Cybersecurity education heavily utilizes competition-based approaches, such as capture-the-flag (CTF) games to support the need for a skilled cybersecurity workforce. Although CTFs expose students to cybersecurity work competencies, their competitive nature may contribute to the lack of diversity in cybersecurity programs. In response, we developed a technology-based, experiential learning approach utilizing Internet of Things (IoT) devices to educate learners about cybersecurity concepts. We evaluated the approach’s effectiveness in engaging and sparking interest in a diverse sample of high school students. Our results indicated that (a) all participants reported a moderate challenge-skill balance, (b) underrepresented minorities (URMs) reported significantly higher engagement than non-URMs, and (c) significantly more female students compared to male students reported increased levels of intent to pursue cybersecurity after participating in the learning activity. We present the approach, methods, results, implications, and recommendations for the use of IoT devices in cybersecurity education to train a more diverse workforce.

Cybersecurity education has grown exponentially to support the need for a skilled cybersecurity workforce. Further, capture-the-flag competitions have popularized cybersecurity by engaging and recruiting students while exposing them to cybersecurity workforce competencies. However, the heavy reliance on competition-based educational approaches may contribute to the lack of diversity in cybersecurity programs. Cybersecurity competitions are the primary catalyst to expose and recruit students from both high school and collegiate cybersecurity education programs. In response, we propose a collaborative, experiential learning approach that leverages hackable Internet of Things (IoT) toys as a pedagogical tool for cybersecurity education. We share our detailed design, activities, experiences, and lessons learned for others to build on our initial success.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effect of two interface types on operator situation awareness (SA), performance, and workload for small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) search and rescue operations in a simulated computer-based task. The first interface type was a simulated, traditional, heads-down display (HDD) in which system information was presented separately from the view of the aircraft and the environment. The second interface type was a simulated, heads-up display (HUDs) in which the system information was overlaid on the environmental view. Results revealed a significant effect of interface type on SA, with the simulated HUD resulting in significantly higher objective SA. Interface type was found to have no significant effect on workload, performance, or subjective SA. Additionally, interactions between the order of display presentation and operator experience level were explored. This paper presents associated methods, results, and implications.

There has been steady and significant growth and development of the technology available to pilots on the modern aviation flight deck. From improved information systems such as the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), to increased control of the aircraft (e.g., automated collision avoidance maneuvering) and onwards to overall management of flights (via the Flight Management System, FMS), pilots now have a range of high-tech systems at their fingertips. This technology is designed to support pilots in maintaining situation awareness, making complex decisions, communicating effectively and assisting in flying the aircraft. However, each technological advancement comes with human computer interaction (HCI) considerations that warrant exploration. This special issue aims to bring together new knowledge and best practices, from the scientific community and industry, related to HCI issues on the modern flight deck. The goal of the special issue is to shed light on areas in need of improvement and potential new solutions for maintaining effective HCI on the flight deck. The articles within this special issue incorporate quantitative and qualitative research methods along with HCI design techniques to examine current and future use of technology on the flight deck and how it impacts pilot performance. Although this issue represents a small portion of the challenges pilots face when interacting with technology on the modern flight deck, it will hopefully serve as a lens to focus attention on the many HCI issues that pilots face, the progress that has been made to date, and the many areas that show potential for improvement.

Many pilots utilize portable electronic flight bags (EFB) as supplemental sources of information on the flight deck. Because EFB applications often obtain data from different sources than the certified systems displayed in the aircraft panel, there is a potential for the EFB and onboard systems to simultaneously show pilots information that conflicts. As manufacturers explore integrating uncertified EFB information into the aircraft panel, there is a need to understand the impact of information conflicts on pilot response. A simulation study with Boeing 737 pilots was conducted to examine how level of integration of uncertified information into the aircraft panel impacts pilot response to information conflicts between an uncertified EFB source and approved sources of information on the flight deck. The results indicate that as uncertified EFB information became more integrated into the panel, participants were more likely to both detect and investigate information conflicts between approved and uncertified sources.