2024 Journal of The Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education, Volume 11, No.

1, Winter 2024

Impact of a Cybersecurity Work-Related Course on

Students' Career Thoughts and Attitudes:
A PISCES Course Evaluation
Dr. Marcia Combs Dr. Randall Joyce Mr. Cain Bynum
Cybersecurity Management Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity Management
Murray State University Network Management Graduate Program
Murray, KY, United States Murray State University Murray State University
mcombs@murrystate.edu Murray, KY, United State Murray, Kentucky, USA
0000-0001-6052-3602 rjoyce@murraystate.edu cainbynum@aol.com
0000-0002-1573-7051 0009-0004-9189-5459

Abstract—This article proposes a research study conducted Experiential Learning Theory (ETL) is defined as the process
at Murray State University Cybersecurity and Network whereby knowledge is created through the combination of
Management program to investigate the impact of work- grasping and transforming experience often ETL is referred
related experiential learning on college students' career to as learning through actions and discovery [2, 3]. In the
thoughts and attitudes within the context of cybersecurity field of cybersecurity using experiential learning to teach the
career development. The Cybersecurity and Network skills cybersecurity professionals need to do their job
Management program introduced the CNM 518 course based efficiently and adequately is critical in addressing the
on the Public Infrastructure Security Cyber Education System
workforce gap and producing quality professionals.
(PISCES) project that offers practical, hands-on experiences.
The proposed research project slated for Spring 2024, aims to A. Work-Related Experiential Learning in Cybersecurity
assess how this work-related experiential learning influences
In the spring of 2023, the CNM program introduced both
students' career thoughts and attitudes, using the Career
Thoughts Inventory as a measurement tool. This research
on-campus and online sections of the CNM 518 Threat
project emphasizes the importance of reflective learning within Hunting and Security Operations course. CNM 518 is a
CNM 518 and aims to contribute empirical evidence on the work-related experiential learning course where students
impact of work-related experiential learning on students' delve into the various stages of addressing a cybersecurity
career thoughts and how such learning experiences positively incident within a security operations center, encompassing
influence the career decision-making processes and, both technical and managerial responsibilities. Proficiencies
subsequently, the broader field of cybersecurity education. acquired in this course encompass understanding the origins
of a breach, pinpointing compromised systems,
Keywords—PISCES, Career Development, Work-Related implementing containment measures, and proactively
Experiential Learning, Cybersecurity, Security Operation Center identifying additional breaches. Furthermore, this course
introduces students to industry-standard incident response
I. INTRODUCTION tools and methodologies, with a particular emphasis on log
Murray State University, situated in western Kentucky, is analysis, network examination, and forensic techniques.
a mid-sized public institution. As of October 2022, had a total
Historically, experiential learning in cybersecurity has
enrollment of 9,489 students, spanning both undergraduate
taken the form of case-studies, capture-the-flag activities, and
and graduate programs [1]. One of MSU’s notable programs
interactive games, all aimed at actively engaging and
is Cybersecurity and Network Management (CNM),
fostering students' interest in the field [3-6]. CNM 518
previously recognized as Telecommunication and Systems
deviates from the conventional approach to cybersecurity
Management (TSM), which was established in 1998. This
experiential learning by integrating a pedagogical work-
program holds the status of being a Murray State University
related design built upon the foundation of the Public
Program of Distinction. Since its inception, the CNM
Infrastructure Security Cyber Education System (PISCES)
program has been dedicated to teaching knowledge and skills
project. PISCES offers students a practical, work-related
in the field of cybersecurity. The CNM program, situated
experiential learning opportunity with the aim equipping the
within the School of Engineering, is a 120-credit program
next generation of cybersecurity analysts with practical and
available in both online and on-campus formats. The core
experiential knowledge, facilitated through a unique
courses in the CNM program encompass a broad range of
collaboration with the company Critical Insight [7, 8].
cybersecurity subjects, including but not limited to Internet
Together, they have developed a network monitoring
of Things, Digital Forensics, Incident Response, Threat
solution tailored for small communities, municipalities, and
Hunting, and Security Operations. The CNM program offers
modest-sized healthcare agencies. This solution empowers
students numerous experiential learning opportunities such
students to monitor segments of network traffic, enabling
as internships, study abroad, and problem-based learning.

