Authors:
Riccardo Bettati
1
;
Lauren Cifuentes
1
;
Willis Marti
1
;
René Mercer
1
;
Youngwoo Ahn
1
;
Gaurav Yadav
1
and
Omar Alvarez
2
Affiliations:
1
Texas A&M University, United States
;
2
Autonomous University of Baja California, Mexico
Keyword(s):
Case-based learning, Network engineering, Security training.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Computer-Supported Education
;
e-Learning
;
e-Learning Platforms
;
Information Technologies Supporting Learning
;
Simulation and Modeling
;
Simulation Tools and Platforms
;
Virtual Learning Environments
;
Web-Based Learning, Wikis and Blogs
Abstract:
We present the Virtual Network Engineering Laboratory, which creates a high-fidelity, multi-platform, remotely accessible environment where students obtain hands-on experience in network engineering and operation and in cyber defense and infrastructure protection. The facility focuses on access to real equipment in a realistic yet isolated setting. isolation allows for a broad variety of activities without danger to the surrounding operational networks, and it allows the students to learn from mistakes on equipment that is both real and well protected. The Laboratory supports fine-grained, detailed instrumentation of user activities and allows for experiments on a wide variety of real networking equipment. Real equipment is emphasized over simulation for the sake of (a) fidelity of both intended and non-intended modes of operation, (b) extendability to other protection domains such as cyber physical systems, and (c) instrumentability of student-system interactions to support run-time
assessment and on-demand scaffolding.
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