02/10/2025
By Naga Pranathi Rayavaram
Time: Friday, February 21, 2025, Noon - 2 p.m. EST.
Location: This will be an in person defense at Suite 445, Wannalancit Mills (600 Suffolk Street) .
Committee Members:
Sashank Narain, Ph.d., (Advisor), Assistant Professor, Miner School of Computer & Information Sciences.
Ian Chen, Ph.D., (Member), Assistant Professor, Miner School of Computer & Information Sciences.
Samantha Reig, Ph.D., (Member), Assistant Professor, Miner School of Computer & Information Sciences.
Sumudu R Lewis , Ph.D., (Member), Associate Clinical Professor, UTeach Director, Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences.
Abstract:
The rapid growth of the digital world underscores the need to integrate cybersecurity, particularly cryptography, into K–12 education. Cryptography is crucial for securing information, protecting privacy, and ensuring the integrity of digital communications. For middle and high school students, learning cryptography safeguards their digital identities, fosters critical thinking, and addresses challenges in data security and privacy. Early exposure can also spark interest in cybersecurity careers, which are vital for combating advanced cyber threats. However, cryptography is often excluded from early education due to its perceived complexity and the lack of engaging, age-appropriate resources, highlighting the need for innovative tools to make it more accessible.
This thesis introduces three tools designed to simplify cryptographic concepts and engage young learners. Two of these tools, an interactive visual storytelling platform and Visual CryptoED, use a Scratch-based interface to distill algorithms like AES, RSA, and SHA-256 into intuitive block-based formats. The visual storytelling platform employs interactive narratives to demystify cryptographic principles, helping students develop clear mental models of key concepts. Evaluations of the storytelling platform revealed that 61.1% of participating students (18 total: 10 girls and 8 boys) would highly recommend the curriculum, while 33.3% were willing to recommend it. Students consistently praised the clarity and simplicity of the visual presentations, which helped them better grasp complex ideas. Visual CryptoED further enhanced engagement by immersing students in role-playing activities that allowed them to simulate cryptographic processes and explore the rationale behind secure algorithm implementations. In a user study with 58 participants (41 middle school and 17 high school students), 82.2% of middle school and 72.7% of high school students reported significant improvements in their understanding of cryptography. Students highlighted the hands-on, scenario-based approach of Visual CryptoED, which made learning cryptographic strategies practical and relevant. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of interactive and engaging methods in simplifying cryptographic concepts while making them accessible and impactful for younger learners.
Building on these insights, a comprehensive web-based platform was developed as a third tool to address the limitations of Scratch in scalability and extensibility, particularly for teaching advanced cryptographic topics. The platform integrates Kolb’s Experiential Learning (EL) framework, aligning with the four stages of the EL cycle: visual scenarios for concrete experiences, role-playing for abstract conceptualization, large language models (LLMs) for reflective observation, and a Python coding terminal for active experimentation. Key concepts like hashing, symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), and digital signatures are taught through real-world applications such as login portals, secure chat interfaces, and email systems, ensuring relevance and engagement. The platform’s scalable JSON-based framework allows educators to easily customize scenarios, while a graph-based approach enhances modularity and debugging efficiency by enabling targeted execution and reusability of cryptographic processes. Designed to promote independent learning, the platform minimizes instructor involvement and empowers students to engage deeply with cryptographic concepts.
The preliminary study, conducted with 51 middle and high school students, showcased CryptoEL’s effectiveness in engaging learners, with 93% of participants commending its simulations, visualizations, AI-driven reflections, and coding features. Comprehension surveys indicated consistently high scores across fundamental cryptographic topics, including hashing (middle school: 89%, high school: 92%), symmetric cryptography (middle school: 93%, high school: 97%), and asymmetric cryptography (middle school: 91%, high school: 94%). Building on these insights, a second study with 12 high school students evaluated their understanding of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP). The findings revealed a 97.5% comprehension rate, further affirming the platform's effectiveness in teaching advanced encryption concepts. Collectively, these studies emphasize CryptoEL’s success in bridging educational gaps, promoting independent learning, and enhancing students' understanding of complex cryptographic principles.
In conclusion, this thesis presents scalable and adaptable tools for K–12 cryptography education, addressing a critical gap and contributing to the development of a cybersecurity-literate generation. The findings advocate for reevaluating current curricula and adopting interactive, experiential approaches in teaching cybersecurity and related fields.