Given the increasing concern about cyber attacks, a study by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education discovered that participants lacked the skillset to protect themselves from cybercrimes. For quite some time, the National Science Foundation has been funding initiatives to enhance cybersecurity education. The current Cyber Security Project is one such initiative funded by NSF to enhance Cyber Security Education at Virginia Tech.
Jerome Bruner's idea of Spiral theory has been adapted to develop learning modules for the project. Based on the modules, projects were designed to enable students to put their knowledge to practical use. Finally, students' motivation and knowledge were tested using pre and post-tests. The typical timeline of each level is
"Each level is distinguished by the cybersecurity concept it encompasses. For example, the concept covered in level 1 was data integrity and authenticity. After a pre-survey, the students were exposed to module sessions".
"To help the Students understand the modules better, each level had a project activity in the last month of the semester. The projects provided students with valuable practical exposure. For eg, as part of Level 2's project, students get to learn the Heap Spraying attack."
"The student perception towards the course as well as their knowledge in cybersecurity is assessed both before and after the module sessions and activities. This is done in the form of pre and post surveys."