmedia narrative, and (4) designing for social-cultural relevance. Latent profile analysis is used to develop profiles of learner engagement using quantitative indicators of cognitive and emotional engagement collected across 204 students at 13 implementation sites in the Eastern U.S. Qualitative indicators of engagement include teacher weekly check-ins submitted by 17 teachers working at the 13 implementation sites, student interviews, and classroom observations of 26 students participating in the curriculum at two local sites. Quantitative and qualitative results converge to suggest the majority of the students participating in the curriculum were highly engaged cognitively and emotionally. Qualitative data (1) suggest some third graders may be less cognitively engaged due to challenging content, (2) provide evidence for how the design of the blended, transmedia curriculum supported, and some cases hindered,engagement, (3) highlight the importance of transitions between blended learning components in facilitating engagement, and (4) uncover questions regarding one of the quantitative measures selected as an indicator of cognitive engagement.

Koh, D.H., Zhang, F., Xu, Z., Wusylko, C., Dawson, K., Antonenko, P. (2023). Modeling Student Behavior in Blended, Transmedia Curriculum by Using a Hidden Markov Model. [Paper presentation]. Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

This paper describes the design and evaluation of the student behavior model in a blended, transmedia curriculum called CryptoComics. We developed CryptoComics for teaching cryptology and cybersecurity to elementary students. We demonstrate how we develop and evaluate student behavior models from log data of digital learning software for the CryptoComics curriculum.

Xu, Z., Zhang, H., & Antonenko, P. (2022). How Does Digital Technology Support Visuospatial Cognition? – A Meta-Analysis Study. [Paper presentation]. Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

This meta-analysis systematically reviewed the use of digital technologies in scaffolding visuospatial cognition. We conclude that technology-assisted visuospatial training is more effective than non-technology training in supporting visuospatial cognition. We attempted to explore the reasons why technologies can support visuospatial cognition through the lens of technology affordances. However, we did not identify significant technology affordances that could enhance the efficacy of technology-assisted training. Method-wise, we applied novel meta-analysis methods, and the estimation results are conservative.

Xu, Z., Antonenko, P., Dawson, K., Koh, D.H., Wusylko, C. (2023). Exploring the Embodied Affordances of Touch Screen Devices to Support Visuospatial Cognition and Engineering Learning. [Paper presentation]. Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

This study explores how the embodied affordance of the touch-screen devices is associated with student learning of cryptology and cybersecurity knowledge through the mediation of visuospatial cognition. We investigated the association between the type of input (touch gesture input versus mouse input), student performance in two learning activities that engage visuospatial cognition, and student knowledge of cryptology and cybersecurity in a sample of upper elementary students.

Xu, Z., Antonenko, P., Dawson, K., Koh, D.H., Wusylko, C., Benedict, A., Bhunia, S. (2022). Engaging Upper Elementary Students in a Technology-Enhanced Cryptology and Cybersecurity Curriculum – National Implementation. [Paper presentation]. Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

This paper reports research results from the national implementation of an elementary level technology-enhanced cryptology and cybersecurity curriculum. We share the key components of the curriculum, how the curriculum impacted students’ learning of cryptology and cybersecurity by examining how this curriculum facilitated students’ behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. We also summarize successful experiences and lessons we learned in this national implementation.

Xu, Z., Antonenko, P. Koh, D.H., Dawson, K.& Wysulko, C. (2022, April 21-25). Scaffolding Visuospatial Cognition in a Cryptology and Cybersecurity Curriculum for Elementary Students. [Paper presentation]. American Educational Research Association.

Even though visuospatial cognition has been identified as a critical to STEM learning, it is not explicitly taught or scaffolded in K-12 STEM education. Our study addresses this problem and explores strategies to scaffold visuospatial cognition in a cryptology and cybersecurity afterschool curriculum. The design of the scaffolding is guided using ten salient affordances identified in a meta-analysis of visuospatial training studies. Two iterations of pilot implementations have been conducted to refine the scaffolding. This paper reviews the design and refinement of the visuospatial scaffolding from an educational design research perspective. Our data also suggest additional potential strategies to provide visuospatial scaffolding for student learning of complex STEM concepts and processes.

Wusylko, C., Xu, Z., Dawson, K., Antonenko, P., Koh, D.H., Benedict, A., Bhunia, S. (2022). Design and Evaluation of an Online Professional Development for an Afterschool Cryptology and Cybersecurity Curriculum. [Paper presentation]. Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

This paper describes the design and evaluation of a content heavy STEM online professional development (OPD) designed to teach afterschool educators to implement a cryptology and cybersecurity curriculum. We demonstrate how our OPD was designed to incorporate best practices, and report on the data we collected to evaluate the OPD at all four levels of Bouffard & Little’s (2004) framework for evaluating PD for out of school time professionals.