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 2024 Journal of The Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education, Volume 11, No. 1, Winter 2024

them to identify anomalies and potential indicators of The course spanned a duration of 16 weeks, involving
compromise [9]. Amid the escalating frequency of two-hour and fifteen-minute sessions each week. The initial
cyberattacks and the persistent shortage of cybersecurity PISCES student Spring 2023 cohort consisted of nine
professionals, the imperative of offering experiential learning participants with 22% female and 68% male. As the course
experiences cannot be overstated. neared its conclusion, students were encouraged to
participate in an evaluation process where they provided
As the CNM 518 course was specifically designed to qualitative feedback on both the faculty and the course itself.
align with the PISCES project, the adoption of an The following is some of the feedback from the students.
Experiential Learning (ETL) model became essential to fully
leverage the hands-on learning opportunities within the “The course allowed me to work with tools that I have
course. The course modules were meticulously crafted using never used before, being able to use them and do multiple
the Kolb learning cycle approach, a methodology that has things was really cool.”
demonstrated success in other cybersecurity programs [3, 4,
6]. “The lab assignments and walkthroughs really helped
with the courses and being able to create the dashboards and
The Kolb learning cycle approach encompasses four visualizations helped with my learning.”
sequential stages: concrete experience, reflective
observation, abstract conceptualization, and active “More hands-on activities in the PISCES will help get
experimentation [4, 10, 11]. With this approach, the course more used to using Elastic.”
modules were structured to immerse students in the role of a CNM 518 is scheduled for another offering in the spring
cybersecurity analyst, allowing them to cultivate their of 2024. In an effort to align it more closely with Kolb's
proficiency with the tools and analytical capabilities essential experiential learning theory [11], the following adjustments
to the field. Within each module, a novel analyst or threat- will be added with the goal of creating positive attitudes
hunting skills or tool was introduced and briefly showcased. toward the student's skill set in the PISCES environment
Subsequently, students were tasked with independently while encouraging growth in the field.
replicating the demonstrated activities within their own
learning environments. Supplementary resources, including • Adding new reflection assignments to the modules to
readings and tutorials, were provided to augment the content help students identify negative thoughts about labs in
covered during demonstrations and lectures. Armed with PISCES.
freshly acquired knowledge and skills, students were • Adding on-demand recordings of PISCES Lab
encouraged to further test their skills in the PISCES walkthroughs with the lab assignments.
environment, exploring its intricacies and pushing the
boundaries of what they could uncover. Each module in the • Create group work PISCES lab assignments.
course facilitated students in traversing all four stages of the
learning cycle, a process visually depicted in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Kolb’s Learning Cycle

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 2024 Journal of The Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education, Volume 11, No. 1, Winter 2024

