Share Paper: Assisting K-12 Teachers to Make the Connection between Computational Thinking in Cybersecurity Unplugged Activities and Mathematical Mindset through A Cybersecurity Micro-credential

  1. Andrea Burrows, University of Wyoming, United States
  2. Mike Borowczak, University of Wyoming, United States
  3. Bekir Mugayitoglu, University of Wyoming, United States
  4. Caitlin Kennedy, University of Wyoming, United States
  5. Amanda Carson, University of Wyoming, United States
  6. Caitlin Person, University of Wyoming, United States
  7. Alexander Finch, University of Wyoming, United States

Abstract: This poster focuses on K-12 STEM teachers' computational thinking while using unplugged cybersecurity activities and exploring cybersecurity applications within self-paced micro-credentials. As a result, they share the most successful and challenging unplugged cybersecurity activities. The pilot micro-credentials were created to assess their effectiveness at enabling K-12 teachers to meaningfully their own materials to develop students’ STEM readiness and increase their engagement with cybersecurity, while enabling unplugged activities to transfer to a more mathematical mindset. The two pilot studies, focusing on K-12 teacher participants, included an initial micro-credential in the 2020 summer (n=5) which informed and enhanced a second micro-credential module ...