Course Development Process: Implementation & Evaluation

Enterprise Security Curriculum

As part of the project, a curriculum was developed for an Enterprise Security program at De Anza and the campus approved a new certificate of achievement for Enterprise Security Professional. The program incorporates already existing courses in Information Technology, Computer Networking, and Enterprise Security into a full curriculum that is unique in its ability to prepare students to enter the workforce as security specialists with the knowledge and skills that industry representatives had identified as requirements for these positions.

The Capstone Course

Practicum in Enterprise Security, the capstone course, has students working on tasks and problems, virtual work experiences, that closely parallel those of actual network security technicians and specialists. The course was offered for the first time April 5-June 25, 2004 at De Anza College.

Evaluation

SRI International has been retained to conduct an evaluation designed to measure the success of the course and the story-centered methodology for community college technician education. From July through August 2003, SRI reviewed relevant literature to understand the types of student learning outcomes that may occur through this form of pedagogy.

Literature Review

SRI reviewed relevant literature to understand the types of student learning outcomes that may occur through this form of pedagogy. This review situated the Story-Centered curriculum model within a range of simulation-based curricula, goal-based scenario curricula, role-playing instructional approaches, and workplace training based on internships (Freeman & Capper, 1999; Ip & Morrison, 2001; Jackson & Walters, 1999; Naidu, Ip, & Linser, 2000; Schank, 1997). Briefly, the approach is theorized to have cognitive, affective, and practical benefits.

Cognitive benefits include active student role, collaboration between learners and instructors, and new competencies in both content and related communication skills. The process of solving repeated problems and playing different roles within a team is also believed to offer cognitive benefits.

Affective benefits include increased interest in a topic, confidence, personalization, and reduced concerns sometimes related to face-to-face interactions. Additionally, Schank (1997), the author of the story-centered curriculum, calls out the importance of experiencing failure to motivate student learning.

A key practical benefit relates to the flexible time frame for accessing the course materials and completing coursework.

Evaluation Measurement Rationale

Early during the development of the pilot course, Dr. Louise Yarnall, SRI research social scientist, queried the development team about their expectations regarding student outcomes as a result of the methodology. Using this feedback and the literature review, SRI created a theory of change that outlined the key features of the program, the supports, the social interactions, and the final learning outcomes. From this, Dr. Yarnall developed an Evaluation Measurement Rationale.

Evaluation Plan

SRI recommended a comparison test between the story-centered curriculum in network security and a comparable network security course using a more traditional curricular approach. The goal of this design was to compare the performances of a class of students in each of these courses. The measurements for comparison are:

For additional understanding of the student experience and faculty experience, SRI conducted a student focus group and a faculty debriefing at the end of the pilot course.

Findings will be available in mid September 2004, after the data collection from the comparison class, summer 2004, and the analysis is complete.

Continuous Improvement

Responding to student and faculty requests for a 4-unit version of the course, grant staff and Foothill faculty are developing a new course, Threat Assessment and Response. The new class uses three of the six tasks in the Practicum in Enterprise Security Course.