CNM 518 reflective question assignments are based on career or work behavior” [13]. Life-span career
the Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI) workbook schema “to developmental theorist, Dan Super, defined five life and
identify, challenge, and alter any negative career thoughts career developmental stages, growth (age 0-14), exploration
and then follow up with action” [12]. Example reflection (age 15-24), establishment (age 25-44), maintenance (age 45-
question is listed below: 64), and decline (age 65+) [14]. Traditional college students
fall within the exploration stage of Super’s Life Rainbow
• Reflect on your PISCES lab assignment XX. Were where emerging adults [15] are developing vocational self-
there moments when you encountered negative concepts that reflect their occupation preference and ability
thoughts or self-doubt about your abilities or level [13]. According to the Cognitive Information
decisions? Can you describe these thoughts and the Processing (CIP) Theory, vocational self-concept is situated
specific situations that triggered them? within both the executive processing domain and the
• Think about how you addressed the negative career knowledge domain. The executive knowledge domain
thoughts during the PISCES lab assignment XX. centers on metacognitions, including aspects like self-talk
How did you challenge these thoughts, and what and self-awareness. In contrast, the knowledge domain
strategies did you use to improve your decision- concentrates on self-knowledge (employment preferences)
making abilities? Share any instances where you and occupational knowledge (education and training) [16].
overcame self-doubt and made a well-informed CNM 518 was first introduced in the spring of 2023 with
decision. a modest enrollment of nine students. While this represents a
• Describe an example where you transformed a relatively small sample size, it serves as the basis for
negative thought into a positive action during the collecting data to explore the course's impact on student
PISCES lab assignment XX. How did this positive career development based on the CIP executive knowledge
action contribute to your overall experience and domain. This paper proposes a new 2024 study to explore the
outcomes? Additionally, discuss how you made connection between work-related experiential learning CNM
effective use of support from colleagues, mentors, or 518 and its impact on CIP executive processing domain, with
peers to enhance your learning and decision-making. a focus on assessing students' career thoughts and attitudes.
The primary objective of the proposed research project is to
By engaging in this project, students gain invaluable examine how work-related experiential learning influences
experience in using industry-standard tools and working with students' career thoughts and attitudes, utilizing the Career
substantial volumes of data within a security operations Thoughts Inventory (CTI) [12] as a measurement tool. The
center environment. This hands-on exposure prepares them proposed research seeks to gain insights into the potential
effectively for their future careers in the cybersecurity field impact of work-related experiential learning on career-
[8, 9]. In the realm of cybersecurity, gaining practical, hands- related cognitive patterns and contribute valuable knowledge
on experience is pivotal in preparing students for the to the fields of education and career development.
workforce and fostering their deep engagement and
cybersecurity career development. The outline for the remaining sections of the articles
includes a review of career development and work-related
The CNM program offers students another experiential experiential learning literature, an overview of the proposed
learning course. CNM 411 is a problem-based experiential research methodology, and conclusion.
learning course that covers the technical and pragmatic
aspects of network design, operations, and management. II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Serving as the culmination of the undergraduate In the realm of exploring the connection between work-
Cybersecurity and Network Management program, this based experiential learning and students' attitudes toward
course explores and applies technologies, tools, and making career decisions, there is a lack of comprehensive
methodologies relevant to network managers. The research. A 2013 study [17] examined the effect of an
curriculum covers critical aspects such as efficiency, agricultural project-based and work-based learning
performance, reliability, risk management, disaster recovery, experience on undergraduate participants vocation identity,
and security. The course involves a substantial network career decision self-efficacy and career maturity. Vocational
design project and the examination of a real-world case study identity reflects an individual’s sense of their goals, interests,
for assessment and practical application. skills, and confidence in making career choices [18]. Career
B. Cybersecurity and Career Development decision self-efficacy is the individual’s belief they can
successfully complete tasks in making career choices [19]
As Murray State University's CNM program advances while career maturity is the degree individuals are prepared
and broadens its range of experiential learning courses, to make vocational decisions [20]. The findings of this
particularly emphasizing their dedication to work-related project-based and work-based learning experience helped
courses, a fundamental question arises: What impact do these define students’ career interests and career goals and suggests
work-related courses have on students' career development? the experience had a positive effect on vocational identity and
Career development spans a person’s lifetime beginning career decision self-efficacy but no measurable impact on
in childhood and continues to retirement and is defined as “a career maturity. This study was grounded in the
concept designed to capture the dynamic, changing nature of

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 2024 Journal of The Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education, Volume 11, No. 1, Winter 2024