Wysulko, C., Xu, Z., Dawson, K., Antonenko, P. & Koh, D.H. (2022, April 21-25). Using a Comic Book to Engage Students in a Cryptology and Cybersecurity Curriculum. [Paper presentation]. American Educational Research Association.

Women and minority groups are underrepresented in the field of cybersecurity. Seen as a pipeline issue, cultivating STEM interest using educational efforts aimed at these groups may help with engagement and retention in STEM fields. We developed a cryptology and cybersecurity curriculum designed for grades 3-5 and targeted towards girls and minority groups. The design of the curriculum draws on engagement theory and anchored instruction to contextualize STEM content within a comic book, with the intent of encouraging and sustaining engagement. This study explores student perceptions of using the comic book over two iterative pilots. Analysis of the qualitative data revealed that students saw the comic book as a “macrocontext” for the whole curriculum, but many required reading support.

Dawson, K., Xu, Z., Wusylko, C., & Antonenko, P. (2022). Promoting Interdisciplinary Integration of Cybersecurity, Knowledge, Skills and Career Awareness in Preservice Teacher Education. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 30(2), 275-287.

K-12 teachers and students are vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks and mostly ill-prepared to deal with them. The CO- VID-19 pandemic has only increased these risks because of the reliance on digital technology in education and increased free time young children and adolescents spend online. Simultaneously, the U.S. is facing an extreme shortage of cy- bersecurity professionals. Given the rise of cyberattacks and the need for cybersecurity professionals, a concerted effort to prepare preservice teachers to integrate cybersecurity education across the K-12 curriculum is needed. In our vision for 2025, all preservice teachers across the country are prepared to integrate age-appropriate cybersecurity concepts, skills and career awareness in the curriculum regardless of their content area or grade level specialization. We propose a repository of stand-alone activities and full curricula developed through collaboration among K-12 educators, teacher educators, and cybersecurity experts that could be adopted across teacher education programs. We use the elementary grades as a con- text for providing examples of some activities that might be included in the repository. We also provide recommendations for developing such a repository and for individual teacher educators who want integrate cybersecurity education in pre-service teacher education right now.

Antonenko, P., Xu, Z., Wusylko, C. Dawson, K., Koh, D. H., Benedict, A., & Bhunia, S. (2022). Engaging Children in Cryptology and Cybersecurity Learning and Career Awareness. American Society for Engineering Education, NSF Grantees Poster Session. Minneapolis, MN.

Cryptology, the art of making and breaking secret codes (Stepheson, 1999), has been used to hide secret messages since ancient times. Nowadays, with the popularization of the Internet, cryptology serves as the backbone of cybersecurity to protect the information security of the nation, business, and individuals (Parr & Penzl, 2010). This design-based research project aims to design and develop a technology-enhanced cryptology and cybersecurity curriculum to engage 3rd- to 5th-grade students, especially girls and African Americans, in afterschool environments. The curriculum is designed to cultivate students’ interest and career awareness in cryptology and cybersecurity, and increase their symbolic and morphological awareness. This afterschool curriculum strategically integrates a comic book, a series of digital activities in a mobile and web-based app, unplugged activities, role model videos, and teacher guides to maximize students’ experience in the curriculum (Figure 1). This curriculum experienced two pilot implementations in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. We were able to test the feasibility, usability, and effectiveness of the curriculum, and made careful modifications to all the curriculum components based on the results of the pilot implementations. The results showed that students developed important cryptology and cybersecurity skills and understanding and became more aware of cybersecurity professions. The two pilot implementations also provided us important design implications in how to support STEM learning for elementary students in afterschool environments.

Antonenko, P., Dawson, K., Xu, Z., Koh, D. H., Wusylko, C., Benedict, A., Bhunia, S. (2022). CryptoComics: Design of an Integrative STEM+C Transmedia Curriculum. International Association for Research on Science Teaching.

This paper addresses the need for educators to generate more and better solutions for integrating STEM+C disciplines in afterschool programs. In project CryptoComics, we explored and determined that cryptology may be a useful pathway to introduce children as young as 8 years old to authentic STEM+C problems, processes, and tools, and get them excited about the role cryptology and cryptologists in the past, present, and future of our society.

Xu, X., Antonenko, P., Koh, D.H., Dawson, K., & Wusylko, C. (2021). Engaging Elementary Learners in Cryptography and Cybersecurity: A Formative Evaluation of a Technology-Enhanced Curriculum. [Paper presentation]. Association for Educational Communications and Technology, virtual.

