Cooperative Learning in Information Security Education: Teaching Secret Sharing Concepts

Abstract

Information security is an important yet challenging area of education. Much of the difficulty lies in the complexity of security schemes and the often perceived disjoint between theory and practice. This paper investigates the topic of adopting cooperative learning for teaching secret sharing concepts and schemes. The aim of this is to motivate and cultivate an interest in students to learn more about the topic. By designing hands-on cooperative learning activities, the goal is help students appreciate the connection between theory and practice, and to be able to help and encourage each other in their understanding of the area. In this paper, we analyze the suitability of this group-based learning approach in relation to addressing the five essential elements of cooperative learning.