constructivist theory and did not delve into students' beliefs As discussed earlier, CNM 518 Threat Hunting and
and attitude responses regarding career development. Security Operations Center Management is a work-related
experiential learning course where students delve into the
Orthogonal research includes career development based
various stages of addressing a cybersecurity incident within
on early career income and workplace promotion. 2023 study
a security operations center, encompassing both technical
investigated the relationship between work-based learning
and managerial responsibilities. CNM 518 is built upon the
and students’ early career income [21]. Using a dataset from
foundation of the PISCES project, offering students a
the National Centre of Education Statistic (NCES), found
practical, work-related experiential learning opportunity.
high school students who participated in at least one work-
CNM 411 is problem-based experiential learning course that
based learning such as job shadowing, community service,
covers the technical and pragmatic aspects of network
cooperative education, internships could expect a 7% higher
design, operations, and management. Serving as the
income than those who did not participate in work-based
culmination of the undergraduate Cybersecurity and
learning. In 1986 a five-year longitude study [22] found a
Network Management program, this course explores and
positive correlation in an experiential learning business
applies technologies, tools, and methodologies relevant to
management simulation game. In the game the participants'
network managers. The curriculum covers critical aspects
participants' performance was connected to the participants
such as efficiency, performance, reliability, risk
workplace promotion rates and career satisfaction in the
management, disaster recovery, and security.
game.
The Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI) [12] has been
Another research project in experiential learning
shown to be a reliable and valid measure of career related
demonstrated study abroad had a positive effect on students’
negative thoughts, beliefs, attitude and dysfunctional
vocational identity and career decision-making [23]. The
thinking for adults, college students, and high school
study revealed that studying abroad significantly impacted
students. The CTI is a 48-item self-administered assessment
college students' self-knowledge, which, in turn, played a
that provides a total score (CTI Total Score) as well as scores
pivotal role in shaping their career options. However, it's
for three construct scales: Decision Making Confusion
important to note that this study did not address the issue of
(DMC), Commitment Anxiety (CA), and External Conflict
students' career related negative self-talk, attitudes, or beliefs.
(EC). Individuals with higher CTI Total Scores are less likely
A study [24] investigating the relationship of mindfulness to have a clear perception of their career goals, less likely to
on decision-making styles, negative career thoughts, and be informed about occupation and uncertain about career
vocational identity suggest that individuals higher in choice. College students with higher CTI Total Scores are
mindfulness and those with thinking-based and internal less decisive and are prone to feelings of depression. The
decision-making styles experience fewer negative career three constructs reflect the individual’s inability to make a
thoughts and higher levels of vocational identity. career decision due to overwhelming negative thoughts
Mindfulness like the CIP theory executive domain (DMC), inability to make a commitment to a specific career
emphasizes how negative career thoughts affect the career (CA), inability to balance the importance of their own self-
decision making process [25]. This study aligns with the perceptions and the input from others (EC). The CTI uses a
intended purpose of the proposed research project in terms of Likert scale with responses ranging from “strongly disagree”
examining participants' thoughts and attitudes. However, it's (0) to “strongly agree” (3) and the total score can range from
worth noting that this study focused on teaching mindfulness 0 to 144. The CTI can be administered in 7 to 15 minutes and
within a career counseling context, rather than within an can be scored in 5 to 10 minutes.
experiential learning context.
The hypothesis statements for the research project are as
There seems to be a noticeable gap in research, follows:
particularly regarding the intersection of work-related
• H0: There is no significant difference in Career
experiential learning and college students' self-talk, attitudes,
Thoughts Inventory (CTI) scores between students
and beliefs in career development. Consequently, the primary
who participate in work-related experiential learning
aim of this proposed research project is to explore the
(Group A) and those who do not (Group B).
relationship between the PISCES work-related experiential
learning experience and college students' attitudes toward • H1: There is a significant difference in Career
career development. Thoughts Inventory (CTI) scores between students
who participate in work-related experiential learning
III. PROPOSED METHODOLOGY (Group A) and those who do not (Group B).
This research project proposes a control group study to
It is expected that both the sample size for each group will
assess and compare the CTI scores of two distinct groups.
be less than 30, therefore a Mann-Whitney U test will be
The experimental group (Group A) will participate in a senior
employed to analyze and compare the distributions of CTI
level work-related experiential learning course (CNM 518)
scores, allowing us to either accept or reject the null
while the control group (Group B) will participate in a senior
hypothesis.
level problem-based experiential learning course (CNM
411). If U statistic ≤ critical U value, the null hypothesis (H0)
will be rejected meaning there is a significant difference in

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 2024 Journal of The Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education, Volume 11, No. 1, Winter 2024

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