This paper reports formative evaluation results of a technology-enhanced curriculum design and development effort aimed at engaging upper elementary afterschool learners in cryptography and cybersecurity. Our work focuses on the key components of this curriculum, presents qualitative and quantitative results from the formative evaluation of the first implementation, and summarizes successful experiences and lessons we learned from this implementation in two afterschool programs.

Wusylko, C. Dawson, K., Koh, D.H., Antonenko, P., & Xu, Z. (2021). Opportunities for design, development and implementation of an elementary school cryptology and cybersecurity curriculum during COVID-19. [Paper presentation]. Association for Educational Communications and Technology, virtual.

This paper details the practice our diverse design team used to iteratively design, develop, and implement a culturally responsive, technology-enhanced cryptology and cybersecurity curriculum during the COVID pandemic. Our work highlights how our team developed partnerships with afterschool teachers to empowered them to make choices about curriculum implementation and design, and how our team used their feedback and choices to iteratively modify and develop the curriculum.

Dawson, K. & Antonenko, P. (2021). Comic book introduces kids to key concepts and careers in cybersecurity. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/comic-book-introduces-kids-to-key-concepts-and-careers-in-cybersecurity-171163

Cracking a code is one of many challenges the girls complete to help characters in CryptoComics escape a mysterious cyberworld into which they’ve been drawn. CryptoComics is a curriculum designed to teach elementary school children – particularly girls of color – about cybersecurity – the practice of keeping digital information safe – and related careers. It also teaches about cryptology – the science of making and breaking codes. The girls partake in this program as part of their after-school activities in Atlanta. Led by a team of educators and researchers, CryptoComics strategically integrates a digital comic book, apps and unplugged activities, such as painting rocks with ancient symbols and making invisible ink. It also features stories about cybersecurity professionals who are women. CryptoComics is freely available on cryptocomics.org.

Antonenko, P., Xu, Z., Koh, D. H., Dawson, K., Wusylko, C., Benedict, A., & Bhunia, S. (2021). Decoding teacher perceptions of the usability and feasibility of a technology-enhanced cryptography curriculum. Paper presented at the 2021 Conference of the American Educational Research Association.

This study reports empirical data on educator perceptions of the usability and feasibility of a cryptography focused curriculum that uses tablet games and activities and is framed using a comic book narrative. The curriculum and apps are being designed for implementation in informal K-12 settings such as afterschool programs and so the data was provided by informal educators who will be implementing it. Educator feedback focused on the ease of use and appropriateness of vocabulary, comic book story and characters, app navigation, perceptions of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagement, and design of the teacher implementation guide. This research provides implications for the design, implementation, and evaluation of technology enhanced curricula for elementary age children and educators in informal learning settings.

Xu, Z., Koh, R., Antonenko, P., Dawson, K., Bhunia, S., Benedict, A. (2019). Cultivating elementary students’ interest in cryptography and cybersecurity. Presented at the 2019 Conference of the UF Nelms Institute for Connected Worlds, Gainesville, FL.

This poster provides an overview of the CryptoComics project. Specifically it addresses the following aspects:
• Cryptography is the foundation of cybersecurity (Paar & Penzl, 2010).
• Skills underlying the basic encrypting and decrypting practices in classic cryptography requires a fundamental understanding, awareness, and sensitivity in making sense of language, while more recently, mathematical algorithms (Swenson, 2008).
• Encrypting and decrypting practices in classic cryptography parallel the skills children must develop to gain morphological awareness and become successful readers, writers, and symbolic analysts.
• Morphological awareness is the recognition, understanding, and use of word parts, or morphemes, that carry significance – a critically important but often overlooked component of K-12 education (Henbest & Apel, 2017).
• Morphological awareness helps students become successful readers, writers, and symbolic analysts (Reich, 1992).
• Connecting cryptography and morphological awareness in K-12 education would serve as a new, exciting, and societally important context for improving morphological skills, awareness and knowledge of cybersecurity, and development of identity in STEM.

Antonenko, P., Xu, Z., Koh, D., Dawson, K., Bhunia, S., Benedict, A. (2020). Design of a technology-enhanced and culturally responsive curriculum to engage elementary children in cryptography and cybersecurity. Paper presented at the 2020 Conference of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

This presentation discussed the experiences and strategies of a diverse, interdisciplinary team of researchers and teachers in their quest to design and develop an innovative curriculum for engaging elementary-age children in cryptography and cybersecurity education. The presentation focused on the efforts to ensure cultural responsiveness of the curriculum design and effective use of touch-screen technology. Qualitative data were discussed to show evidence of the usability and feasibility of the approach.